City invests another $400,000 in program to help migrant children settle in Norwalk
NORWALK — The city’s partnership with the Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center to provide mental health services to immigrant children and families has received an additional $400,000.
The program, called Latinx Integrated Care Program, was established in 2019 and provides mental health and adjustment services to migrant families and school-aged children, Norwalk Community Services Manager Lamond Daniels said during of the Common Council’s Community Services Committee meeting this month.
“In late 2019, Governor (Ned) Lamont supported unaccompanied minors in Connecticut. In lower Fairfield Country during this time, we received up to 51,000 young people who entered our state and Norwalk had its fair share of unaccompanied children who arrived,” Daniels said.
Following the influx of migrant children, some unaccompanied by adults, the city partnered with Mid-Fairfield Community Care in 2019 to integrate children and connect families to social services, Daniels said.
The center recently changed its name from Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center to Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center.
“We have also observed and learned of the many traumatic experiences these children go through, whether in their home country or while traveling to the United States. Two and a half years ago, the City of Norwalk came together to identify a resource to serve this special population, particularly around trauma and what they’ve been through,” Daniels said. “A lot of times when you’re looking at sustainability, you’re looking at private and public funding partnerships. I want to articulate this is a good example of what a private and public partnership can do.
Earlier this month, the Community Services Committee approved an additional $399,996 for the continuation of in-home mental health and family support services for public school children for the next fiscal year from July 1 to June 30, 2023, according to city documents.
From March 2020 to March 2022, the Latinx Integrated Care Program served approximately 100 referrals and was able to provide clinical services to 74 families, said Clara Mesa, director of community services for Mid-Fairfield.
“We launched our initiative in the midst of the pandemic, which has certainly brought its share of challenges but, as we all know, it has also heightened the importance of meeting the mental and behavioral health needs of the most vulnerable population. of our community, our youth,” Mesa said. “In many cases, families are initially reluctant to receive our services due to factors such as the cultural stigma associated with receiving mental health services and the stigma of speaking with the exterior of family functioning.”
The program’s fully bilingual team, speaking English and Spanish, consists of two clinicians and care coordinators, Mesa said. The average duration of clinical services is 12 to 18 months and that of care coordination services between 6 and 12 months.
The program provides mental health treatment to families and children who have experienced or witnessed sexual or domestic violence, among other traumas, while care coordinators help connect families to city social services. Home visits are also available, Mesa said.
“Students are often forced to leave their home countries due to life-threatening situations, including community violence, chronic physical abuse, exposure to domestic violence, sexual violence, and extreme political unrest” , Mesa said. “As part of the model, we have the flexibility to provide comprehensive services to meet families where they are. We have been able to enter schools and provide services during the school day, allowing us to reduce barriers to care such as lack of transportation and allowing us to work closely with Norwalk Public Schools. »
Supported by the city’s initial investment in the program more than two years ago, the Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center has also been able to secure funding from private sources and philanthropies, said the director of business development at the center, Marissa Mangone.
With the additional funds, the center plans to create a second team of clinicians and care coordinators to expand services to students and teachers, Mangone said.
“We were able to leverage the city’s investment to secure additional funding from private philanthropy to add an additional team, which we’re incredibly excited about,” Mangone said. “The district gets it and the philanthropic community gets it. We are in the process of recruiting a new team that will allow us to expand our services. We seek to extend awareness within schools to teachers and support staff.