Advancing Connecticut Together

ACT provides the following care services: Medical Case Management, Project TLC, Housing Support, Medication Adherence, Medical Nutrition Therapy, Non-Medical Case Management, and Psychosocial Support Services. It also operates Connections, an HIV wellness center, located in Hartford, that has become a safe, supportive gathering place for individuals living with HIV. An array of services is offered at Connections including medical case management, support groups, meals, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, acupuncture (for relapse prevention), research studies, periodic outings and social activities.

The Case Management Training Institute (CMTI), generously funded by the CT Department of Housing, was created to provide a comprehensive training program for individuals with case management responsibilities in AIDS services, AIDS housing, domestic violence, homeless shelters, and transitional living programs, regardless of how the positions are funded (i.e. DPH, HOPWA, DOH, and DMHAS).

ACT offers confidential HIV counseling and testing, STI/STD testing, community outreach, linkage to care, CLEAR behavioral intervention, and the Female Condom Project.

The Syringe Services Program is a harm-reduction service that encourages injection drug users to dispose of used hypodermic needles in a safe manner. This reduces the transmission of blood borne pathogens and the number of needles discarded in the community. The SSP also offers Naloxone and overdose response education.

The Community Distribution Center is funded by DPH and is responsible for disseminating educational materials that provide a wide range of age appropriate and culturally specific health information. These materials are provided at no cost to individuals, schools, businesses, and community organizations in Connecticut. Available materials include booklets and posters (English and Spanish) on a variety of health topics. The center also distributes male and female condoms, dental dams and lubricant to organizations throughout the state.

Since 2004, CAHS has organized coalitions of VITA sites across Connecticut. VITA programs provide alternatives to paid and predatory tax preparation in low-income communities. The IRS estimates that federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) filers in Connecticut that used paid preparers pay $273 on average. In addition to paying high fees for tax preparation, the IRS estimates that 20% of those eligible for the EITC do not take advantage of it, leaving millions of dollars in unclaimed credits each year. VITA sites ensure that residents have access to a free tax service that will screen for refunds and tax credits, without offering high interest loans or administrative fees. This service keeps refunds and credits in the hands of low and moderate-income families, and in their communities. Since 2020, CAHS VITA programming has also ensured eligible filers have received Federal stimulus payments to which they are entitled and eligible families are enrolled to receive the Child Tax Credit.

The Returning Citizens Program engages individuals who are six months to a year from being released and/or are currently in reentry programs. Using the CAHS Connecticut Money School curriculum, the program will focus on preventing soon-to-released individuals from struggling with money or other financial issues. Bills and debts DO accumulate during incarceration. Struggle with financial barriers for the re-entry community increases recidivism rates are, for example, people who have been incarcerated have a 69% drop in credit scores, resulting in both pre and post-incarceration debts, which impact access to housing, employment, and financial products, and increases the likelihood of recidivism by 15–20%.

The Connecticut Money School (CMS) provides free financial education for adults, young adults, and seniors We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to become financially independent. We ensure that students receive a high standard of financial education that will help them work towards a prosperous future. CMS is a community-based initiative created to promote economic stability for low to moderate income individuals Connecticut. Nearly 100 instructors with financial backgrounds teach our classes.
Bank On Connecticut seeks to serve state residents who are unbanked or underbanked, linking them to safe and affordable accounts. CAHS works with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, which has created National Account Standards that include low monthly fees and no overdraft fees.

Every day, CAHS works to advance policies that help make sure every family and every child has an equal opportunity to thrive and share in prosperity. Our policy work is centered around multigenerational opportunities, addressing the interconnected needs of parents and children. We coordinate with grass roots partners to advocate for policies and programs that build greater and more stable self-sufficiency among lower-income families, and a stronger foundation for their children.
Additionally, we organize early childhood providers and advocates throughout Connecticut to create a more just, fair and equitable field in which providers of early childhood services are adequately paid for their services and those who use their services are not unduly burdened by cost-prohibitive fees, and children receive high quality early care and education experiences.