CHDI NEWSLETTER
February 2024
In this month's newsletter, you'll find a new report on intermediate levels of care in Connecticut and hear from our President & CEO on why Connecticut needs to raise reimbursement rates for behavioral health services.
Also, we revisit a policy brief on how the availability of telemedicine promotes behavioral health equity and share recent media coverage and announcements. Plus, we're hiring!
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New Report Recommends Ways to Strengthen Connecticut's Intermediate Levels of Care |
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Intermediate levels of care (ILC) - such as intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and extended day treatment programs - offer a critical service for youth who do not require inpatient hospitalization but who need more intensive and frequent support than outpatient behavioral health treatment provides.
Our latest report - authored by CHDI's Aleece Kelly, MPP and Jason Lang, Ph.D. with Amber W. Childs, Ph.D. of Yale University - identifies best practices in intermediate levels of care for children, reviews the landscape of ILC implementation in Connecticut, and provides recommendations for providers and policymakers on how to strengthen and increase access to ILC services.
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In Light of New Rate Study, CEO Jeff Vanderploeg Explains Why CT Needs to Raise Behavioral Health Reimbursement Rates |
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A new study of Medicaid reimbursement rates released this month by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) has revealed just how underpaid the state's behavioral health providers are, both relative to other states and to other healthcare services within Connecticut.
In a new blog post, our President & CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, Ph.D. looks at the new data alongside surveys and stories from providers and families to make the case for why Connecticut urgently needs to raise its Medicaid reimbursement rates for behavioral health services.
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From the Archives: How Telemedicine Promotes Equity in Behavioral Health |
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During the pandemic, Connecticut made it easier for providers and families to access behavioral health care by relaxing restrictions on using telemedicine through June 2024. This year, legislators have the opportunity to make telehealth provisions permanent.
That's why we're revisiting our 2021 Policy Brief, "Advancing Equity in Behavioral Health Through Telemedicine," which examines the value of permanently expanding telehealth to support the fundamental delivery of health care and includes four key policy recommendations.
Earlier this week, the state legislature's Public Health Committee held a hearing on a bill ( HB 5198) that would extend telehealth provisions through 2027. |
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School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) Recruiting New Schools and Districts for 2024-25 |
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The Connecticut School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) works with schools and districts to reduce suspensions, expulsions, and arrests and improve connections to behavioral health services and support for students.
We are recruiting new schools and districts for the 2024-25 school year! To learn more, visit ctsbdi.org or contact Elaine Mancini.
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New England Psychologist Highlights Plan to Strengthen CT's Behavioral Health Workforce
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CHDI's Aleece Kelly, MPP and Jason Lang, Ph.D. were recently interviewed for a piece in New England Psychologist about the strategic plan they co-authored to strengthen Connecticut's behavioral health workforce for children and families.
The plan, developed through a collaborative process that included provider, family, faculty, and national expert perspectives, provides the state with a blueprint for supporting a strong, diverse, and competent behavioral health workforce.
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Celebrating the Partnership Between UConn and CHDI |
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Congratulations to our longtime partners at the University of Connecticut for being one of 40 colleges and universities in the United States to receive the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement, including partnerships with nonprofit and private organizations.
The award is in part recognition of the work we do together to advance school mental health. Jeana Bracey, Ph.D., CHDI's Associate Vice President of School and Community Initiatives, has served on the Steering Committee of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH) since 2018 and co-chairs the Trauma-Informed School Mental Health Task Force (a Connecting to Care workgroup), with CSCH faculty. Dr. Bracey also works closely with partners at UConn's Center for Applied Research in Human Development (CARDH) lab as the evaluators of the School-Based Diversion Initiative, recently featured on the CSCH podcast.
We look forward to ongoing collaboration with UConn in the future!
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Save the Date: Innovations Institute's 2025 Training Institutes |
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We're Hiring: 3 New Project Coordinator Roles |
CHDI is growing again! Are you passionate about improving children's behavioral health systems, policies, and practices? Join one of the "Best Places to Work in Connecticut."
We are now accepting applications for three Project Coordinator roles in the areas of:
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Evidence-Based Practice Dissemination: Focused on projects related to evidence-based practice (EBP) dissemination and outpatient quality improvement initiatives.
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Systems Development & Integration: Supporting efforts to strengthen implementation of the state’s Behavioral Health Plan for Children and training opportunities for the children’s behavioral health workforce.
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School Mental Health: Supporting the statewide expansion of a Comprehensive School Mental Health model to K-12 schools and districts.
All roles offer competitive salaries with excellent benefits (see job descriptions for details) and a hybrid work schedule.
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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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Child Health and Development Institute
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Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
The CHDI logo is a registered trademark.
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