Legislators urged to support Northeastern Connecticut Service System
Dayville, CT– United Services, Inc. held its annual Legislative Meeting Jan. 27 to provide area members of the General Assembly with an update on the record increases in services delivered to area residents in the last year, and United Services continued efforts and innovations to meet the rising need.
The evening meeting was hosted online and attended by legislators and members of the United Services Board of Directors.
Dramatic increases to the agency’s Crisis Response Services program was a major focus of the meeting. Services provided by the agency’s Crisis team, which responds to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis by phone or in person in the agency’s clinics or out in the community, have increased by 534 percent in the past two years.
Other programs, such as the agency’s Adult Outpatient and Child Guidance clinics, are operating at a 20 to 40 percent increase in clients served over the previous year. The agency continues to see a large number of truancy and juvenile review board referrals, providing a critical safety net for youth struggling with the many stresses of the pandemic.
United Services shared innovations to meet this skyrocketing need, including the application for and award of a competitive federal grant that will greatly expand the region’s crisis response capacity.
Funding and service system inequities continue to adversely affect northeastern Connecticut residents, according to the agency. Board members called for legislators to support United Services programs, which have been underfunded for years.
United Services board members also urged the delegation to support increases in funding to non-profit providers and increases in the Medicaid rates to address a staffing and services crisis in the state.
“United Services has always been here for northeastern Connecticut, and our region has needed us more in the past two years than ever before,” said United Services President/CEO Diane L. Manning. “We are grateful to the members of our General Assembly delegation who are committed to working with us to continue to advocate for the mental health service system so many residents rely on.”
About United Services, Inc.
United Services, Inc. is a private, non-profit and comprehensive behavioral health center, creating healthy communities throughout northeast Connecticut for more than 55 years by providing psychosocial, behavioral health, chemical abuse, primary care, care coordination, wellness and prevention services to the community, and employee assistance program services for business and industry. With 11 locations and a staff of over 200, United Services operates more than 30 separate behavioral health programs, including the only domestic violence shelter for women and children in the region. United Services, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit www.UnitedServicesCT.org.