Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services Program for Children and Their Families

Connecticut

Building Blocks for Bright Beginnings

The State of Connecticut's Department of Children and Families will transform mental heal service delivery for children aged birth to five and their families in southeastern Connecticut through its "Building Blocks for Bright Beginnings" Project.  Primary activities of the program include workforce development for caregivers and comprehensive services for children with serious emotional disturbance and their families. 

Greater Bridgeport Systems of Care – The Partnership for Kids (PARK Project)

The State of Connecticut, in collaboration with the Bridgeport public schools, parents and community service providers, has created a school-based system of care (the Partnership for Kids or PARK Project) for children with serious behavioral and emotional problems and their families.  The project will achieve its mission of creating a community where all children can be successful in their homes, schools, and communities by: 1) building upon KidCare, the existing statewide reform that is creating a system of care in Bridgeport that ensures that children and families receive care that is child-centered, family-focused, and is respectful of the cultural diversity of those receiving services, by adding specialized care coordinators to the existing Student Assistance Teams of identified schools; 2) providing training to school personnel in the targeted schools on how to provide positive behavioral interventions and supports to children; 3) creating a Federation of Families chapter in Bridgeport to train and support parents as advocates for their children; 4) developing a youth leadership movement to give children and youth a voice in decision making that affects them; 5) developing a social marketing plan that increases the knowledge in the community of children’s mental health issues and ensures sustainability of the project; and 6) using the information gained from evaluating the components of the program to make changes that will improve how services are delivered in Bridgeport.