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New Britain, Connecticut: Advancing Whole Child Wellness

Connecticut’s SS/HS initiative, administered by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, State Department of Education, and Court Support Services Division, and with strong collaboration from Department of Children and Families, supported three SS/HS local school districts that serve more than 36,000 students and face significant disparities across indicators such as poverty levels, academic achievement, chronic absenteeism, suspensions and expulsions, and arrests. The Consolidated School District of New Britain (CSDNB) is one of three local education agencies selected to implement the SS/HS model to expand and enhance improvements in school climate, access to behavioral health and other supports, reduce substance use and student exposure to violence, and encourage documentation of outcomes and data sharing among multiple partners invested in student behavioral health. Learn how CSDNB’s team aligned planned SS/HS strategies with the districts whole child development approach such as implementation of practices that promote executive function and self-regulation in pre K- 1st grade; Boy’s Town Well Managed Schools and Specialized Classroom programs; the Ana Grace Project’s trauma informed program; school mental health services; and SEL curriculum development.

Topics: 
Behavioral Health/Mental Health
Connecting Schools and Communities
Early Childhood
Social and Emotional Well-Being
Trauma Informed/Response
Framework: 
SS/HS
State: