Given that one half of mental illnesses begin before age 14 and three quarters before age 25, it is critical that students have access to high quality behavioral health services. (source: SAMHSA 2017)
Westbrook Youth and Family Services
- Local, affordable counseling services for individuals (including children), families and couples. 860-399-9239
- WYFS staff and interns serve in all Westbrook’s public schools and are available to see students for individual or group support. Clinicians run groups on divorce, executive functioning skills, and strategies for navigating the school day. For more information, contact the agency at 860-399-9239 or talk to your school’s guidance counselor.
Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services
Dial 211 when a child is at risk of acting dangerously, threatening to hurt himself or others or having a behavioral crisis you cannot handle
For an online directory of social and mental health services, visit 211CT.org
Department of Children and Families (DCF)
To report suspected abuse or neglect, call the DCF hotline at: 1-800-842-2288
SEE ALSO WYFS Resource pages on
Additional Service Providers and Information Sites
Suicide Prevention
In crisis? Call the National Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Or especially for teens or youth: Text 741741 when in crisis. Anytime or anywhere. A live, trained counselor receives the text and will respond promptly. Crisistextline.org is an anonymous service.
Internet Safety, Child Exploitation and Trafficking
Resources for signs of child in danger, how to protect your on-line child and other concerns that are relevant in today’s world. Love146
Area Psychiatric/Mental Health Programs
Department of Children and Families: Voluntary Services
From the DCF website: “The Voluntary Services program is a DCF operated program for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances, mental illnesses and/or substance dependency. This program is only for families who are not abusive or neglectful. The Voluntary Services Program emphasizes a community-based approach and attempts to coordinate service delivery across multiple agencies. At the foundation of this program is the requirement that parents and families are involved in the planning and delivery of services for their child or youth. The Voluntary Services Program reduces reliance on restrictive forms of treatment and out-of-home placement and promotes positive development.” For more information, visit the website or call 1-800-842-2288.
Natchaug’s programs include: Inpatient Treatment Programs; Intensive In-Home Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS); Residential Treatment Programs; Day Treatment Programs; Extended Day Treatment programs for Children & Adolescents (including Joshua House-Shoreline in Old Saybrook); Special Education, Clinical Day Treatment; and Psychiatric, Psychological, & Neuropsychological Evaluations for Schools.
Middlesex Hospital
The Family Advocacy Center at Middlesex Hospital provides a wide array of health resources and comprehensive behavioral health outpatient services. Programs include Nurturing Families Network, Family Enrichment, WIC, Opportunity Knocks, IICAPS, Care Coordination and EMPS. Parent support groups are available.
- Adolescent Day Hospital
Phone: (203) 789-5969
This is a “partial hospitalization” program for adolescents who require intensive, multidisciplinary treatment but do not require hospitalization. Treatment includes intensive group, family and individual therapies. Connections are maintained with the child’s school and other social supports. Hours are 1-5 p.m. weekdays. Families and other members also attend a weekly family support group. - Located at 646 George Street in New Haven, the Adolescent Day Hospital helps the family plan and prepare for discharge by securing ongoing therapy and community services, and also acts as a liaison with the school and other social supports.
- Children’s Day Hospital
(203) 789-5969
This program offers “partial hospitalization” for children ages 4 to 12 who need intense, multidisciplinary treatment but do not require hospitalization. Treatment includes intensive group, family and individual therapies. Located at the Main Hospital in New Haven, the Children’s Day Hospital helps the family plan and prepare for discharge by securing ongoing therapy and community services, and also acts as a liaison with the school and other social supports. - Child and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Service
Phone: (203) 789-5969
This service offers in-home, community-based crisis intervention to children and adolescents, ages 3 to 17, and their families.
Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital-Psychiatric Care
- Inpatient Hospital: 203.688.5900 The Children’s Psychiatric Inpatient Service 15-bed inpatient hospital is for children with neuropsychiatric, developmental and behavioral problems. It provides comprehensive psychiatric, psychosocial and educational evaluation and short-term treatment for children ages 4 to 14.
- Partial Hospitalization Program: The CPIS partial hospital program coordinates with the inpatient service and Yale Child Study Center. Located in rooms adjacent to the CPIS, the mental health day treatment center serves children ages 6 to 14 and operates weekdays, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm during the school year and four hours a day during summer and vacation periods.
Yale Child Study Center
Yale Child Study Center brings together multiple disciplines to further the understanding of the problems of children and families. Among the many disciplines are child psychiatry, pediatrics, genetics, neurobiology, epidemiology, psychology, nursing, social work and social policy. The mission of the Center is to understand child development, social, behavioral, and emotional adjustment, and psychiatric disorders and to help children and families in need of care. Learn more about Yale Child Study Center.
For More Options, Visit:Connecticut Behavioral Health Network of Care Service Directory
Enhanced Care Clinics
Connecticut children and adults covered by the HUSKY health care plan may use any of these clinics, which provide such outpatient services as individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and medication management. They are managed by the Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership.| Visit the BHP website
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Mental Health
The website includes basic public health information on mental health. The site aims to foster collaboration and advancement in the field of mental health in support of CDC’s public health mission.
Connecticut Clearinghouse Resource Room
Created by a partnership with Wheeler Clinic, the Connecticut Clearinghouse website features information and mental health and substance abuse, including publications you can read online and a searchable database of service providers.
Family Advocacy for Children’s Mental Health and Behavioral Health. Favor’s mission is to provide family-focused, advocacy- based and culturally sensitive community services that improve outcomes and family well-being.
Grief and Loss
Read up on how to help:
After a Loved One Dies—How Children Grieve
And how parents and other adults can support them
The Cove Center for Grieving Children
The Cove provides family and school-based programs utilizing the peer support group concept for helping children, teens and families work with their unresolved grief due to the death of someone significant in their lives and other traumatic losses.
(203) 634-0500
Trauma
From SAMHSA
Tips for Talking to Children After Traumatic Event or Natural Disaster
From the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Parent Tips for Helping Preschool-Aged Children After Disasters
After the Shooting: Helping Young Children Heal
From Child Care Aware
From the National Association for the Education of Young Children
From the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership
Teen Cutting
Bullying and Violence
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Preventing Violence
The CDC site provides information on violence, including bullying and teen dating violence.
Parent Support Groups
The Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center maintains a list of parent support groups throughout the state offered for families coping with mental illness or other disabilities