Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut Inc

MENTAL HEALTH CARE - IN ADDITION TO THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH, CHILDREN'S POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT DEPENDS ON THEIR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. CHDI FOCUSES ON PREVENTION, SCREENING, EARLY INTERVENTION AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO QUALITY CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS. WE COLLABORATE WITH STATE AGENCIES, COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS, SCHOOLS, AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, AND FAMILY ADVOCATES TO IDENTIFY, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE EFFECTIVE MODELS OF TREATMENT, AND HAVE DEVELOPED AN APPROACH TO ENSURE THESE RESEARCH-BASED MODELS WORK IN REAL-WORLD SETTINGS, RESULTING IN BETTER OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. OUR WORK HAS RESULTED IN MORE THAN 14,000 CHILDREN RECEIVING AN EVIDENCED-BASED TREATMENT FOR TRAUMA AND OTHER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONDITIONS SINCE 2008. WE HAVE HELPED CONNECTICUT BUILD TRAUMA-INFORMED SYSTEMS OF CARE, DEVELOP AND ADVANCE A MODEL OF COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH, AND ADVANCED STATEWIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POLICY AND SYSTEM CHANGES SO CHILDREN CAN THRIVE. CHDI CO-DEVELOPED AND COORDINATES THE CONNECTICUT SCHOOL-BASED DIVERSION INITIATIVE (SBDI), WHICH HELPS SCHOOLS IDENTIFY AND CONNECT STUDENTS WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONCERNS TO COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES, DECREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUSPENSION, EXPULSION OR ARREST, AND PROMOTING BETTER ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AND OVERALL WELL-BEING.