On Wednesday, March 8th, mental health providers in state facilities and partner organizations held a rally and press conference at the Capitol to commemorate International Women’s Day by urging elected officials to “Restore Lifesaving Services for Women and Girls” in Connecticut.

Right now, the State of Connecticut is turning away women and girls from receiving life-changing and lifesaving services due to the staffing crisis. At the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), for example, Connecticut’s sole in-patient treatment STAR program for women had 30 beds that were consolidated with the men’s units since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Meanwhile, at the Department of Children and Families (DCF), both units of the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for girls were also closed.

With so many pieces of our public healthcare systems down, it’s harder than ever for women and girls seeking recovery to take a step up to a brighter future. We are asking Gov. Ned Lamont to meet with frontline staff, and with mental health and addiction advocates. Working together, we can find solutions that will lead to the reopening of the STAR program and PRTF for women and girls after three years of temporary closure.
 
SEIU District 1199NE, the New England Health Care Employees Union, represents over 25,000 caregivers in Connecticut and some 4,000 in Rhode Island. Historically known as “1199” going back to the Civil Rights Movement, we are a bold, democratic Union with a long activist tradition fighting for racial and economic justice to improve the lives of Black, Latina, Native American, APII, and white working-class communities.

What:  Rally and press conference on International Women’s Day to Urge the State to “Restore Lifesaving Services for Women and Girls”

When:  Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 4:00 PM

Where: Hall of Flags at the State Capitol – 210 Capitol Ave, Hartford

Who: SEIU District 1199 New England mental health providers; Donna Brooks (cofounder and former director of the STAR Program for women at DMHAS); Latoya Pemberton (Recovery Support Specialist at DMHAS); Janée Woods Weber (Executive Director at Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund); Rep. Jillian Gilchrest (West Hartford); Sen. Saud Anwar (East Hartford, Ellington, East Windsor and South Windsor)

Watch the Facebook Livestream here:

Media Contact: Communications Department, comms@seiu1199ne.org, 860-251-6015

Related Media Coverage

Fox 61

Hartford Courant (Click here for the PDF of the printed article)