Senator Blumenthal Leads Important Discussion About Youth Suicide and What Is Being Done to Help
Julie Rancourt
Senator Richard Blumenthal led a discussion at The Village for Families and Children about the mental health crisis facing youth recently and what is being done to help these children.
“We’re facing a perfect storm,” the Senator said, noting that the isolation and fear brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with social media exposure and witnessing domestic violence in some cases have lead to an unprecedented need for mental health intervention.
The press conference was held at the Urgent Crisis Center operated by The Village where children who are struggling can come for help instead of seeking help at a medical facility, such as an emergency department. Dr. Robert Muro, President and CEO of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies, along with Dr. Steven Girelli, President and CEO of Klingberg Family Centers also spoke about the Screening Connecticut’s Youth (SCY) Program that they administer which provides free mental health screenings for any child between the ages of 4-17 and connects the family to a therapist if help is needed in an attempt to catch kids “upstream” before a mental health challenge becomes a crisis.