CHDI NEWSLETTER
July 2021
School Mental Health Resources
A Professional Development Series for the School Community
To support school staff in becoming knowledgeable around mental health and trauma, the Project AWARE team developed a series of 21 free professional development resource sheets covering nine topics. Each resource sheet includes 2-3 clickable links.

These resource sheets are part of an online behavioral health curriculum created by CHDI, in partnership with the State Department of Education and Department of Children and Families for the Project AWARE Initiative. The topics align with the Connecticut State Department of Education's ESSER II priorities and reflect behavioral health competencies school staff will need as they return to in-person learning this fall.
About Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education)
Project AWARE is a five-year, SAMHSA-funded initiative being piloted in three Connecticut school districts: Middletown, Naugatuck and Windham. The goal is to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based, trauma-informed school mental health approach within each district. CHDI provides training, implementation and quality improvement support to each district and is developing resources to share statewide. Learn more.
CHDI Updates
Connecticut Launches New Children's Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Workgroups
The State of Connecticut has launched three new workgroups aimed at improving children’s behavioral health systems and services. Implementation workgroups have been established for 1) Data Integration, 2) Value-Based Purchasing and Measurement-Based Care, and 3) Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers & Crisis Stabilization Units. The workgroups are intended to move forward implementation of key recommendations from the State’s Children’s Behavioral Health Plan. Since its creation in 2014, the Children’s Behavioral Health Plan has guided the state’s efforts to improve behavioral health systems and services for children, youth and families. In addition to the implementation workgroups, CHDI continues to serve as the Coordinating Center for the “Connecting to Care” initiative, a federally funded behavioral health system of care grant. To learn more about the new implementation workgroups and related activities, visit Plan4Children.org.
CHDI Helps CT Plan for National 9-8-8 Crisis Hotline in 2022
In October 2020 the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) designated a new three-digit number (988) to become the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. This new number is being created in recognition that an easy-to-remember number is critical for people in crisis, will improve public awareness and behavioral health services, and reduce stigma regarding mental health. To support rollout of the new hotline, states received planning grants to develop roadmaps for implementation. The Connecticut Department of Children and Families and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services partnered with CHDI and others to plan for an effective and efficient rollout of 988. The FCC plans for 988 to be fully operational by July 2022.

In Connecticut, the 988 hotline will be routed through Connecticut’s 211 Call Center for seamless connection to behavioral health services. These services include Connecticut's Mobile Crisis Intervention Services, for which CHDI serves as the Performance Improvement Center, as well as suicide prevention and other behavioral health services. Connecticut residents make approximately 20,000 calls to the National Suicide Prevention Line (NSPL) which is locally staffed by United Way’s 211 Call Center. While 988 is intended to become the primary suicide prevention line, in order to not disrupt services, the NSPL 1-800 number calls will be routed the same as 988 calls.
A Connecticut Analysis of Evidence-Based Treatments and Disparities is Highlighted at National Conference
CHDI’s Jason Lang presented with Monica Fitzgerald (University of Colorado, Boulder) on July 14 at the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) 28th Annual Conference, held virtually this year. Their presentation, News You Can Use about Hot Trauma Mental Health Research, described the most influential research studies from the past year about childhood trauma and behavioral health trends, interventions, and implementation of trauma-informed practices. The presentation included CHDI’s recent analysis of evidence-based treatments and disparities in Connecticut’s outpatient children’s behavioral health system. More information about CHDI’s trauma-informed initiatives can be found here.
Staff News
Farewell to Stephanie Luczak
Stephanie Luczack, LMSW will be leaving CHDI on August 4 to serve as Communications Officer for the Connecticut Health Foundation, an organization with a long history of collaboration with CHDI. At CHDI, Stephanie served as Senior Project Coordinator for the Connecticut Network of Care Transformation (CONNECT) initiative and was one of six CHDI staff to participate in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's Anti-Racism Summit. She made important contributions to advance CHDI's work in equity and racial justice. We wish her the best in her new endeavor.
Job Opportunity
CHDI is Hiring: 2021-2022 Postdoctoral Fellowship
CHDI is accepting applications for a one-year full time Postdoctoral Fellowship with potential areas of focus in behavioral health equity, implementation science, childhood trauma, and/or school-based behavioral health. The Fellow will work on one or more initiatives focused on improving children’s behavioral health in Connecticut, with a particular emphasis on behavioral health equity. Learn more.
Child Health and Development Institute
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