In Connecticut’s Network of Care, families and providers are seen as full and equal “workforce” partners to ensure every child is successful. Our workforce development efforts focus on training service providers to embrace families as full partners in systems change, as well as training families in leadership and advocacy skills.

Workforce Development workgroup

The vision of the workforce development workgroup is to ensure youth and families provide leadership in the care, delivery, and oversight of their own service delivery, as well as system services in partnership with providers and stakeholders.

To achieve this vision, the workforce development workgroup focuses on providing training, support, and mentorship to youth and families so that they are empowered as full partners and equipped with the necessary tools to advocate for their own service needs, as well as system needs.

Workgroup chair: Maguena Deslandes, M.A.Ed., MS., FAVOR, Inc.

Designated meeting time: second Friday of every month | 1:00 – 2:00 pm

*Note: Dates and times are subject to change

Current Areas of Focus and Resources

Workforce Development Data Story

Connecting to Care offers workforce development training to empower families, youth, and professionals to engage as equal partners when making decisions about youth behavioral health needs and advocating for system change.

WrapCT training for professionals

WrapCT offers training to child-serving professionals in the Wraparound process that is designed to be culturally competent, strengths-based, and organized around a family’s own perception of their needs, goals, and vision. The Wraparound process is primarily used to facilitate Wraparound care coordination to help families build a team of natural, informal, and formal supports through the Child and Family Team meeting.

To learn more about WrapCT Trainings, click here.

Opportunities for families and youth

In collaboration with the FAVOR Learning and Leadership Academy, families and youth are encouraged to participate in ongoing trainings about family advocacy, data, and more. FAVOR’s Learning and Leadership Academy provides virtual learning opportunities to guide and mentor youth and family champions interested in developing their leadership and peer support skills.

To learn more about FAVOR, Inc. Learning and Leadership Academy, click here.

Additional training opportunities

Connecting to Care also offers training to child-serving professionals, families, and community members about Early Psychosis, in collaboration with the Yale Program for Specialized Treatment in Early Psychosis (STEP). The STEP Program operates the STEP Learning Collaborative, a statewide initiative dedicated to transforming access, care quality, and outcomes for individuals and families impacted by recent onset psychosis.

Through the STEP Learning Collaborative, members of the STEP program provide: (1) community education to promote awareness, early detection, and rapid access to care for early psychosis and (2) workforce development to develop a community of mental health providers to increase the capacity of psychosis treatment across Connecticut. Connecting to Care works with the STEP Program to provide community education and workforce development in collaboration with Beacon Health Options and FAVOR.

To access virtual resources on early psychosis and to learn more about the STEP Learning Collaborative, click here.