CHDI NEWSLETTER
March 2025
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In this month's issue, we celebrate CHDI’s third place finish in the Best Places to Work in Connecticut! We also highlight system and policy change efforts in Connecticut and nationally, including why it's critical to strengthen enforcement of behavioral health parity laws. You'll also find a webinar recording on school mental health resources, a video on trauma screening in early childhood, job opportunities, and more.
Happy spring!
| | News and Initiative Updates | | CHDI Honored as a 2025 "Best Place to Work in Connecticut" by Hartford Business Journal | | |
CHDI is celebrating our fourth straight year being recognized by the Hartford Business Journal as one of Connecticut's "Best Places to Work" for 2025.
We were proud to receive our highest ranking ever this year, coming in at #3 in the small/medium employer category! All winners were honored at an awards ceremony on March 13th (pictured above) and profiled in a special issue out this month.
| | | CHDI Submits Testimony in Support of Strengthening Behavioral Health Parity Enforcement | | CHDI President and CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, PhD, submitted written testimony to the Connecticut legislature's Insurance & Real Estate Committee ahead of a March 6th hearing in support of S.B. 10, which would strengthen enforcement of behavioral health parity laws in Connecticut. | | Curious about other ways CHDI is working with partners across Connecticut (and beyond) to strengthen systems and policies that children's behavioral health and well-being? Watch our new video: | | Connecticut Selected to Participate in Children's Health Leadership Network | | |
Connecticut was one of two states selected to participate in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Children's Health Leadership Network (CHLN). CHDI's Jeff Vanderploeg will serve on the Connecticut team, which also includes includes public sector leaders as well as youth and family advocates.
With a focus on children and youth with moderate-to-high behavioral health care needs and their families, the CHLN teams will collaborate across agencies and sectors to redesign systems to better meet the behavioral health needs of all children, youth, and families.
| | | Webinar Recording: Connecting Schools to Community Mental Health Resources and CONNECT IV | | |
Project Coordinator Sarah White, LCSW and partners in the Connecting to Care initiative recently presented on the CT State Education Resource Center (SERC)'s Talk Tuesday series.
They shared opportunities for Connecticut school districts to strengthen mental health supports through the CONNECT IV initiative, including by building connections with the existing community-based network of care. A representative from a current CONNECT IV partner district also shared their experience.
| | | Video: Why Screen for Trauma in Early Childhood Settings? | | |
In our latest video, hear from nationally recognized experts who consulted on the development of CHDI's Trauma ScreenTIME Early Childhood Course on why it makes sense to screen for trauma exposure in early childhood settings.
The free, online Trauma ScreenTIME Early Childhood Course teaches early childhood teachers, home visitors, clinicians, and other child-serving professionals how to screen young children for trauma and connect families to services and supports. CECs/CEUs available!
| | | Trauma ScreenTIME is a partner in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and funded by a NCTSI Category II grant from SAMHSA. Learn more and view all available Trauma ScreenTIME Courses at www.TraumaScreenTIME.org. | | Strengthening Systems of Care for Youth Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders | | (l-r): Jack Lu; Andrea Harris (SAMHSA CSAT); Sheryl Crawford (Child + Family Subject Matter Expert);Tracy Ambos (SAMHSA); Christine Hauser; Shaquilla Terry (SAMHSA) at CSAT Conference | | (l-r): Christine Hauser; Elisabeth Cannata (Wheeler Clinic); Melissa Sienna (MDFT International); Jack Lu at Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery | | |
Director of Implementation Jack Lu, PhD, LCSW and Senior Associate Christine Hauser, LCSW, LADC attended two major conferences this month: the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Annual Conference and the 2nd Annual Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery hosted by the National Center for Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery.
At the Joint Meeting, Lu and Hauser participated in a panel presentation on Connecticut's work to create a system of care for youth substance use.
| | Sharing Strategies to Strengthen School Mental Health Efforts | | Congratulations and Best Wishes to Caleb Owen | | |
Congratulations to Data Fellow Caleb Owen, who was recently accepted into the Ph.D program in Ecological Psychology at the University of Connecticut.
During his time with CHDI, Caleb has supported quality improvement initiatives for crisis services and evidence-based practices. We're excited to see where the rest of his career takes him - and glad he'll be staying close by in Connecticut. Best wishes, Caleb!
| | | Painting the March Blues Away | | |
Special thanks to CHDI's Sunshine Committee for organizing a Paint Party for staff on March 20th.
The event was a welcome opportunity to reconnect, de-stress, and - thanks to the "Abstract Peonies" project they chose - brighten up the end of a long winter.
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Join one of the "Best Places to Work in Connecticut"! We currently have two open roles:
Data Analyst (closing soon)
The Data Analyst will assist with data collection and reporting to support quality improvement projects in children’s behavioral health, including crisis services, outpatient services, and Evidence-Based Treatments.
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Postdoctoral Fellowship 2025-26
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. (1-year position)
View full details on our website, and please share with your networks:
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The Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing effective and integrated system, practice, and policy solutions that result in optimal behavioral health and well-being for children, youth, and families in Connecticut and beyond.
Is there anything you want to see in future newsletters? Let us know here or reply to this email.
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