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OEC keynote stresses cross-agency behavioral-health approach for young children
Summary
At an OEC webinar, Commissioner Elena Trueworthy and keynote Thea Montanez urged cross-sector partnerships and unified intake systems to expand behavioral-health supports for young children, and Deputy Commissioner David Morgan highlighted early childhood as the foundation of lifelong mental health.
The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood convened a statewide webinar titled “Above All Else, From Thinking Impossible to Believing I Am Possible,” during which leaders outlined a coordinated approach to children's behavioral health and praised recent state investments.
Commissioner Elena Trueworthy opened the session by describing the OEC's Behavioral Health Initiative, saying the agency is working to align multiple initiatives into "one approach around behavioral health that addresses common outcomes and strategies." She said the goal is to make supports more impactful for children and families by reducing fragmentation across programs.
"We really want to see one approach around behavioral health that addresses common outcomes and strategies and is most impactful for all of you," Trueworthy said.
Deputy Commissioner David Morgan, who noted he was 15 days into his role, emphasized the science behind early intervention: "Behavioral mental health begins in early childhood... Understanding the neurological, physiological development of the human brain from prenatal to age 3, we have the incredible profound impact on setting lifelong success." He urged continued partnership with families and service providers across Connecticut.
Keynote speaker Thea Montanez, senior advisor to Governor Lamont on children, youth and families, recounted city-level initiatives in Hartford that used social workers and community teams as alternatives to police for nonviolent 911 calls and described coordinated responses when young people were victims of violence. Montanez framed such efforts as examples of integrated, compassionate systems.
"If we create a system or better yet a community that meets a child and every child like them and we do it with compassion and timely care, then we are doing more than fixing a system. We are investing in the soul of our state," Montanez said.
Montanez also highlighted the value of cross-sector cooperation in addressing housing instability and other social determinants. She credited partnerships with nonprofit organizations and city agencies for improving outcomes, and urged continued work to remove silos so families do not "have to ever navigate five phone numbers to reach for help." Trueworthy echoed that charge, saying the governor has instructed relevant agencies — including the Department of Children and Families, Department of Social Services, and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services — to collaborate with OEC on unified intake, electronic referral networks, and integrated care models.
The webinar included examples of local programs and data-informed strategies discussed by panelists; OEC staff said resources, recordings, and a survey link would be shared with attendees for follow-up and planning.
Next steps noted during the event included continuing the Behavioral Health Initiative's convenings, expanding unified referral approaches, and further webinars on implementation details for providers and families.
