Addressing the Crisis in Children's Behavioral Health |
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Sharing Solutions with the Committee on Children at the Capitol |
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CHDI's President and CEO Jeffrey Vanderploeg, PhD, joined mental health providers, policymakers and others at the Committee on Children's Forum on Children's Mental Health at the State Capitol this week. Jeffrey and others shared strategies and recommendations for addressing the current crisis in children's mental health overwhelming emergency rooms. He highlighted the critical role of mobile crisis services in reducing the number of children going to the emergency department for care that can be managed through community-based services. He also shared important steps that need to be taken to support the behavioral health workforce, optimize school collaboration, and to launch Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers as alternatives to the emergency department for youth with behavioral health needs.
View research showing that youth who used mobile crisis first had a 25% reduction in subsequent emergency department visits.
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Upcoming Community Event: Youth in Crisis - A Community Conversation on Children’s & Teen’s Mental Health in the Age of COVID
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Connecticut is in the midst of a mental health crisis among youth. An upcoming free community event moderated by Connecticut State Senator Tony Hwang and featuring a panel of experts, including CHDI's Jeffrey Vanderploeg will discuss: What is the extent of this crisis? What are the solutions? How can we help within our community and within our homes? Teens, young adults, parents and community leaders are encouraged to attend.
When: November 3, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Where: Sacred Heart University Community Theater, 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT
Panelists include (subject to change):
- Cay White, MD, Medical Director of The Child & Family Guidance Center (CFGC)
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Jeffrey Vanderploeg, PhD, President and CEO of the Child Health & Development Institute
- Tim Marshall, LCSW, Director, Office of Community Health, Connecticut Department of Children & Families
- Michael Patota, MS, MSW, President/CEO The Child & Family Guidance Center
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News on Children's Behavioral Health Crisis |
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CHDI has recently contributed to several news stories on children's behavioral health and the increased demand for crisis services, including:
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School Mental Health Updates |
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2021-22 School-Based Diversion Initiative Schools Announced |
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Connecticut's School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) will be implemented in 15 schools across six districts during the 2021-22 school year, bringing the total number of schools served by SBDI to 65. SBDI is a school level intervention designed to prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system by connecting students to community-based mental health services as an alternative to arrest. |
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2021-2022 SBDI schools include:
East Hartford Public Schools: East Hartford Middle School, East Hartford High School and Synergy Alternative High School
Fairfield Public Schools: Fairfield Warde High School and Tomlinson Middle School
New London Public Schools: Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School and New London High School
Portland Public Schools: Portland Middle School and Portland High School
Waterbury Public Schools: Crosby High School, Kennedy High School, Michael F. Wallace Middle School and West Side Middle School
West Haven: Harry M. Bailey Middle School and May V. Carrigan Intermediate School
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Free School Mental Health Assessment and Planning Assistance is Available to Schools/Districts Using the SHAPE Tool |
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CHDI offers free presentations and technical assistance to schools and districts interested in using the School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation (SHAPE) System. Presentations are available upon request and include an overview of the SHAPE system and steps for accessing and using free tools to assess strengths and identify gaps in the school mental health system in the district or school. SHAPE is available to all schools/districts in Connecticut through a partnership among the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland, and CHDI. Learn more about SHAPE or contact Rebekah Behan at behan@uchc.edu to request a presentation or to access no-cost technical assistance.
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Children's Behavioral Health Plan Updates |
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Implementing Connecticut's Behavioral Health Plan for Children |
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CHDI is working with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to support the implementation of Connecticut’s Behavioral Health Plan for Children. CHDI facilitated the development of the plan that was adopted by the state in 2014. The Plan provides a blueprint to ensure that the state’s behavioral health system and its services promote well-being and meet the mental, emotional, and behavioral health needs of children.
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DCF recently contracted with CHDI to lead Behavioral Health Plan implementation workgroups on a series of topics to advance components of the Children's Behavioral Health Plan that need further implementation, including:
- Short-term Solutions to Behavioral Health Emergency Department Volume
- Urgent Care & Crisis Stabilization Units
- Data Integration
- Alternative Payment Methodology & Measurement-Based Care
Access information, meeting minutes and recordings of the meetings.
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Plan4Children.org Has A New Look and Additional Features |
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The Plan4Children.org website relaunched with a new look, a calendar of meetings and events, and fresh content. The site features information on the State of Connecticut's vision, plan, and current work for creating a behavioral health system that meets the needs of all children in Connecticut. It offers policymakers, families, providers and community members opportunities to get involved in system change efforts, connect to behavioral health resources and find information on trainings. This work includes Connecticut’s Behavioral Health Plan for Children and Connecting to Care, two statewide initiatives working together since 2014 to improve care options for families. Learn more about Connecticut's efforts to build a system of care and find opportunities to get involved at www.plan4children.org.
Plan4Children.org is a State of Connecticut website managed by CHDI through our role as the Coordinating Center for the Connecting to Care initiative and involvement in the Children's Behavioral Health Plan Implementation efforts.
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CHDI Shares Expertise on Children's Behavioral Health at State and National Conferences |
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National Dialogues on Behavioral Heath Conference
CHDI's President and CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, PhD highlighted strategies to advance equity in children's behavioral health at the 2021 National Dialogues on Behavioral Health, the oldest mental health conference in the country. Jeff participated in a panel on racial, ethnic and gender disparities in child and adolescent behavioral health services. He shared examples nationally that are driving equity in behavioral health, child welfare, education, and juvenile justice, then shared examples from Connecticut's efforts, as well as contributions being made by CHDI. Examples included data disaggregation of access and outcomes in Mobile Crisis and the School-Based Diversion Initiatives, as well as CHDI’s research demonstrating that evidence-based treatments improve outcomes and reduce racial and ethnic disparities when compared to "usual care." Learn more at www.chdi.org/ebt.
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NAMI-CT Annual Meeting: Next Steps in Connecticut - Mental Health and Well-Being
CHDI hosted a skill-building workshop, "Enhancing Systems and Promoting Effective Services in Children’s Behavioral Health," at the 2021 NAMI-CT Annual Meeting. The workshop was led by CHDI's Jeff Vanderploeg, Jamie LoCurto, and Rebekah Behan and focused on developments in children’s behavioral health system development and supporting school mental health. A range of initiatives and services in policy and system development, evidence-based treatment, and school mental health were discussed, including the Children’s Behavioral Health Plan, comprehensive school mental health, including a multi-tiered system of support, and the School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation (SHAPE) system and the School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI).
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Welcome Cindy Hernandez as a Senior Project Coordinator |
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Cindy Hernandez, MPH joined CHDI this month as a Senior Project Coordinator. She works on projects related to systems of care development, implementation, and sustainability in community-based children’s behavioral health. She also serves as the Project Director for the Coordinating Center for the Connecting Children and Families to Care initiative (CONNECT). Prior to joining CHDI, she served as the Community Coordinator for ZERO TO THREE's Infant-Toddler Court Team Program and has experience as a Family Support Provider. Cindy holds a Bachelors in Liberal Arts, concentrating in School Health and Wellness, and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University.
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CHDI's Kayla Theriault is Promoted to Senior Data Analyst |
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Kayla Theriault, MPH was selected as CHDI’s new Senior Data Analyst working primarily on mobile crisis and care coordination initiatives. Kayla joined CHDI in 2019 as a data analyst and has made significant contributions to our performance improvement work. She earned her MPH in 2020 and completed a thesis on predictors of multiple episodes of care in mobile crisis. She has also supported the SBDI initiative, which she will continue to do in her new role. Congratulations to Kayla on her promotion.
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