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New Canaan survey finds gaps in awareness of mental-health, substance-use and domestic-violence services
Summary
A community survey led by the New Canaan Behavioral Health Alliance found that sizable shares of residents who report concerns about substance use, mental health or safety in the home were unaware of local services. Alliance leaders and partners say outreach, a possible youth survey and action planning are next steps.
The New Canaan Behavioral Health Alliance on Feb. 9 released results from an adult-focused community survey that found awareness gaps for local mental-health, substance-use and domestic-violence supports — including among residents who reported they needed those services.
The findings matter because the alliance’s researcher concluded the adult survey produced a representative sample with a reported margin of error of about 2.4 percent; the researcher and alliance leaders said the results give the town a baseline to target outreach and programs. “We still want this very much to be in conversation with the community and not assume that the data tells us we need to do something very specific as a response,” Lauren (last name not specified), President and CEO, New Canaan Community Foundation, told the commission.
Survey results highlighted three areas of lower awareness: substance-use services, mental-health supports and domestic-violence resources. Lauren said about one-third of adult respondents said they were unaware of those services; subgroup analysis showed residents who reported concerns about their own substance use or mental health were more likely to be unaware of services. For example, the researcher reported that 41 percent of respondents who expressed concern about their substance use said they did not know what services were available, compared with 37 percent in the general adult sample; similar gaps appeared for mental-health and domestic-violence items.
Peter (last name not specified), a member of the Behavioral Health Alliance, described program-level changes that complement the survey. “Westport's joined the program for a slot per week, which is very meaningful,” he said, referring to an expansion of urgent/assessment capacity at Silver Hill Hospital that alliance partners have been coordinating. Alliance members also reported a January volume of 10 for the urgent-assessment program.
Commissioners and nonprofit partners at the meeting used the survey results to discuss next steps: stricter outreach targeted to specific demographic groups, planning a youth survey to align adult and youth data, and convening focused meetings to translate results into priorities. Lauren and alliance staff said a youth survey is under active discussion with public and private schools but that timing and administration had not been finalized.
Speakers at the meeting stressed repeat, targeted outreach rather than one-off messages. Several commissioners recommended creating a townwide, positive framing — e.g., “New Canaan as a healthy, well community” — and producing simple, repeated handouts or short scenarios so residents know where to turn at specific moments. Participants noted common barriers identified in the survey: inability to get timely appointments, cost and providers not accepting particular insurance, and that middle-aged adults (roughly ages 30–59 in the survey analysis) reported lower life satisfaction and higher barriers to care.
The alliance plans a follow-up meeting to brainstorm priorities; Peter will run the next session and commissioners were asked to come prepared with one finding they consider most important. Alliance leaders said the present adult survey release is the start of an ongoing conversation rather than a final action plan.
The commission also discussed possible next steps to increase service uptake: targeted outreach to parents, coordination with Silver Hill follow-up to improve handoffs to outpatient care, and using partners’ newsletters and newcomer packets to repeatedly surface resources. Lauren and alliance staff said they are collecting community feedback on the initial results and will convene action-planning sessions with the full alliance in late February or early March.
The survey release and the discussion do not represent any formal change to town policy; commissioners framed the work as planning and outreach priorities to bring back to the Behavioral Health Commission and partner organizations.
