$5 million grant to expand mental health services at Wheeler clinics

The pandemic has had a profound effect on mental health.

To help address some of that impact, Wheeler, which provides mental health services to children and adults at five clinics in Connecticut, has received a two-year $5 million grant to expand its services.

The non-profit organization, which provides mental health services at its clinics in Bristol, Hartford, New Britain, Plainville, and Waterbury, will use the grant money “to expand capacity to meet increasing demand for behavioral health services for adults and children,” said Sabrina Trocchi, Ph.D, MPA, and president and CEO of Wheeler.

“The unprecedented pandemic and its resulting effects—uncertainty, social isolation, and economic distress—have had a profound impact on mental health,” she said. “In Connecticut, where rates of serious mental illness and thoughts of suicide among young adults are higher than national averages, and where opioid use and overdoses happen at staggering levels among people of all ages, it is essential to put into place supports to help people find hope and a path to health and recovery.”

Some of the funds from the grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be used to add a Behavioral Health Access Team at each Community Mental Health Center site for walk-in crisis and early intervention services, as well as to provide a connection to psychiatric services, she said.

“As soon as people walk in, they are presented with help then and there,” she explained.

Part of the money will also be used for staff training, “especially looking at disparities in behavioral health,” according to Trocchi.

Training will also include exploring the impact of the pandemic on behavioral health, as well as engaging diverse populations.

“Wheeler will partner with a number of community providers to provide training for behavioral health staff on topics, including cultural and linguistic strategies, to engage and retain diverse populations and to address mental health needs,” she said.

Those partnerships are with both faith-based and grass roots organizations.

Another component of the expanded program will be a “connection to evidence-based services, including trauma services and access to primary care through Wheeler’s community health centers,” she noted.

Peer engagement, early intervention, and follow up care also will be emphasized.

Wheeler provides a variety of health services, ranging from primary care and pediatric care to telehealth services, substance abuse treatment, and COVID-19 vaccines and testing. According to Trocchi, Wheeler provides direct care to about 30,000 people annually.

Wheeler was one of more than 200 organizations nationwide — and six in Connecticut — to receive one of SAMHSA’s Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) grants to provide patients with “rapid access to behavioral health and other forms of care, outreach, and engagement.”

For more information, go to wheeler.org or call 888-793-3500.

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