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Announcements


Let Us Help You Promote Your Trainings!
The Hub would like to compile a list of behavioral health trainings offered throughout our region. Please fill out this form if you or your organization would like to include your training(s) on our list.
DMHAS Needs Your Feedback!
The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is looking to create a vaping awareness campaign. The Hub is part of the committee and before the committee moves forward with recreating another campaign, we need our community's voice to see what already exists. We are looking to gather some information around campaigns and who is using what. Please complete this survey and share with those who can provide insight and have knowledge on existing vaping campaigns. We greatly appreciate your time and help.
Wilton Grant Recipient: The Pen Pal Project
The devastating loss of a sophomore to suicide last year spurred Wilton teacher Kevin Pacelli to do what he could to help his students heal.

“As you can imagine, the students in my class were distraught and shaken to their core, wondering how such a compassionate and inspiring individual could feel so alone in the world,” Pacelli recalls. “I knew my students wanted to rally around this tragedy in a way that would truly make a difference.”

After some thought, he and 20 interested students came up with the Pen Pal Project, pairing them according to hobbies and grade level. The ideal pair would be two students who don’t know each other but share similar interests. “For example, I had two kids who signed up and both mentioned that they love astronomy,” Pacelli says. Read more.
The Connection Between Your Brain & Heart

Taking care of your mind and body is crucial to a healthy life.
It all works together!
The Head-Heart Connection

Did you know that your mental health also affects your heart health? While we think of our physical health, diet, and activity level when assessing our heart health, our mental health is often overlooked. Along with risky health behaviors...

Read more
www.thehubct.org
Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM)
Problem Gambling Awareness Month begins next week! Stay tuned for information and resources in our newsletter and on social media.
Advocacy Updates - Upcoming Budget Hearings
TODAY! February 23rd at 2 PM
Appropriations hearing for Department of Social Services, Department of Children and Families, or Department of Aging and Disability Services.

Thursday, February 24th at 2 PM
Appropriations hearing for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Department of Public Health (DPH), and Department of Developmental Services (DDS)


The public hearings can be viewed via YouTube Live. In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com. Individuals who wish to testify via Zoom must register using the On-line Testimony Registration Form. Registration will close 3:00 P.M. the day before. Speaker order of approved registrants will be posted on the Appropriations Committee website by 6:00 P.M. the day before under Public Hearing Testimony. 

If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone. To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-0033 to leave your contact information. Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to APPtestimony@cga.ct.gov. The Committee requests that testimony be limited to matters related to the items on the Agenda. Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony. The Committee encourages witnesses to submit a written statement and to condense oral testimony to a summary of that statement. All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information. As such, it will be made available on the CGA website and indexed by internet search engines.
The Bills We Are Watching

The Hub is part of CT Prevention Network and actively tracks the status of bills related to mental health and substance use disorders. Here is the current list of bills we are watching. They are updated on a regular basis since things change often.

Please refer to last week's newsletter for additional advocacy resources.
In the News
CT officials pledge to use settlement to fight opioid crisis

Two weeks into the state legislature's 2022 session, Democrats and Republicans are already debating many proposals. But they agree on at least one key issue: How to deploy hundreds of millions of dollars from a new opioid settlement.

Read more
www.ctinsider.com
Your Risk Of A Mental Health Disorder Increases After COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating mental health consequences for millions of people around the world, from children still reeling from the impact of extended school closures to older adults who've struggled with bouts of profound isolation.

Read more
www.huffpost.com
The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CT
A division of the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP) 

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