CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, PhD testified in Hartford this week on the need to increase #Medicaid reimbursement rates for behavioral health services so that all kids and families can access the care they need.

Learn more in our report: https://loom.ly/AddpYpk

#CTLegislature #CTPolicy #BehavioralHealth

Screenshot of Jeana Bracey's testimony on 2/17 from CT-N alongside her quote "SBDI was developed to address exclusionary discipline in Connecticut, and it has delivered. We are keeping kids in classrooms and improving staff's capacity to support student well-being by improving practice and policy."

This week, CHDI's Jeana Bracey urged CT legislators to restore full funding for the CT School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI), which works with schools statewide to reduce student arrests, suspensions, and expulsions. Watch here: https://loom.ly/Yb1KtDU

#CTPolicy #CTSchools #SchoolMentalHealth

The Abduction in Balicha - Stratheia Militant abductions in Balochistan reveal a shift toward civilian targeting, exposing security gaps, narrative asymmetries.

Daylight kidnappings expose gaps in surveillance, response time, and preventive counterterrorism.
#CounterInsurgency #SecurityGaps #CTPolicy
stratheia.com/the-abductio...

Report: CT early childhood education needs more improvement Public News Service (PNS) is a member-supported news service that advocates journalism in the public interest. PNS's network of state-based news services distribute high quality public interest news…

New report: Connecticut’s early childhood system is evolving, but instability remains.
Providers face low wages & families navigate a fragmented system.

2028: Free child care for families earning under $100K.

#EarlyEd #ChildCare #CTPolicy

Graphic reading "New Issue Brief - Expanding the impact of youth and family peer support in Connecticut. Understand key roles and responsibilities of youth and family peer support specialists and see recommendations to strengthen these critical services in Connecticut." With image of a young adult man dressed casually talking with a tween-aged boy.

Our latest issue brief identifies strategies to expand the impact of youth and family peer support services within Connecticut's behavioral health system for children and families:: https://loom.ly/q7SuPJY

#PeerSupport #ChildrensMentalHealth #CTPolicy

Graphic with a quote from Jeana Bracey, CHDI Associate VP of School and Community Initiatives, as quoted in CT Insider article on 10/20/25, which reads, "Providing reliable, longer term funding to enable schools to really invest sustainably in high quality [mental health] services - that's always a need."

CHDI Associate VP of School + Community Initiatives Jeana Bracey was interviewed for an article published in today's CT Insider on challenges facing schools as federal funds for student mental health come to an end: https://loom.ly/VAfyMK4

#SchoolMentalHealth #CTBudget #CTSchools #CTPolicy

Strengthening the Behavioral Health Workforce for Children, Youth, and Families Strengthening the Behavioral Health Workforce for Children, Youth, and Families: A Strategic Plan for Connecticut identifies best practices and innovative solutions from across the nation that will he...

Read the Strategic Plan to Strengthen Connecticut's Behavioral Health Workforce they discussed in this morning's Institute here:

#CTPolicy #ChildrensMentalHealth #MentalHealthPolicy #BehavioralHealthWorkforce #ResearchtoPolicy

Policy Brief: Caring for the Urgent Behavioral Health Needs of Youth This policy brief provides an overview of Connecticut's best practice youth crisis services and identifies the resources required to sustain each one into the future as federal ARPA funds expire. The ...

The piece also highlights the need to sustainably fund youth crisis services + quotes CHDI staff discussing a new system-level data dashboard we're developing with the state advisory board.

➡️Read our recent Policy Brief on sustaining CT's #YouthCrisis system: loom.ly/xXlB7Nw

#CTPolicy

Behavioral Health Board Reviews 2025 Legislative Wins, Outlines Next Steps | CT News Junkie Among the most celebrated achievements was the passage of Public Act 25-94, a long-awaited overhaul of mental health parity enforcement.

This @ctnewsjunkie.bsky.social article recaps progress on #ChildrensBehavioralHealth during the 2025 CT legislative session, including new legislation strengthening #MentalHealthParity enforcement, something CHDI has long supported: loom.ly/k5gYOkU

#CTPolicy #CTLeg

CT passed 'historic' kids mental health legislation. Three years later, not much has changed Advocates question whether the 2022 bills have truly fulfilled their promise.

CT has developed one of the best #YouthCrisis systems in the US - a model for other states. But as this CT Insider article explains, all this progress is at risk without sustainable funding:

#CTPolicy #CTSpecialSession #YouthMentalHealth #Medicaid #ARPA

Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee (TCB): Community Voices Workgroup (CVW) Individual Application

The State of #Connecticut Transforming Children's Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee (TCB) is seeking youth, parents + community members with lived experience in CT's #ChildrensBehavioralHealth system to join the Community Voices Workgroup (CVW)! Stipend offered!

Apply 👇

#CTPolicy

CHDI's April 2025 Newsletter includes CHDI testimony on funding for CT behavioral health services; new survey findings from the CT behavioral health workforce; school mental health resources for 2025-26; ideas for Mental Health Awareness Month; a video on CHDI's quality improvement work; and introducing a new staff member. Read at the link in post or sign up at www.chdi.org

CHDI's April newsletter has landed in inboxes! Read it here: conta.cc/4iDq0g5

#BehavioralHealth #SchoolMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MHAM2025 #CTPolicy #Connecticut #CTSchools

CHDI testifies on funding needs of children's behavioral health system in Connecticut Jeff Vanderploeg testified to the CGA Appropriations Committee about the funding needs of the children's behavioral health system in Connecticut, encouraging increased provider funding and investment ...

CHDI President & CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, PhD recently testified before the CGA Appropriations Committee to urge legislators to increase #Medicaid reimbursement rates + funding for #BehavioralHealth providers in the next biennial budget.

Watch Jeff's testimony + see his recommendations ⬇️

#CTPolicy

Graphic reading "February 2025 CHDI Newsletter. In this month's Issue: CHDI and partners testify on funding for youth crisis services, SBDI; new video on school mental health; recent media coverage; staff news and happenings; we're hiring!" Click link in post to read newsletter. Sign up to get the newsletter in your inbox at www.chdi.org.

CHDI's February newsletter is here: conta.cc/3D0swhL

#ChildrensMentalHealth #CTPolicy #SchoolMentalHealth #MobileCrisis #CrisisServices

Screenshot from CT-N of CHDI President & CEO Jeff Vanderploeg testifying at the Children's Committee hearing on February 20th.

At a public hearing yesterday, CHDI President & CEO Jeff Vanderploeg, PhD urged the Children's Committee to fully fund Connecticut's #MobileCrisis program, urgent crisis centers, and other effective, cost-effective youth behavioral health #CrisisServices.

Learn more: bit.ly/41rSp3p

#CTPolicy

Thank you to Alex Putterman for drawing attention to the urgent need for sustainable funding for Connecticut's youth crisis system in this CT Insider piece:

#YouthMentalHealth #CTPolicy

Special thanks to the CT chapter of
@scholars.org, @uconninchip.bsky.social, and State Representatives Jaime Foster and Dominique Johnson for hosting another great conference to help bridge the gap between research and policy! 🙌

#CTPolicy #CTLegislature #ChildrensMentalHealth #ResearchtoPolicy

CT-N Video Player: CT-N Live Stream 3

Our CEO Jeff Vanderploeg is presenting at the Capitol with colleagues today on ways to sustain CT's #YouthCrisis System at the 2nd Annual #ResearchtoPolicy Conference hosted by @ctscholarsnetwork.bsky.social, inCHIP, and Rep. Jaime Foster.

Watch the conference live on CT-N:

#CTLeg #CTPolicy