Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI)

@chdi.org

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Building a bridge to better behavioral health & well-being for children and families by advancing system, practice, and policy solutions - in Connecticut and beyond. Learn more about our work: chdi.org #YouthMentalHealth #ImpSci #EvidenceBasedPractice

CT Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Coordinating Center, Evidence-Based Practice Outcomes from Fiscal Year 2025: • 685 Connecticut youth received TF-CBT treatment, while 202 children received the related treatment Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) • 84% of children receiving TF-CBT exhibited improvement of one or more symptoms. • 93% of caregivers reported high satisfaction with their child's TF-CBT treatment. • 41 new clinicians were trained and 13 new staff became credentialied in TF-CBT.
Student Supporting Students (Triple S), 2025-2026 School Year Outcomes: • 4 participating schools • 8 peer team advisors • 61 peer team members • 1,782 students trained in NAMI Ending the Silence ➡️
"A parent told me that what they learned about trauma made a big difference in the parenting of their child." — Trauma ScreenTIME Core Course Participant
Did you know? An 8-year-old's protest helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Her name is Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins. ➡️
"We have so many thoughtful, caring people in the state who are willing to dig deep, ask hard questions, and do the hard work!" - Data Walk participant
What is MATCH-ADTC (Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems)? A modular system designed for youth ages 6-17 that treats four common behavioral health concerns at once. ➡️
BIPOC Mental Health Month/Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Awareness Month: Organizations Supporting Children, Families, and Providers in Connecticut ➡️
How do socioeconomic factors affect children's behavioral health and access to care? ➡️
Are there enough behavioral health professionals to meet the current demand? ➡️
What can youth-serving systems, like schools, tell us about how young people are doing? ➡️
How many youth and children in Connecticut report experiencing depression, suicidality, or substance use? ➡️
June 2026 Newsletter: • Inside our first-ever Data Walk and a deep dive into the newly updated System Dashboard that powered it • New SBDI family engagement toolkit and resources • CHDI's Sunshine Committee fun: herb planting, baseball, and good company • A first look at the new mural in our Farmington office
Community Data Walk, presented by the Child Health and Development Institute in Partnership with the Children's Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board, with funding from CT DCF. Connecticut parents & caregivers: let your voice be heard! Join us for an interactive data walk to: • Explore children's behavioral health trends in Connecticut • Share your experiences and ideas to strenghten care for CT kids and families Monday, June 29, 2026 from 10 AM to 12 PM at the Bristol Public Library, 5 High Street, Bristol, CT. This event is free, but registration is required. Register at the link in the caption!
CHDI serves as Connecticut's TF-CBT Coordinating Center, which supports implementation and training, data collection, and quality improvement. Visit chdi.org/TF-CBT to: • Learn more about TF-CBT training for mental health providers • Explore TF-CBT's outcomes and data• Join our TF-CBT provider network• Find a TF-CBT provider in Connecticut
TF-CBT is the most widely researched treatment for children and adolescents recovering from trauma. It: • Facilitates recovery from upsetting thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with trauma exposure• Includes a parent, caregiver, or a caring adult in treatment, encouraging trust, communication, and collaborative problem-solving• Helps children feel more in control of their lives and return to the things they enjoy➡️
Some trauma-exposed children develop PTSD, while many others experience traumatic stress. Symptoms of traumatic stress can include excessive worry, anger, sadness, or negativity, sleep difficulties or nightmares, loss of interest in activities, difficulty paying attention, school issues or refusal, behavioral problems, fear or anxiety, substance use, guilt or shame, and avoidance. ➡️
More than 2/3 of children report experiencing at least one traumatic event by age 16¹. Potential traumatic events can include physical, psychological, or sexual abuse or neglect, war, terrorism, or mass violence, serious illness or accident, racism and discrimination, traumatic separation, death of a loved one, natural disasters, bullying, and poverty. ➡️¹NCTSN
Evidence-Based Practices, Explained Series. What is TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)? A family-centered, short-term treatment model that helps children ages 3-18 recover from trauma ➡️
New Publication: Ten Years Later: An Updated Critical Look at Trauma-Informed Care Among Agencies and Systems Serving Youth and Their Families, a foreword to a special section of "Child Maltreatment," exploring the current state of trauma-informed care.
San Diego, CA: Chief Program Officer Jason Lang, PhD, presented alongside Monica Fitzgerald from the University of Colorado Boulder and Ernestine Briggs from Johns Hopkins University on the latest news in child mental health and trauma at the Chadwick Child Maltreatment Conference in January.
Give families the tools to stay connected this summer: download and share our SBDI Family Well-being Resources.
New resource: Family Engagement Toolkit for Schools. This toolkit strengthens school-family partnerships with practical strategies and ready-to-share resources. Download at chdi.org.
Photos from the 18th Annual Evidence-Based Practices Conference, themed Connect, Care, and Compassion: Inspiring Innovation Amid a Changing Landscape, hosted by the Child Health and Development Institute.
'When families feel respected and are part of the decision-making, they are more likely to remain engaged and committed to care." - Dr. Noel Casiano, PsyD, LMFT, course instructor of Effective Family Engagement, a Kids Mental Health Training developed by CHDI.
Mobile. Home-based. Built for kids and families. A new study shows what's possible when we get crisis response right.
Happy Pride Month from CHDI!
CHDI welcomes Nicole Matheson, Senior Accountant! Nicole brings over 15 years of experience in nonprofit and education accounting and financial perations to support our Functional Family Therapy-Foster Care (FFT-FC) program.
In the May 2026 Newsletter: • Explore careers in children's behavioral health with our new resource hub for aspiring professionals • Highlights from our 18th Annual EBP Conference • CHDI's 2026 legislative efforts and the session's impact on children and families • Youth lead the way at CONNECT IV participant West Rocks Middle School's Mental Health Awareness Fair
Trauma ScreenTIME Juvenile Justice Course Now Available! • Discover trauma screening best practices from national experts, grounded in the latest research • Learn how to build a sustainable screening process tailored to juvenile justice settings • Explore how screening results can be utilized to improve youth outcomes
Connecticut's kids are waiting for you! Take a closer look at careers in children's behavioral health.
Congratulations 2026 Connecticut EBP Provider Award Winners!
We have our winners! Tune in next week to see which 3 videos topped our video contest. Thank you to all who participated!
1,159,317 CT residents are impacted by a shortage of behavioral health professionals.
Families know their loved ones best. The right training can help providers turn that insight into effective care. In this free, self-paced, online course, Autism, Families, and Severe Behavior, you'll learn how to support clients with autism spectrum disorder and their families: • Understand the "why" behind severe challenging behavior • Identify the internal and external factors driving the behavior • Know their roles in the event of a crisis • Navigate all stages of the crisis: before, during, and after
Introduction to the National CLAS Standards Course. Learn how to implement Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards that respect the whole person, and respond to their needs and preferences. This course is free, self-paced, and approved for 2 NASW-CT cultural competence CECs.
Quote from new op-ed from CHDI in the CT Mirror: "Connecticut already has the information and the framework we need to make our behavioral health system work better for all youth and families. We know what to do. Our kids cannot wait any longer for us to do it."
May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
Teenagers in Connecticut are 17% more likely to have used substances in the last month than the average American teen. With the right tools, many can be identified and supported early. This free, self-paced, online A-SBIRT (Adolescent Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) course prepares learners to screen for substance use, intervene using motivational interviewing, and refer youth to treatment.
CONNECT IV gives schools the tools to thrive. It provides connection to community mental health service and other districts working towards similar goals, training on evidence-based practices, trauma, and behavioral health for the whole school community, and a SHAPE needs assessment, screening tools, and ongoing data analysis with CHDI staff. Brittany Kokofsky, School Social Worker at North Street School, says, "Staff, students, and families have all benefited from this work. We now have a shared vision around mental health promotion."
Kids Mental Health Training: Introduction to Wraparound. Wraparound is a philosophy of care that creates support networks for children, youth, and families by centering the child and family in a culturally relevant way; addressing needs at home, school, and in the community; and forging relationships between service providers.
Lucinda's House is a Black maternal health collective, providing advocacy, education, and support. They provide free maternal and postpartum health programs, workshops, and community forums, and a multitude of online resources.
Waterbury Bridge To Success - BTS Community Partnership (BTS) is a cross-sector partnership supporting the city's children and families. They offer community resources centered on Black maternal health, including a baby shower, roundtables, film screenings, and events for moms and kids, and advocates for maternal health causes year-round.
The Connecticut Health Foundation is an organization dedicated to increasing health equity across Connecticut. In 2025, they released "Maternal Health Equity: A Blueprint for Connecticut," which outlines evidence-based strategies to close maternal health gaps.