Publications and Resources |
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CHDI advances effective and innovative system, practice, and policy solutions that result in equitable and optimal behavioral health and well-being for children, youth, and families in Connecticut and beyond.
We updated our profile to reflect our role as an intermediary organization, bridging research to practice in children's behavioral health. Our goal is to empower policymakers, champion providers, and spark partnerships that advance solutions and improve behavioral health care for children and their families. CHDI offers consultation, training, and technical assistance in our areas of expertise.
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CHDI's Jeffrey Vanderploeg and Jason Lang, along with Yale School of Medicine's Michael Hoge and others co-authored, "Emergency Department Use by Children and Youth with Mental Health Conditions: A Health Equity Agenda," for the Community Mental Health Journal. This review of research on emergency department use prior to the pandemic found that children and youth in the U.S. were being sent to emergency departments at alarming and increasing rates for mental health conditions that didn't warrant emergency care. The rate of increase in these referrals was greater for Black and Latinx children and for children who were publicly insured and uninsured. Once there, children were rarely seen by a behavioral health professional and rarely received an evidence-based assessment, treatment, care coordination, or an outpatient connection. The authors provide comprehensive strategies to address these health inequities and improve the appropriateness and quality of care in both emergency departments and the community.
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Final Reports: Behavioral Health Plan for Children Workgroups |
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Last year, Connecticut's Behavioral Health Plan for Children established four workgroups to address system gaps and recommend solutions to improve children's behavioral health. CHDI facilitated the workgroups on behalf of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) in the following areas:
- Alternative Payment Methods and Measurement-Based Care
- Data Integration
- Behavioral Health Urgent Care and Crisis Stabilization Units
- Short Term Solutions to Behavioral Health Emergency Department Volume
Final reports from each workgroup are now available and include recommendations to the Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board and the commissioners of the twelve state agencies identified as having a role in children's behavioral health. The next steps include developing an implementation plan for data integration and tracking the funding and implementation of recommendations across all workgroups. Learn more at www.plan4children.org.
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Updates on Children's Behavioral Health |
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Connecticut's Evidence-Based Treatment Coordinating Center at CHDI: 2021 Highlights (TF-CBT, MATCH, CBITS/Bounce Back) |
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Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) |
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TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment for children who experience symptoms related to trauma exposure and is funded by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the Judicial Branch’s Court Support Services Division. CHDI has coordinated the dissemination of TF-CBT in Connecticut since 2007 and now supports a network of 48 TF-CBT providers throughout Connecticut. View the TF-CBT 2021 Annual Report or learn more about TF-CBT at www.chdi.org/tfcbt.
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Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC) |
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MATCH-ADTC is an evidence-based treatment for four common children's behavioral health concerns: anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and behavior problems. Funded by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, CHDI has coordinated the dissemination of MATCH-ADTC across the state since 2013 and now supports a network of 23 MATCH-ADTC providers. View the MATCH-ADTC 2021 Annual Report or learn more about MATCH-ADTC at www.chdi.org/match-adtc. |
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Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) and Bounce Back (BB) |
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CBITS and Bounce Back are brief, evidence-based, group interventions for children or youth reporting post-traumatic reactions due to exposure to trauma. Funded by the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the initiative represents a partnership between DCF, CHDI, Sharon Hoover, Ph.D. (National CBITS Trainer), Wheeler Clearinghouse, and participating school-based health centers, schools, school districts, and community providers. The Coordinating Center at CHDI supports a network of 31 teams implementing CBITS and/or BB. View the CBITS/Bounce Back 2021 Annual Report or learn more about CBITS and Bounce Back at www.chdi.org/cbits.
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Strategies from Connecticut for Enhancing Crisis Care in Children's Behavioral Health Featured at SAMHSA Conference |
CHDI’s President & CEO Jeffrey Vanderploeg, along with Bill Halsey (Department of Social Services) and Tim Marshall (Department of Children and Families), shared ideas and lessons learned from Connecticut for leveraging federal investments to build comprehensive behavioral health crisis systems for youth. Crisis services prioritized by the federal government include 9-8-8 implementation, mobile response, behavioral health assessment centers, and short-term crisis stabilization units. The presentation was part of SAMHSA's two-day series, Leveraging SAMHSA and Medicaid Resources to Establish a Comprehensive and Integrated Crisis System of Care, and was attended by representatives from 46 states and territories. Representatives from Connecticut's mobile response system have worked with SAMHSA for several years to disseminate best practice models in children’s mobile response, andCHDI is currently assisting the State of Louisiana to launch crisis services in their statewide system of care. Learn more about CHDI's work to support Connecticut's Mobile Crisis Intervention Services. View SAMHSA's National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care: Best Practice Toolkit.
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CHDI Shares Child Trauma Research and Strategies for Promoting Positive Schools at International Conference |
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CHDI's Jason Lang and Diana Perry shared research on child trauma and strategies for promoting positive schools at the 37th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment. Jason co-presented News you can Use about Hot Trauma Mental Health Research, which shared some of the most important and practical research published in the last year related to children’s mental health. He also co-presented To (Trauma) Screen or Not to Screen: That is the Question!, which described best practices in trauma screening and shared information about CHDI’s upcoming ScreenTIME online training course in trauma screening. Diana and colleagues from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) presented More than Self-Care: Wellness and the NCTSN Schools Breakthrough Series Collaborative. This workshop offered strategies to promote staff wellness, develop a positive school climate, and promote a resilient school community. Learn more about our work to address childhood trauma.
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CHDI Welcomes Two New Staff Members! |
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Maria Luisa Feliciano, MSW, Project Coordinator for Youth and Family Engagement |
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Maria Luisa Feliciano, MSW, joined CHDI in December 2021 as the Project Coordinator for Youth and Family Engagement for the Connecting Children and Families to Care initiative (CONNECT) and School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI). Maria fosters youth and family participation in Connecticut's behavioral health system of care through CONNECT and promotes youth and family connections for SBDI. Maria has 20 years of experience in the human services field and has served in different roles for the SAMHSA-funded CONNECT initiative since 2015. Prior to joining CHDI, Maria served as a Child Advocate and Investigator with Disability Rights CT (DRCT) in Hartford. Maria’s passion is driven by her lived experience as a person with disabilities and as a parent of a child with disabilities. She has a Master of Social Work from the University of Saint Joseph and a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College. Click here to view her full biography.
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Kagnica Seng, MA, Data Analyst |
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Kagnica Seng joined CHDI as a Data Analyst in January 2022. She works primarily as part of the Mobile Crisis Performance Improvement Center, completing monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. Kagnica also provides additional data analytic support on evidence-based treatment initiatives. Kagnica has over seven years of experience working in applied research settings and academic clinical research institutions. She received a master's degree in Psychology with a concentration in Health Psychology from Central Connecticut State University and a bachelor's degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Connecticut. Click here to view her full biography.
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Contract Specialist - CHDI seeks a part-time Contracts Specialist responsible for contracting and subcontracting activities for multiple funders and projects to ensure that children in Connecticut will have access to and make use of a comprehensive, effective, community-based health and mental health care system.
Senior Associate - CHDI is seeking a Senior Associate to work on projects related to performance improvement in children’s behavioral health. The position will be responsible for leading data analysis and reporting across multiple community-based children’s behavioral health initiatives.
Data and Quality Improvement Intern - CHDI is seeking a part-time intern to work on one or more initiatives to improve services and systems for children. Planned projects for the Intern include assisting with CHDI’s evidence-based & best practices initiatives.
Postdoctoral Fellow - CHDI is accepting applications for a one-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in children’s behavioral health. The Fellow will work on one or more initiatives focused on improving children’s behavioral health in Connecticut, with an emphasis on working at the systems, policy, and practice levels.
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Child Health and Development Institute
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