Governor Ned Lamont and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) announced the opening of four children's urgent crisis centers aimed at providing immediate mental health services to kids.
In a ceremony at the Village for Families and Children in Hartford, state officials celebrated the grand opening of the new center there. It's one of four centers opening in the state after legislation was signed by Lamont addressing the mental health needs of children and teens.
The centers will function as walk-in clinics, providing youth and their families with immediate access to resources while they experience a behavioral health crisis such as thoughts of suicide or self harm; feelings of depression, anxiety of hopelessness; substance misuse and more.
The centers aim to divert youths and their families from making visits to emergency rooms for behavioral health crises.
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The centers are located in the following areas:
- The Village for Families and Children in Hartford
- Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven
- The Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut in New London
- Wellmore Behavioral Health in Waterbury
“The mental health needs of children is an urgent issue that must be treated just as we do for any other public health situation,” Lamont said. “These children’s urgent crisis centers are being created to provide an immediate and direct resource to families whenever a behavioral health situation arises among children and teens. The centers will provide intensive assessment, stabilization, and ongoing connection to care.”
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Officials say the current capacity for the four centers in 72 daily slots.
