Spring 2022
Mental Health Awareness and Acceptance Month
~ Together for Mental Health

"Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.” - Fred Rogers.
31 Days of Wellness
It has never been more important to recognize that mental health is an essential component to our overall health and wellbeing.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, please see our Connecting to Care, “31 Days of Wellness Calendar”.
The wellness calendar reminds us to take a moment each day for our own health and wellness and to inspire others to do the same.
Please join us in each day’s wellness activity. For example, watch a TED talk of your choice, or call someone you love and tell them why, or treat yourself to something you enjoy! You can print out the calendar or follow the activities on our Facebook or Instagram pages! Join the movement - posts reached 2648 from May first through May eleventh.
School Based Health Centers:
Caring for the Whole Child
Connecticut's School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) have been delivering comprehensive health care to students in schools for 38 years, where they spend 25% of their day. Today, there are more than 100 School-Based Health Centers in the state, and the number keeps growing each year. The centers have become part of the essential care system for children and adolescents, providing physical, mental health, and oral health services to over 44,000 students annually in 29 communities.

Connecticut's School-Based Health Centers are comprehensive primary health care facilities licensed as outpatient clinics or as hospital satellites. The SBHCs are located within or on school grounds and serve students in grades pre-K-12. Multi-disciplinary teams of pediatric and adolescent health specialists staff the health centers, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, physicians and in some cases, dentists, and dental hygienists.

A School-Based Health Center is not the same as the school nurse's office. School nurses and SBHCs work together, and school nurses often refer students to SBHCs because they can treat and resolve student health problems. All SBHC services are confidential. Parents must sign a Parent Permission Form for students to receive benefits. SBHCs can also bill Medicaid and HUSKY A & B health insurance and many private commercial insurances for services provided to students covered by these health plans.

The benefits of a SBHC are that providers see the students where they are at. SBHCs collaborate and coordinate with school staff, primary care physicians, and other treating providers. Through telehealth services, families can fully participate in treatment and treatment planning. There is no out of pocket expenses to the family, no co-pays and no deductibles. SBHCs help to resolve many of the health inequities facing our children today.

Care Coordination Corner
What does Wraparound Care Coordination* look like in real life?
 
This story reflects the experiences of a family who were supported by Care Coordination during the time of COVID-19. It addresses the hurdles they faced, and the positive outcomes Care Coordination can deliver, even during very challenging times. The family has given permission to share this interview. Names and some identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. 

Family Story
Taylor is a 6-year-old girl who lives with her parents, Mike & Amanda, her sister Lindsey (age 2) and her baby brother Michael. She will be entering kindergarten in the fall. 
Taylor is very artistic & loves drawing. She is smart: she enjoys puzzles and problem solving. Taylor loves ice skating. She takes her time to think things through and she is loving & thoughtful of her family. Although talkative, Taylor’s speech is hard to understand. Amanda has also noticed that certain things really bother her, like wet clothing. 
Mike & Amanda would like to understand how to help Taylor with her speech and potential sensory issues. The family vision is to set Taylor up for success.

Result
With the Care Coordinator’s help, the family followed through on their plans to enroll Taylor in speech therapy. As a result, Taylor’s speech became clearer. The school also agreed to screen Taylor for sensory issues. The team meetings were well-attended by grandparents, family friends, and the family’s pastor. Mike & Amanda also welcomed Circle of Security services to strengthen their bond with their children. 


*Care Coordination helps families identify and meet their needs through the use of high fidelity “Wraparound.” The Wraparound process is designed to be culturally competent, strengths based and organized around family members’ own perceptions of their needs, goals, and vision. A Wraparound facilitator, called a Care Coordinator, helps families build a team of natural, informal, and formal supports using the Wraparound process. This is called the Child and Family Team (CFT).
The family learns how to use the strength-based empowerment model to help their child improve functioning in home, school, and community. The team helps guide the family toward meeting their needs and ultimately achieving their shared Family Vision through help, healing and hope.
Data Stories
Connecting to Care Data Stories are short, easy-to-read reports that tell a story about information collected during the Connecting to Care initiative. They are designed to share data with interested community members, families, youth and professionals to help facilitate a collective understanding of aspects of the network of care. Data Stories are created by The Consultation Center at Yale, our evaluation team for the Connecting to Care grant.
Data Story Highlight: Suicide Prevention
National Partner Resources -
Mental Health Awareness Month
Feelings stressed, anxious, alone?
Let's take care of ourselves and each other!
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
The Children's Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (CBHAC) meets on the first Friday of the month, from 10am-12pm. The next meeting is June 3, 2022
 
CBHAC's mission is to promote and enhance the provision of behavioral health services for all children in Connecticut. Appointed members and community guests attend monthly meetings to address these needs across the state. This committee must submit an annual report that provides recommendations concerning behavioral health service delivery.
CBHAC is open to the public. If you are interested in attending or receiving email communications from CBHAC, please Join Our Mission.

If you would like to receive this newsletter directly to your email, you can easily sign up by clicking on the Join our Mission below.
Your Ideas!

If you have an idea or suggestion for other topics to include in our newsletters, don’t hesitate to contact Daniela Giordano at Daniela.giordano@beaconhealthoptions.com
Thank you!
Watch the video to learn more about Connecting to Care.