[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6242864,"mediaKeyId","3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4","parentId",3244205,"title","Community CARES outlines youth mental-health initiatives and urges clearer crisis-contact pathways","audioSeconds",547,"startMs",2099000,"endMs",2646000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4&start=2099&end=2646","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4/thumbnail_2099000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6242864/Connecticut/Community-CARES-outlines-youth-mental-health-initiatives-and-urges-clearer-crisis-contact-pathways","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6242864-7e227bb92946426225b8d0577a50881a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984563&Signature=DMaH6wccVn0dJbKJAqiUYYb94eIDeTij82KWjSs7OvORdQj3crFymVnJG~efmq75vi~sM~CAAt6PVxleWE4tSFAdjoRLA9sM8bMtYzaHuf8QOYCpz~gwDQSd0o-zWndkAWod6R3Z~Iql6FfHAWGaMN07dzGWHNsV5869Xp1764JIZ3CX52avSL3UJ-Ffuj2ygJF0xXMbJVMLVRgdXlQ4eiBo~u3UPzCoA35w6F2EG7k329KZobfmcf6YOYj14MKmHaaifg~3csZeysOumdANuQEA~DK3O~ZdaMFuWEloTrz6afO-Mat1EFfwa6rgYY5HmghY1B4eC5jI6wvxhcTGiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town Council of New Canaan, CT","date","2025-05-02T12:00:34Z","article","Colleen Prosser, executive director of Community CARES, and program staff summarized recent and planned outreach to New Canaan residents, schools and families.

Colleen said CARES hosted national speaker Chris Herron in March with standing-room attendance for both a student program and an evening community session at the library. Education-and-program manager Morgan (last name not stated) described a vaping presentation at the middle school that drew about 60 attendees, mostly students. CARES provides digital handouts and follow-up resources to registrants and works with school administrators to align presentations with classroom curricula and counselor support.

Speakers discussed crisis resources and how to guide youths and families to help. CARES staff and commissioners noted multiple hotline and contact numbers used by different providers: 988 (national suicide lifeline), 211, a regional urgent-assessment program at Silver Hill and a local \"kids in crisis\" number at (203) 661-1911, plus school-based Teen Talk counselor coverage. CARES staff emphasized there is no single local number that replaces school-based counselors, 211, or 988; instead staff said residents should reach a trusted adult first and use the service that best fits the situation. The meeting included practical discussion of how the Teen Talk counselor model links school-based counselors with the 24/7 kids-in-crisis phone line and community partners during weekends and school breaks.

CARES staff described prevention and upstream approaches: leadership and social-emotional programs at middle and high schools, preschool parenting programs and parent-education events, unplugged parent groups, and efforts to normalize mental-health awareness. Commissioners urged focus on the \"sandwich generation\" (residents caring for both children and aging parents) and on intergenerational connections as a prevention strategy. CARES also highlighted partnerships with Silver Hill for urgent-assessment referrals and outreach to families with adult disabled children through organizations such as Inclusive Together and STAR.

On surveys and data, CARES said a meeting with Dr. Lutze and school partners is scheduled to determine how to partner on a youth survey and whether the district will administer a school-based survey or provide focus-group access. CARES staff recommended regular repetition of educational topics at different grade levels and noted that timing and repetition help reach new audiences.

CARES and Human Services also described a community vehicle-repair assistance program run with Touch a Life and CNH Automotive; four residents have received repairs under the model (CNH inspects/repairs and invoices the program).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Of New Canaan Health and Human Services Commission Meeting May 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Community CARES described recent educational events (including a standing-room Chris Herron presentation), youth and parent programs, partnerships with Silver Hill and Teen Talk/Kids in Crisis, and highlighted confusion among residents about which hotline to call in a crisis.","taxTitle","New Canaan, Fairfield, Connecticut","taxId",57946,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6242869,"Commission appoints seniors behavioral health committee and funds consultant to drill into local needs",130,1630000,1760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4&start=1630&end=1760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4/thumbnail_1630000.jpg","/articles/6242869/Connecticut/Commission-appoints-seniors-behavioral-health-committee-and-funds-consultant-to-drill-into-local-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6242869-78ec4d87f0bf388c81e80de2d7942c2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984563&Signature=Kv1zrnSSDQw~DLFKrNmWkap-ixlVqh0VpRHmCW7JZc2tadnRXtjAH0dj7c4Lu~zAOuN6R-e8MLFCbWjGuiCK91FlwBVoChIVQFAnQ23KWDbXOaYch16vgtqqyY86XzOBlT8097NdrlJPZrwInCygo8JzYrJHbwJ7oRrSHUACr2JQPA44cNpJ~FZFOQ4Jt4bgop6T28naN2hVo1IJJK4ojTd6SlfUkDN6nbzgW~rNmT4DMtxXW8QoWw4bVCeXnXqlXWTdWvXzGM3-NzadKlLK4M52R-2wm18Z9JZ5MYo3NTvigI0CuXMBpR9ZKma44cyn37BVHJL~2Tq246XNWUQYOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The commission formally appointed a Seniors Behavioral Health Committee and named Jim Lischer as chair.

Under the motion, committee members include John Knight, Alyssa McKenzie and Tom Ferguson with Raquel Harrison as an alternate or ad hoc adviser. The motion passed after the chair called for a vote; the transcript records approval without a roll-call tally.

Jim Lischer said the committee has already held an organizational meeting with the outside consultant who conducted a prior town well-being study. Lischer said the group will use $4,700 left over from the TeleMed program to contract the consultant to drill deeper into senior behavioral-health issues and to supplement that work with secondary resources, including a large AARP-linked dataset and statewide research. Lischer told commissioners the consultant will begin work the next week and the committee plans to meet in about a month to review initial findings. He said the committee aims to finish by mid-September and report at the September or October commission meeting.

Lischer reviewed historic town work on seniors, including a 2010 seniors study and past projects such as benches for walking spaces and an earlier telehealth program. He said the new effort will compare national and state trends with local data and yield recommendations for programs and services that address senior mental-health needs.

Commissioners thanked Lischer and noted seniors' volunteer contributions to town life as an important context for the work.","The commission formally appointed a Seniors Behavioral Health Committee (chair: Jim Lischer) and will use $4,700 leftover from a TeleMed program to hire a consultant to analyze senior mental-health needs and deliver recommendations by mid-September.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6242874,"Human services reports rising client counts, food pantry demand and plans to offer mental-health-first-aid instruction",432,1144000,1576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4&start=1144&end=1576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4/thumbnail_1144000.jpg","/articles/6242874/Connecticut/Human-services-reports-rising-client-counts-food-pantry-demand-and-plans-to-offer-mental-health-first-aid-instruction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6242874-7185f6183e3672f4a397c689e8c6a7d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984563&Signature=XmWCI-oKGTCqIaQHR6TWuWt9bxRRmP1MIHJ4aOlicm4N2P7y4Kpz202JsolWM215uDDFLkk406ra0gcXawBSpNXPpj3FqPVxnT5CA~9Wfmw3pLGUkI2l9DrNVIXO5ui84kHmXBipv2D0Dlvk9R5gCqhZpomZ6PT0C1D3rrPGKX01wVvl7fjWGiTSuRRYdsOMC8IXZzduKY-LT7k-pRjS0K1Dkvxf1CQErlZRpEqS-ixzOyBDcq41vHA54xbmVX1~GLIfZyKZ0lc~nC1qh9kL4~O1iMptHY~fn9JTUUWrctKZF2L3wR7bAxz9C9i5Oq192a84YHQU6KOt1aWCDa5ugA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Marcy Rand, identified as Human Services staff, presented the department's client counts and program activity for April.

Marcy said adult and senior clients numbered 238 (up by one since the report was prepared). The department is working with 66 families representing 68 children in youth-and-family services; domestic-violence cases numbered two for the quarter; and the department handled three protective-services referrals from EMS in April. Marcy said protective-services work often involves joint visits with state social workers.

Food-pantry activity and supportive programming continue. For the first month of the fourth quarter, Marcy reported 37 meals served and 90 shoppers; support groups include 14 participants in the \"Life Reimagined\" monthly group and 12 in a weekly bereavement group. Total participation for April across these programs was about 72. The renter's-rebate program had six applicants to date who together received $2,600.

Marcy said she is becoming certified as a mental-health-first-aid instructor; the course that certifies instructors is three days, roughly 9 a.m.–5 p.m. She said offering instructor-led training locally would allow the town to run the program more frequently and reduce outside travel and fees for the town.

Marcy described recent and planned collaborations: the \"Caffeine and Carburetors\" program (in partnership with Touch a Life and CNH Automotive) provided vehicle repairs through a financial-assessment referral model; Marcy said four people have had cars repaired through that program so far. She also mentioned outreach to families with adult disabled children and relationships with local groups such as Inclusive Together and Star Lighting the Way that serve adults with disabilities.

Marcy closed by asking commissioners to consider expanded meeting space to handle growing support-group attendance and noting other routine meetings and programs in progress.","Human services staff said adult and senior clients rose to 238, food-pantry use remained high, support groups are expanding and staff will pursue certification to offer mental-health-first-aid training locally.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6242879,"New Canaan health department reports rise in tick positives, continues COVID-era programs during leadership transition",0,3424000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4&start=3424&end=3424","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3244205-da4d693751e416ae83304a283e1239f4/thumbnail_3424000.jpg","/articles/6242879/Connecticut/New-Canaan-health-department-reports-rise-in-tick-positives-continues-COVID-era-programs-during-leadership-transition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6242879-5f687afd5d3db8efb19aca388dec8aca/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984563&Signature=VPOyb9owI8NUUCcNg4eFtkmZFCxPd5hlH2z3vtUpm1hYc6GdmFYh2F75X75Q5SaVXSAMuR55sDhwQ4Bydpa8-KKtXh1sjsgQzhTyFAxQQFaXlY5t3ZaRrRHvCcPhYNJ5FJdtVa1cwlSaPdA3ycKY9s18kquEWDrQx5hVgQpZ9ldsKj~qbQEFNHXdYxMAtIjMM1Cn0wjCSOpHX0Or8BEgnFTnuQ3MLnTM3PsdI3BreJwrkNLGe~dp-GgJPL0He8g~ixapd4sFnfYp3jGSbwDJqBEXBgPKpMS~hP2zoYOkjbCqJvswed9~DICyI6buaxOzUmdOpNXRBVk3fQgMDMpDvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shannon, a health department staff member, reported the department's April activity and described both environmental health inspections and community health programming.

The health department recorded 31 building permits (with about seven to eight more approved since the report was prepared), 17 restaurant inspections, 24 temporary food-service permits, six septic inspections, eight soil tests, eight septic plan reviews and approvals and four septic permits issued. Staff investigated eight housing and nuisance complaints; some involved rodent activity. The department reviewed and approved two inland wetlands applications and one planning-and-zoning application. Shannon said the department processed 24 tick submissions, with roughly 11 pending results and seven testing positive for Lyme disease; two tested positive for anaplasmosis and two for babesiosis.

Shannon said the department issued three new food-service establishment plans and seven sidewalk permits tied to spring outdoor dining on Elm and Main streets. Community health programs continue: the walking club has about 20 registered members (attendance varies day to day), regular health screenings at the Lapham Center and Schoolhouse include blood-sugar and blood-pressure checks, and a caregiver support panel drew about 42 attendees. The department ran monthly coffee talks (13 participants for the most recent session), a QPR suicide-prevention training capped at 10 participants for more-effective discussion, and two private health consults during the period.

Staff announced a skin-cancer screening for first responders scheduled for May 17 from 9 a.m. to noon with volunteer dermatologist Elle Demal of Elite Dermatology. Shannon and Gino plan to attend a lead-inspector/risk-assessor training and a suicide-prevention conference in early May to support ongoing programs. Seasonal work noted: renewal of pool permits is underway and salon-permit renewals will begin in June.

On staffing, Shannon said Jen has left and Gino has stepped into a higher role; an incoming director is expected to begin around June 9. Mindy (from Darien) was identified as a temporary contact for coverage when needed.

On an item raised by commissioners, Shannon said the town received notices about possible lead in older water lines (homes built before 1978 are more likely to have older piping and lead solder) and advised residents to have their water tested; she reported no direct follow-up communication from Aquarion to the health department after the initial notice. The department will continue outreach and follow-up as needed.

Shannon and Gino invited commissioners to contact the health department with any questions during the transition period.","Health department staff reported building and food-permit activity, an uptick in ticks testing positive for tick-borne illnesses, ongoing community screenings and programs, and a staffing transition with a new director expected to start in June.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Community CARES outlines youth mental-health initiatives and urges clearer crisis-contact pathways

Commission appoints seniors behavioral health committee and funds consultant to drill into local needs

Human services reports rising client counts, food pantry demand and plans to offer mental-health-first-aid instruction

New Canaan health department reports rise in tick positives, continues COVID-era programs during leadership transition