Child Health and Development Institute: Bridge to Better
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CHDI NEWSLETTER

May 2024

In this month's newsletter, we invite social work employers to join a focus group, share the latest post in our series on strengthening Connecticut's behavioral health workforce, and highlight opportunities for schools to enhance student mental health supports.


You'll also find a collection of resources for Mental Health Awareness Month, recent media coverage, and more. Plus, we're hiring!

Publications

Blog: The Ripple Effect of Behavioral Health Workforce Shortages in Intermediate Levels of Care for Children

Graphic with image of two girls waiting on a subway platform for a train to arrive. Text reads "New Blog Post: Delays Ahead - The Ripple Effect of Workforce Shortages in Intermediate Levels of Care for Children, by Aleece Kelly, MPP." With CHDI logo.

Just as delays at one subway stop can affect the entire line, delays at any level of the behavioral health care system for children and youth can have a ripple effect across all other services. 


In the latest in our special series on Connecticut's behavioral health workforce challenges, Senior Associate Aleece Kelly, MPP explains how delays at intermediate levels of care are having a particularly widespread, systemic impact:

Read the Blog Post

From the Archives: Increasing Access to Mental Health Services for Young Children

Early childhood is a critical time for building the foundation for mental and behavioral health. However, young children are less likely than older children to receive intervention and treatment for trauma and other concerns.


That's why this Mental Health Awareness Month, we're revisiting this recent Issue Brief in which co-authors Kellie Randall, Ph.D and Jason Lang, Ph.D identify effective strategies for strengthening mental health promotion and prevention efforts and ensuring access to high-quality services for young children.

Read the Issue Brief
Cover of Early Childhood Issue Brief

Initiative Updates

Employers of Social Workers: Share Your Experiences!

CT Social Work Employers - Participate in a Focus Group! Earn a $50 gift card!

Do you hire or supervise social workers in Connecticut? We want to hear from YOU!


As part of the State of Connecticut's CT Health Horizons initiative, CHDI will be conducting virtual focus groups this June with employers of social workers regarding their experiences with recruitment and retention. Your participation will help the state strengthen and support this critical workforce.


Open to anyone who hires or supervises social workers in Connecticut. Participants will receive $50 Amazon gift cards. Register by June 10th!

Register for a Focus Group

New Legislation Expands Telehealth Access

Connecticut families and behavioral health providers will benefit from new telehealth legislation making the state's pandemic-era telehealth benefits and flexibility permanent.


The bill prevents insurance companies from paying less than in-person rates, includes audio-only services, and allows clinicians to provide telehealth care from wherever they are. These provisions promote better and more equitable access to treatment, as noted in a 2021 CHDI Policy Brief.

In addition, out-of-state providers will now be required to apply for state approval and meet state licensing and other requirements. The new law will help expand access to high-quality, licensed behavioral health care for Connecticut families and is a step forward in protecting the state's behavioral health workforce, which is under tremendous strain.

Reminder: Opportunities for Connecticut Schools & Districts to Enhance Student Mental Health Services

The end of the school year is in sight, but many school and district leaders are already planning for 2024-25. When it comes to planning for student mental health, CHDI and the Connecting to Care initiative can help!

CONNECTing Schools to Care IV Students (CONNECT IV)

Connecticut K-12 Schools & Districts: Apply Now to Receive FREE training & technical assistance to enhance your Student Mental Health Services! With Connecting to Care logo.

CHDI is still accepting applications from Connecticut schools and districts (K-12) to participate in CONNECT IV, a new federally-funded student mental health initiative.


By providing no-cost training, technical assistance, quality improvement support, and funding incentives, CONNECT IV will help schools strengthen collaboration with community services, increase behavioral health knowledge, implement trauma-informed practices, and foster a culture that promotes well-being for all.

Learn More About CONNECT IV

Help Pilot a New Student Peer Support Model

CT Middle and High Schools: Help Pilot a New Peer Support Program!

There are still a few spaces left for Connecticut middle or high schools to pilot a new student peer support model! CHDI developed the new model for schools based on best practices from across the country.


Participating schools will receive ongoing training and support from CHDI and a stipend upon completion.

Pilot Peer Support at Your School

To learn more about CONNECT IV or the Peer Support Pilot, contact Project Coordinator Mackenzie Wink, Ph.D. at mwink@chdi.org or visit our website.

Positive Feedback for Trauma ScreenTIME Courses

Initial feedback for CHDI's Trauma ScreenTIME courses has been overwhelmingly positive!


In a post-course survey, many participants shared that they:

  • Gained a deeper understanding of the effects of trauma on children and youth
  • Felt better prepared to discuss trauma with the families they work with
  • Were able to identify youth with previously unreported trauma exposure through screening
Quote from a Trauma ScreenTIME Course participant reading "Trauma screening helps me understand what my families are going through. Therefore, I can help them understand why they're seeing the behaviors and changes about which they are concerned."

These free, online courses were designed to teach child-serving professionals in a variety of settings about the effects of trauma on children and how to develop effective trauma screening processes for their organizations. They are appropriate for any child-serving staff - not just those with clinical training. Continuing education credits are available!

Register for Trauma ScreenTIME

CHDI's Trauma ScreenTIME initiative is a National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Category II grantee, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

Lending Our Mobile Crisis Expertise to New Project in Texas

CHDI recently began working with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute in Texas to support the rollout of eight Youth Crisis Outreach Teams (YCOT), which will provide community-based crisis de-escalation, ongoing crisis stabilization support, and connection to additional mental health resources. Drawing from our experience as Connecticut's Mobile Crisis Performance Improvement Center and mobile crisis consultation in six other states, CHDI will support Meadows in hosting a best practice summit and learning community for the outreach teams. Stay tuned for more on this project in next month's newsletter!

In the News

CT Mirror Highlights Impact of Shortages in Intermediate Levels of Care

Quote from CT Mirror article from CHDI's Aleece Kelly which reads, "We see a cycle of rising acuity of children, more challenging and higher caseloads [for] staff, burnout of those staff."

A May 26th CT Mirror article, "For some CT kids, the mental health care system is struggling," cited CHDI's recent report on Intermediate Levels of Care and included quotes from CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, Ph.D and Senior Associate Aleece Kelly, MPP along with family and provider stories.


The article also ran in the Hartford Courant and Hartford Business Journal, and was featured on the Mirror's Long Story Short podcast.

Read CT Mirror Article

CT Examiner Covers CHDI Recommendations on Sustainable Funding for 988 and Other Crisis Services

On May 27th, the CT Examiner ran a story on how a wireless surcharge could help Connecticut sustainably fund the 988 Lifeline and other crisis services, similar to the way we fund 911. Eight other states have already enacted this type of surcharge.


The story quoted CHDI CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, Ph.D as well as Wellmore Behavioral Health CEO Gary Steck, LMFT who recently co-authored a CHDI Policy Brief on this topic.

Read CT Examiner Article
Quote from CEO Jeff Vanderploeg from CT Examiner article that reads, "988 is on the list of services that are in danger unless we come up with a more sustainable funding solution."

Mental Health Awareness Month Resources

To close out Mental Health Awareness Month, we pulled together some resources to help providers, educators, policymakers, parents and caregivers support the behavioral health and well-being of children and youth:

Connect4Families Toolkit

The Connect4Families Toolkit simplifies access to behavioral health services and facilitates collaboration among families, providers, and schools. It includes a directory of Connecticut services.

AIM Tool Logo

The Assisted Intervention Matching (AIM) Tool asks questions to match you with appropriate behavioral health services in Connecticut for specific child or family behavioral health needs (for use by providers or caregivers).

Kids Mental Health Info Logo

KidsMentalHealthInfo.com has a directory of national and state resources and a wealth of information on youth behavioral health for families and providers.

Cover of Workforce Strategic Plan

Strengthening the Behavioral Health Workforce for Children, Youth, and Families: A Strategic Plan for Connecticut is a blueprint for state policymakers to address the field's workforce shortage.

Evidence-Based Treatments in CT

The CT Evidence-Based Practice Directory lists providers of some trauma-focused, evidence-based practices in Connecticut for children and families with behavioral health needs.

Gizmo's Guide Activity Book Cover

Gizmo's Pawsome Guide to Mental Health - Early Childhood Introduction - Teaching guide and activity book to help early childhood educators and home visitors introduce children ages 3-5 to mental health concepts.

FAVOR Logo

FAVOR, Inc. is a statewide, family-led nonprofit organization committed to empowering families as advocates and partners in improving educational and health outcomes for children.

AFCAMP Logo

African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities (AFCAMP) educates, trains, and supports parents and youth to become active participants in their education and care and advocates for equitable system reforms in Connecticut.

CTFSN Logo

CT Family Support Network (CTFSN) empowers individuals and families to be their own best advocate and provides support to families raising children with disabilities and special healthcare needs, including behavioral health challenges, through the life span.

Reminder: If you or someone in your care is experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or 211 (in CT) for free, confidential, 24/7/365 support. In CT, mobile crisis services are available to come to you.

Staff News

CHDI staff have been busy traveling around Connecticut and beyond to share research, best practices, and resources to improve children's behavioral health systems and practices. We even found a little time for fun! Here are a few places we've been recently:

Jeana Bracey poses at CTFSN Conference with CTFSN Board Chair and Executive Director

On May 2nd, Associate VP of School & Community Initiatives Jeana Bracey, Ph.D was the keynote speaker at the CT Family Support Network's annual One Voice Conference on “Transitions Through the Lifespan.”

CHDI's Jason and Brittany pose with Lisa Girard of FAVOR at NCTSN meeting

In mid-May, Chief Program Officer Jason Lang, Ph.D & Senior Associate Brittany Lange, DPhil, MPH presented on Trauma ScreenTIME at the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's All-Network Conference (pictured with co-presenter Lisa Girard of FAVOR, Inc.).

Screenshot from Jeana Bracey's virtual presentation on 5/29

Dr. Bracey also presented at the May 29th Transforming Children's Behavioral Health (TCB) Policy and Planning Committee meeting. She provided an overview of best practices in school mental health that CHDI is currently advancing in partnership with the State of Connecticut and highlighted system-level opportunities to support school behavioral health needs. Watch recording.

AAS Annual Conference Logo

On May 9th, Associate VP of Quality Improvement Kellie Randall, Ph.D and Senior Associate Kayla Theriault, MPH presented at the American Association of Suicidology’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas. They gave an overview of CT’s Crisis Continuum for youth and its alignment with SAMHSA’s national guidelines, with a focus on the role of Mobile Crisis and Urgent Crisis Centers in suicide prevention and "post-vention."

CBITS & Bounce Back graphic

Project Coordinator Jaime Brown, MSW presented at the Connecticut State Department of Education statewide school social worker Community of Practice. She shared CHDI's work disseminating evidence-based practices for schools (such as CBITS and Bounce Back) and resources we offer.

Kara Vlahcevic leads a staff activity on creating Pysanky eggs

As part of CHDI's ongoing internal work to promote cross-cultural understanding and anti-racism, Data Analyst Kara Vlahcevic, MS recently led a staff culture-sharing activity on the Ukrainian tradition of pysanky, intricately decorated eggs typically created around springtime and Easter.

Join Our Team

We're Hiring!

Are you passionate about improving children's behavioral health systems, policies, and practices? Join one of the "Best Places to Work in Connecticut"!


CHDI is seeking a Project Coordinator to support the development of online, asynchronous trainings related to children’s behavioral health. This is a full-time, limited-term position funded through September 30, 2025.


All roles offer competitive salaries with excellent benefits (see job descriptions for details) and a hybrid work schedule.

Best Places to Work in Connecticut 2024 Awards
Learn More & Apply

The Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing effective and integrated system, practice, and policy solutions that result in equitable and optimal behavioral health and well-being for children, youth, and families in Connecticut and beyond.


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