Connecting Children & Families

Want to make a positive impact in the life of a child? Connecting Children & Families is a licensed, therapeutic foster care program of The Connection seeking supportive foster parents for children who are at risk of being placed in long-term residential psychiatric settings.

For more information about Connecting Children & Families, please contact Debra Struzinski MS, LMFT at dlstruzinski@theconnectioninc.org, or call (855)435-7955.

Eddy Shelter of Middlesex County

The Eddy Shelter is an emergency homeless shelter for single adult men and women in Middlesex County. The Shelter provides leadership in identifying and promoting innovative solutions to ending homelessness, while allowing for each individual’s unique capability. We accomplish this by meeting basic human needs with a warm bed and hot shower, providing skills to live in the community, resources and referrals to end homelessness and support to decrease the return to homelessness by utilizing prevention techniques.

The Eddy Building, which houses Eddy Shelter, Eddy Center and Logano Place, was built in 1955 as a residence for 96 Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH) employees. It was named Eddy Home in honor of Pearl and Otis Eddy, longtime and dedicated CVH employees. They were members of a family with a long and close relationship with the hospital, as both employees and advocates.

Still located on the grounds of CVH, the shelter now has the ability to house 30 adults. The number of beds increases during the winter months. Case management is provided to shelter guests to help them obtain housing, connect them with health resources, if needed, and employment opportunities. The shelter is involved with the statewide campaign, Reaching Home, to end homelessness in the state of Connecticut by creating 10,000 units of supportive housing over the next 10 years.

For more information about Eddy Shelter of Middlesex County, please contact Stacy Hooker, Program Manager, at (860) 343-5520 or at shooker@theconnectioninc.org.

Hallie House for Women & Children

Hallie House for Women & Children is a residential treatment facility for pregnant and parenting women who desire to live a clean and sober life. The program was named in memory of Philip and Doris Hallie. Philip was president of The Connection’s Board of Directors for many years.

Located in Middletown, Hallie House for Women & Children, provides substance using women, a safe, home-like environment where they can learn life and parenting skills to be better mothers. Relapse prevention assists the clients in maintaining their sobriety along with developing coping skills to better deal with stresses in their life.
Clients can be both self-referred or referred by state agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Correction.

For more information about Hallie House for Women & Children, please contact Program Manager Aiesha Phelmetto, amphelmetto@theconnectioninc.org.

Intensive Supportive Housing for Families

The Intensive Supportive Housing for Families Program is a 5-year initiative to develop, implement, and study the effectiveness of a supportive housing program for families who come to the attention of the child welfare system due to severe housing issues and high service needs. The program is funded by a grant through the US Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. The project aims to reduce child welfare system contacts, maltreatment, child removal, and foster care placement; and increase family housing stability and parental employment.

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families and The Connection, with a proven track record in the design and implementation the Supportive Housing for Families^® program, have developed a collaborative relationship to meet the needs of child welfare involved families who experience severe housing barriers. This new initiative is designed to provide an enhanced version of the already well-established SHF program in order to better meet the mental health and trauma needs of the parents and children served by the program. The Connection provides primary services and the University of Connecticut (UConn) researchers will evaluate the program.

Under this new model, ISHF clients will have access to evidence-based interventions for parenting, trauma, and other mental health challenges, substance abuse, health, housing, and employment preparedness. Triage and assessment will prompt team-based services, engaging parents as full members. Interdisciplinary teams will include the parent, case manager, and representatives from support providers. Fidelity, client engagement and satisfactions measures, will ensure families’ access to interventions and housing assistance.

Labella Place

Labella Place is a new transitional housing program for up to 28 homeless adult men and women who are actively working on their recovery from behavioral health and substance abuse issues.

The goal of the program is to provide supports to these men and women so that they can successfully re-enter the work force and permanently exit from homelessness. The program will offer second chances to those who are working to achieve independence in their lives.

For more information about Labella Place, please contact Stacy Hooker, Program Manager, at (860) 343-5500 x.5805 or at shooker@theconnectioninc.org.

Mother’s Retreat

Mother’s Retreat, located in Groton, is a long-term, residential treatment facility for pregnant and parenting women who desire to live a clean and sober life.

The program assists young women in their recovery from substance use by providing quality clinical services and individualized treatment in a warm, supportive environment. Mother’s Retreat also assists women who are seeking to reunite with their children. All clients participate in a personal recovery plan, as well as individual and group therapy. Clients can be both self-referred or referred by state agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Correction.

For more information about Mother’s Retreat, please contact Sherrie Weaver, Program Manager, at (860) 405-2107 or at sweaver@theconnectioninc.org.

Ondusky Center for Supportive Housing

The Ondusky Center for Supportive Housing offers case management and rehabilitative services to 15 individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and who have a diagnosis of mental illness and/or substance use.

Services include obtaining subsidized housing, case management, social networking and access to community resources. Upon admission, clients are assigned a case manager who meets with the client at least weekly to provide assistance in activities of daily living, money management, medical transportation, entitlements, relapse and prevention techniques and individualized treatment planning.

Client programming includes traditional 12-step groups and substance use prevention as well as motivational and life skills, behavioral management and meditation groups. Clients are assigned case managers upon entering the program.

For more information about the Ondusky Center for Supportive Housing program, please contact Deborah DeJarnette, Program Director at (203) 786-8136 ext. 6001, or at ddejarnette@theconnectioninc.org.

Ross Center for Supportive Housing

The Ross Center for Supportive Housing offers case management and rehabilitative services to 10 individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and who have a diagnosis of mental illness and/or substance use.

Services include obtaining subsidized housing, case management, social networking and access to community resources. Upon admission, clients are assigned a case manager who meets with the client at least weekly to provide assistance in activities of daily living, money management, medical transportation, entitlements, relapse and prevention techniques and individualized treatment planning.

Client programming includes traditional 12-step groups and substance use prevention as well as motivational and life skills, behavioral management and meditation groups. Clients are assigned case managers upon entering the program.

For more information about the Ross Center for Supportive Housing, please contact Deborah DeJarnette, Program Director, at (203) 785-8136 ext. 6001 or at ddejarnette@theconnectioninc.org.

The Start Program

The Start Program provides homeless youth ages 16–24 with emergency housing, temporary rental assistance, and intensive support services aimed at assisting the youth in transitioning towards safe, stable housing and self-sufficiency.

For more information about the Start Program, please contact the program’s referral line, at (860) 878-4042 or at youthoutreach@theconnectioninc.org.

Supportive Housing Fairfield

Supportive Housing Fairfield is scattered site supportive housing for individuals who have a history of chronic homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless in the Bridgeport area. Our mission is to provide subsidized housing to individuals who are chronically homeless or at risk of becoming homeless as a result of chemical dependency and/or psychiatric disability.

Supportive Housing Fairfield, based in Bridgeport, is a permanent supportive housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and monitored by the City of Bridgeport. The program has a capacity to serve four individuals and three families and the criteria for the program eligibility is to be homeless with a disability.

All referrals come from community providers. Individuals must be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, or possess a disability in order to be eligible and meet income guidelines.

For more information about Supportive Housing Fairfield, please contact Sandra Hill, Program Manager, at (203) 336-1148 or at shill@theconnectioninc.org.

Supportive Housing for Families^®

The Supportive Housing for Families^® program provides families served by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families with support services and access to safe, quality, affordable and permanent housing.

Our mission is to help families thrive by finding homes in safe, nurturing neighborhoods, achieving economic independence, developing healthy relationships, and providing their children with a stable and caring home environment.

Supportive Housing for Families^® is located throughout the state, with offices in New Haven, Groton, Middletown, Hartford, Waterbury, Torrington, Danbury and Bridgeport. The program helps families become reunited with children who have been placed in foster care, or prevents the placement of children in foster care by providing adequate housing.