Community Healing Support Team (CHST)

The Community Healing Support Team (CHST) offers services and support for individuals, families, and communities impacted by community violence or tragedy in New Haven. The CHST:

  • Delivers rapid response to community-wide traumatic incidents in New Haven (e.g., shooting, homicide, suicide, pandemic-related death, accidental death, fire, hate or bias crime)
  • De-escalates traumatic experiences
  • Addresses urgent family and community needs related to traumatic events
  • Supports family and community healing

Support is available to ALL individuals, families, and communities in New Haven who feel impacted by community violence or tragedy. Our team will provide immediate support services within 48 hours and develop a response plan for any individuals impacted by community tragedy or violence. We help our community by:

  • Attending funerals, participating in vigils, facilitating community circles, and canvassing
  • Giving referrals to ongoing behavioral health services for children, adults, and families
  • Conducting outreach, education, and support for trauma and healing through group sessions, presence in the neighborhood, literature distribution, and more
  • Provides intermittent check-ins and other supports for up to 45 days after the event

Referrals
To make a referral, community partners can call 1-844-NHV-SUPPORT

Community Support for Families (CSF)

This program engages families who have received a Family Assessment Response (FAR) from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and connects them to concrete, traditional and non-traditional resources and services in their community.

This inclusive approach and partnership places the family in the lead role of their own service delivery. The role of the Community Support Worker (CSW) and the Parent Navigator (PN) are to assist the family in developing solutions, identifying community resources and supports based on need and help promote permanent connections for the family with an array of supports and resources within their community.

Referrals
Referrals are only accepted from the CT Department of Children and Families

 

Fatherhood Engagement Services (FES)

Provides intensive outreach, case management services, and 24/7 DADs group programming to fathers involved with open DCF cases. The purpose of this program is to enhance the level of involvement of fathers in their DCF case planning, provision of services, and positive parenting outcomes.

FES provides two (2) different services. Fathers receive both of these services:

  • Parent Education Program. 24/7 DADs curriculum in twelve-2-hour sessions and will focus on teaching the 24/7 DADs program.
  • Case Management Services. One-on-one case management, not less than once per week, as needed to address needs emerging during the course of the intervention.

Referrals
Referrals are only accepted from CT Department of Children and Families

Trauma Informed Anti-Racist (TIAR) Whole Family Approach To Care

In September 2021, Clifford Beers received a $2.9m grant from SAMHSA’s  National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative.  This five year grant (2021-2026) will focus on developing and implementing a Trauma Informed Anti-Racist (TIAR) Whole Family Approach to Care focused on delivering accessible, trauma-informed, client/family-centered evidence-based, anti-racist mental health services for BIPOC children and families with a focus on partnering with faith-based organizations in CT.

Department of Justice, BJA FY 21 Preventing School Violence: BJA’s STOP School Violence Program

In December 2021, Clifford Beers received a three year, $1m Department of Justice, BJA FY 21 Preventing School Violence: BJA’s STOP School Violence Program grant focused on School Threat Assessment in New Haven Public Schools.  We are collaborating with the New Haven Public Schools, the New Haven Police Department, the CT Violence Intervention Project, and the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters -Judicial Branch, State of CT to implement a multi-disciplinary student threat assessment system to help school personnel identify, assess and support students who present a potential risk for violence toward others; and to promote student mental wellness through the implementation of appropriate interventions and referrals, with a focus on youth suicide/bullying/harassment prevention efforts in schools.