CHDI
CHDI UPDATE
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April 2014

 
  
Great Demand for Caring for Connecticut's Children Handbooks
CHDI has received great feedback and many requests for our newly released two-volume series of "Caring for Connecticut's Children" second edition handbooks for parents and caregivers. The handbooks have information, tips and resources about health, safety and the development of young children. The handbooks were distributed to all Connecticut licensed child care providers, libraries, Discovery Communities, Head Start and Help Me Grow programs and many other outlets. To download free copies of these handbooks or for instructions to order printed copies, please visit www.chdi.org. To read an article from the CT News Junkie about the handbooks, click here.
  
  
Gathering Input for Behavioral Health Plan for Children
CHDI is collecting input from experts, providers, parents and the public to inform the development of the State's Behavioral Health Plan for Children. CHDI created a new website called www.plan4children.org to provide information about the state's planning effort and opportunities for online comments. The first of several planned open forums took place on March 26 at the Institute of Living in Hartford. Parents and providers shared their stories and seasoned insights. If you would like to provide input online, go to: http://www.plan4children.org/be-heard/submit-written-comment/. Five more forums are scheduled for May and June. Click here for the complete schedule and to register.
  
Click here to read an article in the Hartford Courant about the first forum, here to view the event on CT-N and here to view photos from the event. If you would like more information, please visit www.plan4children.org.
CHDI Chosen to Evaluate Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant

CHDI has been awarded a three-year $65,000 contract to oversee the evaluation of the State's Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant (ECCS). The ECCS grant expands developmental screening activities in early care and education and links training and appropriate referrals among medical homes and child care programs. CHDI is partnering with Mhora Lorentson at the Center for Collaborative Evaluation and Strategic Change at Education Connection to carry out the evaluation. Judith Meyers will chair and Lisa Honigfeld will participate on the Evaluation Committee, which will report to the ECCS Advisory Committee.

Meyers Appointed Vice Chair of Connecticut Council for Philanthropy
At the Annual Meeting of the Board of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy on March 25, Judith Meyers was elected to a second three-year term on the Board and as Vice Chair for a two-year term. Other officials elected were:  Chair: Sue Murphy (Liberty Bank Foundation); Chris Traczyk (Farmington Bank), and Robert Haggett (Newman's Own Foundation). Meyers has served as Secretary the past two years.
Early Childhood Data Institute Begins Phase 2

CHDI kicked off Phase 2 of the Early Childhood Health Data Institute on March 4th at the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund in Hamden. Six early childhood community collaboratives are testing strategies for improving data collection related to Early Childhood Health Records. Findings from 2,630 forms that were entered into an electronic database as part of Phase 1 of the Institute revealed that critical child health indicators are missing from the forms. Through four learning sessions this year, the Data Institute will work with communities to increase the percentage of completed forms so that they can be used to inform community planning and help child care programs monitor and promote health child development in their programs. Participating communities include: Danbury, East Hartford, Eastern Highlands Health District (Chaplin, Coventry, Mansfield, Stafford, Vernon), Middletown, Norwalk, Stamford. This initiative is funded by the Children's Fund, William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, and the Grossman Family Foundation.

 

Honigfeld's Article Published in Child and Youth Care Forum
An article by Lisa Honigfeld and colleagues from the University of Hartford was published in Child and Youth Care Forum, Volume 43, Issue 1 (2014). The article, Pediatric Primary Care Providers' Relationships with Mental Health Care Providers: Survey Results, compares responses to survey items for pediatricians who have a relationship with a mental health provider. An analysis of survey responses for 75 pediatricians showed that partnerships between health and mental providers were associated with greater availability of consultation and communication. Click here to access the article.
SBDI Highlighted as Model in Juvenile Justice Report
The Connecticut School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) was highlighted as a successful and innovative model in a recent report on "Better Solutions for Youth with Mental Health Needs in the Juvenile Justice System". The report was released by the Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change, through a partnership between the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. SBDI was originally developed with support from the MacArthur Foundation Models for Change Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network and CHDI recently received a grant from NCMHJJ to support video production to promote awareness of SBDI.
CHDI Welcomes New Staff
We are pleased to announce the addition of two new CHDI staff members:
  
Carrie Shaw is an Administrative Assistant primarily supporting CHDI's trauma-focused programs. She has over 25 years of experience as an executive office manager and educator. Carrie directed a unique learn-to-type program aimed at children with learning disabilities for the renowned Ben Bronz Academy in West Hartford for eight years, and was previously an office manager for a large advertising and marketing agency.
  
Sharon Bailey is a Grants and Contracts Specialist and will assist the Vice President of Finance and Operations with grants and contracts administration.She has over twenty years of banking experience in operations and project management. For the past nine years Sharon worked for the City of Hartford, managing affordable housing programs funded by Federal and State of Connecticut grants. She has a BA degree from Central Connecticut State University.
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