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OUR MISSION:
To build a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children.
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To build a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children.
In The Village’s 200-year history, we have endured two world wars and the Great Depression but we never experienced a year like 2020. COVID-19 has increased stress, trauma and uncertainty for everyone — children and families we serve, along with our staff, supporters and volunteers. At the same time, our nation’s ongoing dialogue about racial inequality — which impacts our clients and mission — has greatly intensified. The Village stands at the intersection, uniquely positioned to provide healing and hope for those who need it most.
Winston Churchill once said, “Never waste a crisis.” We agree. In order to ensure that our services continued uninterrupted, we had to discover new ways to meet our mission. In the spring of 2020 we launched a telehealth program to maintain critical mental health services, distributed supplies to Hartford students, began construction on a massive new adult services treatment wing at Village South, and dramatically expanded internal communications to keep employees connected.
As the year continued, we became nationally recognized as a new Medicaid provider type — designed to offer a holistic approach of mental health and substance abuse services to vulnerable populations, including veterans. We expanded our partnership with the Interval House to combat domestic violence — a scourge made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic — and partnered with Travelers and Capital Workforce Partners to create an innovative summer program for students in Hartford. We assisted families facing fiscal emergencies through our new Basic Needs fund, established with the support of our friends at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
At the same time, we committed to playing an even larger role in the fight for racial equity. We organized both internal and external virtual “community conversations” — engaging hundreds of employees and thousands of members of the public. We will continue our work to encourage people to turn empathy into action.
We are keenly aware of the challenges that lie ahead but we’ve never been more optimistic about our capacity to adapt and thrive, thanks to our employees, volunteers and donors. President John Kennedy once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
So, thank you. You’re helping to fulfill our mission — one that families and children depend on.
The Village, like so many non-profits, faced great uncertainty when the pandemic arrived. Costs increased and revenues declined, yet the need for critical services persisted. We were able to maintain our level of care thanks to the generosity and support of our funders, including many corporate and family foundations that increased their financial commitments in FY19-20. This includes the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (COVID-19 Response, John B. Larson Healthcare Worker Nourishment, Stanley D. and Hinda N. Fisher and MacLean Family funds), United Way Neighbor Fund, Cigna, Werth Family Foundation, Travelers, and the Anthem Foundation. All told, these funders were responsible for nearly $400,000 in new grants in FY19-20.
Pictured (l-r): Faundala Weymon, Village Registered Nurse and Alicia Aponte, Village Lead Nurse.
Widespread closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic forced our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to pivot from in-person filing to a virtual filing platform — helping hard-working families build financial stability by obtaining the tax refunds and credits they have earned. Thanks to the quick planning and commitment from our partners and IRS-trained volunteers, more residents of central and northeastern Connecticut took advantage of the program this year. The VITA program, managed by The Village for Families and Children, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, Connecticut Association for Human Services and Human Resources Agency of New Britain, supported 13,192 tax filers this year, a 7.68 percent increase over last year; 7,249 were helped by Village volunteers alone. Tax filers received a total of $34.7 million in refunds and credits, an 11.5 percent increase compared with $31.1 million in 2019.
Pictured: Christine Gaumond, Village Family Financial Stability Coordinator.
The pandemic forced the postponement of the 10th Annual Foursomes for Fatherhood golf tournament from June 2020 to June 2021 but that didn’t stop the Golf Committee, led by Brian Reilly of Travelers, from looking for creative ways to support The Village’s fatherhood programs. Each member of the committee reached out to their contacts and business partners and were able to secure thousands of dollars — all of which went directly to The Village. The Village’s Fatherhood Engagement Services supports fathers who are committed to becoming good dads. Coaching, counseling and guidance make a real difference and can change the lives of children and dads forever. The support is designed to help fathers raise children who are resilient, healthy, and able to achieve to their fullest ability. We’re grateful that so many golfers and sponsors kept their commitment to this important mission.
Pictured (l-r): Al Smith, Village Fatherhood Specialist; Patterson Crocker, Jr., Village Fatherhood Engagement Supervisor; Ronald Martin, Village Fatherhood Specialist; Cornell “Lovey” Brown, Village client; Devante Brown; Brian Reilly, Travelers Chief Auditor and Sr. Vice President.
We are excited to be newly designated as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The CCBHC model was created to ensure access to a broad range of specialty mental health services and improve integration with physical health care for underserved individuals and communities. As part of this designation, The Village will receive a federal grant of more than $3.6 million over two years to provide comprehensive care, either directly or through collaborations with our two partner organizations, Capitol Region Mental Health Center and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Services will include crisis mental health services, outpatient mental health and substance use services, primary care screening and monitoring, psychiatric rehabilitation services, and specialty care for older adults, active duty military and veterans, and adolescents who are using substances. These groups frequently have difficulty finding services that specifically target their unique needs.
Pictured (l-r): Dr. Steven Moore, Village Vice President of New Business Development and Howard Sovronsky, Connecticut Children’s Chief Behavioral Health Officer.
Thanks to funding from the state’s Office of Early Childhood, we completed our first full year of our Stronger Families, Stronger Futures (SF2) program in FY19-20. The innovative, holistic home-visiting and virtual program helps parents and caregivers of children prenatal to age five strengthen their bonds with their children and increase parenting skills. Through this program, our staff worked with 2,336 families, connecting them with a variety of supports including adult education, financial coaching, and school readiness assistance.
Pictured (l-r): Dr. Sandy Kyriakopoulos, Village Associate Vice President, Clinical and Community Integration; Tiffany Basile, Catholic Charities Senior Director; Willona Amoaoh, Hartford Hospital Program Supervisor for Connections; Thais Ortolaza, Village Community Quality and Network Coordinator; Lisa Mojica, Saint Francis Hospital and Trinity Health of New England Program Supervisor for Connections; Dr. Toral Sanghavi, Village Associate Vice President, Management and Analytics.
In just six months, a massive 8,500-square-foot warehouse at our Village South building, a former trolley repair facility, was transformed into an adult behavioral health services wing that will serve thousands of Greater Hartford residents. In early March, Governor Ned Lamont kicked off the construction project, to which the State of Connecticut invested $1 million, with the remaining $300,000 funded by The Village. Thanks to this funding and the incredible work of PAC Group, the wing has been converted into 21 individual therapy rooms, three group rooms, and additional restrooms. A separate entrance to the adult services space has been added and approximately 1,700 square feet of existing space will now be available for an expansion of services to children and families.
Pictured (l-r): Paul Campanelli, PAC Group Vice President; Galo Rodriguez, Village President and CEO; David Fritz, PAC Group Project Manager; Hector Glynn, Village Chief Operating Officer; Amanda Hemmelgarn, Village Associate Vice President of Outpatient Services; Dr. Steven Moore, Village Vice President of New Business Development; Jeanmarie H. Cooper, Village Board member; Andrew G. Baldassarre, Village Board Chair; Richard (Jerry) Bundy, Village Board member.
Just as quickly as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the state, The Village established brand new telehealth services. In a matter of days, clinicians and staff transitioned from in-person sessions to providing high-quality treatment via phone and computer, reducing the number of people in our care centers, safeguarding our providers and the children, adults and families that continued to need in-person treatment. We are grateful for our dedicated staff, who learned the new HIPAA-compliant telehealth program promptly, and have been able to provide children, adults and families with individual and group counseling, family and parenting support, treatment for addiction and recovery, financial and career coaching and more without skipping a beat.
Pictured: Mario Diego Perleche, Village Adult Services Clinician.
Our work at The Village often requires us to confront the impacts of racial inequality in our society. Fighting for change — in individuals, families and society — is The Village’s mission and is what inspires us to come to work every day. In response to the national dialogue about racial injustice, we held a series of virtual staff meetings, hosted a Facebook Live series on racial trauma, published an op-ed piece detailing our vision, and we were chosen as one of 35 teams across the country to participate in the 2020 National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s (NCTSN) Virtual Summit Initiative — Being Anti-Racist is Central to Trauma-Informed Care: From Awareness to Action. This initiative supports participating organizations to engage in deep assessment, challenging conversations, critical questioning of white dominant culture in our institutions, action planning and accountability. We are unwavering in our commitment to justice, equity and providing support now and always.
Pictured Village staff (l-r): Yvette Young, Village Associate Vice President for Programs and Advocacy; Sarah Thompson, Village Senior Director of Marketing and Communications; Yanique Grant, Village Adult Services Clinician; Laura O’Keefe, Village Financial Center Director; Catherine Corto-Mergins, Village Director of Training and Collaborative Trauma Center; Hector Glynn, Village Chief Operating Officer.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed stark inequalities in education and shifted students to distance learning. To ensure all students The Village serves have what they need to succeed, we redeployed our school-based staff to support food and technology distribution and distance learning for students at five Hartford schools. We are grateful to our funding partners and staff, who helped The Village distribute 7,000 laptops, hundreds of meals, and educational packets to students and their families. By reassigning our staff, we were able to maximize health, safety and community impact, ensuring the students we serve have access to the same high-quality resources as students living in more financially stable environments.
Pictured: Sol Rivera, Village Family Support Specialist II for the Village Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time program, provides a Chromebook to a Village client to help support distance learning.
Each day, our residential programs provide around-the-clock treatment, support, education and care for children living at The Village. When the pandemic hit, our selfless staff stepped up and risked their health on a daily basis to continue providing these critical services — we are incredibly grateful for these true heroes. Thanks to the support of Village donors, our essential workers were able to more easily navigate the challenges and difficult circumstances due to COVID-19 and focus on providing the safety and care the children desperately need.
Pictured: Village Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) program staff.
Despite the sudden onset of the pandemic, preschoolaged children who are enrolled at The Village’s Early Childhood Learning Center were provided with help with at-home educational opportunities thanks to the commitment of our staff and dedication of their families to remain connected and learning. In no time at all, we introduced virtual home visits to continue connecting with children and families, including developmental screenings, interventions, “snack and story” time, videotaped songs, parenting groups, and preschool activities. Staff also went to every child’s home and delivered literacy kits containing hands-on learning materials as well as supplemental food and hygiene products if needed.
Pictured: Shanta Samuels, Village Family Support Specialist I for the Village Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time, program delivers baby supplies to a Village client.
Thanks to the generosity of philanthropists Jeffrey and Nancy Hoffman and the creativity of ESPN volunteers, a newly renovated gymnasium is now available for children receiving services at The Village. The gym provides a safe, inspirational space for the children to exercise, and is a critical piece of their healing process. The refreshed space at The Village’s main campus at 1680 Albany Avenue in Hartford, includes a new basketball hoop system and pads, new vinyl flooring, new lighting and upgraded electrical, a new door, a fresh coat of paint and motivational murals.
Pictured (l-r): The University of Hartford Spirit team; Galo Rodriguez, Village President and CEO; Yvette Young, Village Associate Vice President for Programs and Advocacy; Nancy and Jeffrey Hoffman, Village donors; Don Brooks, ESPN Manager, Corporate Citizenship; State Representative Joshua Hall; Zack Malet, Disney & ESPN Media Distribution Associate Director; Emmanuel Omokaro, ESPN Corporate Citizenship Coordinator.
The pandemic has made the scourge of domestic violence even worse. We are grateful for our newly expanded partnership with Interval House — funded in part through the state’s Office of Victim Services — which is helping adolescents impacted by domestic violence. Previously, The Village and Interval House had established a similar program for children under six years of age. Our rapid response team is visiting victims in shelters or wherever they’re staying, connecting them with services, coordinating care and giving them the support they need to live safe lives away from violence. During FY19-20, The Village served 423 young victims.
Pictured (l-r): Heather Flannery, Interval House Assistant Director; Mercedes Johnson, Interval House Domestic Violence Hotline Supervisor; Maria Mojica, Interval House Safe House Manager; Karen Gaston, Interval House Family Violence Victim Advocate Site Supervisor and Docket Advocate.
A decade ago, we began to change our approach to dealing with trauma. We made a deliberate decision to increase our focus on prevention, as opposed to treatment alone for existing trauma. We are grateful to our funding partners who shared this vision — then and now. Today, nearly 25 percent of our annual budget is devoted to preventative services for parents, families and children — more than double what it was ten years ago. The concept is simple: giving parents and children the tools to succeed, such as financial literacy, parenting education and high-quality preschool, helps to avoid trauma and improves outcomes. Trauma in childhood affects brain development and often has lifelong impacts on physical and mental health, and other serious consequences. When we can prevent its occurrence, we are building brighter futures for children and their families.
A preschool graduate from The Village’s Early Childhood Learning Center.
Our impact can be found in the thousands of children, adults and families who have overcome enormous challenges to achieve real and meaningful change for themselves with help from the treatment, services and advocacy of The Village.
Our wraparound approach includes individual and family counseling; group home, residential and outpatient treatment; school-base support programs; and in-home family strengthening. Our goal each day is to do whatever it takes to improve the health, well-being and success of children, adults and families.
(These statistics do not include VITA clients.)
Due to the COVID pandemic, The Village closed on March 17. Within one week, 53% of client engagements were via telehealth. By the end of April, 93% were. During this time, the volume of client engagements increased by 14%. Additionally, we acquired and distributed 15,353 pounds of food to families during the beginning months of the pandemic.
85% of the youth attending our enrichment afterschool programs attended school 90% or more of the time.
98% of the families served by our Words Count program, which uses innovative tools and data to increase parent child bonds and literacy development, demonstrated improved parenting skills.
93% of the youth in our intensive psychiatric services program, which helps children and youth stabilize at home, did not require psychiatric hospitalization while in the program.
96% of the children attending our Extended Day Treatment therapeutic after-school programs did not require hospitalization, intensive treatment or out-of-home placement while in the program.
88% of Community School 6th-8th grade students increased Common Core literacy and/or math skills between marking periods one and three.
87% of students who attended the Truancy Court Prevention Program received no suspensions while in the program.
96% of the children served by our short-term crisis stabilization program went to a home or community setting.
7,249 tax returns were prepared by VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), returning more than $17 million in refunds and credits.
94% of the children in our foster care programs remained in just one foster home over 12 months.
83% of children receiving services from our outpatient Enhanced Care Clinic demonstrated decreased problem severity.
Client feedback and input is key to our ability to continue to provide quality, effective services. While we’re always looking for ways to improve, we are pleased with the results of this year’s surveys.
I want to thank The Village and everybody that’s involved with it — we appreciate the Fatherhood Engagement Services program and it gives us hope that there are people that care for single parents like myself.”
| Program | Overall Satisfaction | Access to Services | Cultural Competency | Engaged in Treatment Planning | Improved Social Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child First | 100% | 100% | 100% | 83% | 100% |
| Community Support for Families | 100% | 99% | 100% | 100% | NA |
| Extended Day Treatment | 89% | 95% | 96% | 97% | 97% |
| Intensive In-Home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS) | 97% | 10% | 100% | 100% | 97% |
| Juvenile Review Board (JRB) | 92% | 100% | 100% | 80% | NA |
| Enhanced Care Clinic | 98% | 99% | 100% | 98% | 100% |
| Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time | 100% | 98% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Overall | 97% | 99% | 99% | 94% | 99% |
The Village manages its resources with sound business practices that will ensure the sustainability of the agency for many years to come. Our funding is a mix of state and federal grants, program fees and contracts, corporate and foundation grants, individual donations and United Way funding. A healthy endowment also helps to ensure resources are available for innovations, new program investments and/or capital improvements.
We are committed to keeping administrative expenses low to maximize resources that directly benefit our clients. The Board and executive leadership take their fiscal responsibilities seriously, ensuring our programs are not only effective but also efficient.
| Fiscal Year 2020 ($ in thousands) | % of total | |
|---|---|---|
| Grants (State Funds) | $15,655 | 40.8% |
| Grants (Federal Funds) | 1,802 | 4.7% |
| Program Fees and Contracts | 14,757 | 38.6% |
| Other Grants and Contributions | 3,512 | 9.2% |
| United Way | 752 | 2.0% |
| Authorized Endowment Contribution | 1,789 | 4.7% |
| Total | $38,267 | 100.0% |
| Fiscal Year 2020 ($ in thousands) | % of total | |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient Behavioral Health Services | $8,881 | 22.9% |
| Residential Services and Extended Day Treatment Programs | 9,979 | 25.7% |
| Permanency | 3,595 | 9.3% |
| Community Services | 11,339 | 29.3% |
| General & Administrative | 4,472 | 11.5% |
| Fundraising | 488 | 1.3% |
| Total | $38,754 | 100.0% |
In the best of years, what the members of the Auxiliary do for The Village is remarkable. In 2020, their dedication to our mission has been truly inspiring. The four Second Chance Shops — located in Glastonbury, Simsbury, Suffield and West Hartford — run by the all-volunteer Auxiliary members, were on pace for a record-setting year for revenue until the pandemic arrived. Despite the multi-month shutdown, the Auxilians stayed engaged, received a virtual briefing from the head of infectious disease control at UCONN about upholding a safe retail environment, made some site modifications, reopened in the summer, and managed to raise over $200,000 to help support families and children receiving services at The Village.
Pictured (l-r): Auxilians Val Moody, Joanne Kenney, Lee Galluccio, Pat Geckler, Barbara Laurain, Rose Nicole, Marnie Stucky, Elaine Akley and JoAnn Adams at the 2019 Village Girl Within Luncheon.
The Village extends gratitude to all of our partners, donors, volunteers and others who support our work. In this year of disruption and change, it is especially meaningful that so many of our supporters have stood by our side as we responded to the challenges to maintain services — and build new ones! THANK YOU to each of you for enabling us to continue helping children, adults and families as they make real and meaningful change in their lives. Your support means more than can be measured.
$100,000+
$50,000+
$25,000+
$10,000+
$5,000+
$2,500+
$1,000+
$500+
$250+
$100-249
$1-99
A strong endowment is a critical component of an institution’s financial strength. Funds established in support of The Village’s endowment provide program support for the families we serve today and for future generations. They also generate steady and predictable income for daily operations. We are grateful to the donors who established these lasting gifts.
The Village Legacy Society is a devoted group of donors who have named The Village as a beneficiary in their estate plans. Their generous bequests will enrich, sustain and preserve our services, establishing an enduring legacy of caring, protection and support for the children, families and adults we serve. We are honored to be the guardian of these meaningful contributions.
Galo A. Rodriguez, MPH
President, Chief Executive Officer
Hector Glynn, MSW
Chief Operating Officer
Martin Morrissey, MHA, CPA, FACHE
Chief Financial Officer
Deborah Bradley
Vice President, Human Resources
Tammy K. Freeberg, MSW
Vice President, Strategy and Planning
Steven Moore, PhD
Vice President, Business Development
Eric Schwartz, PsyD, ABPP
Senior Vice President, Clinical Programs
Derek Slap, MBA
Vice President, Advancement
Laine Taylor, DO, MBA
Medical Director
(FY19-20)
*member, executive committee
Ambassadors are engaged members of the community who share a commitment to The Village’s mission and help spread the word about and garner support for The Village.
An affiliate of The Village, KIDSAFE CT is dedicated to the early intervention, prevention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Its mission is to “partner with the community to educate and empower families and promote the well-being of young people.”
ADVISORY COUNCIL
(current)
1680 Albany Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105
331 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06114
(including RAMBUH Family Center)
105 Spring Street, Hartford, CT 06105
One Regency Drive, Bloomfield, CT 06002
An affiliate of The Village
19 Elm St, Vernon, CT 06066
The Village Main Campus
300 Parker Street, Manchester, CT 06042
282 Main St Ext., Middletown, CT 06457
210 Pomeroy Ave, Meriden, CT 06541
Alison Gill Lodge, Manchester, CT
A partnership with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
800 Connecticut Blvd., 1st Floor, East Hartford, CT 06108
65 Kane Street, 2nd Floor, West Hartford, CT 06119
51 Gillett Street, Hartford, CT 06105
145 South Whiting Street, New Britain, CT 06051
The Village and the children and families we serve are fortunate to have the support of more than 500 volunteer Auxilians. Among many other things, the Auxilians run our Second Chance Shops, thrift boutiques that sell new and gently used clothing and household items. All proceeds from the Shops support The Village.
Glastonbury
Simsbury
Suffield
West Hartford
730 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, CT 06033
860-633-5188
12 Station Street, Simsbury, CT 06070
860-658-7152
116 Mountain Road, Suffield, CT 06078
860-668-2841
175 Park Road, West Hartford, CT 06119
860-461-7067
Department of Children and Families Licenses
Department of Public Health Licenses
Office of Early Childhood
Accrediting Bodies
The Village is grateful for our employees’ hard work and dedication, especially during these challenging times. We’re pleased that our staff feels the love and that for the second time in three years The Village was named a Top Workplace. The designation, earned through an anonymous survey and awarded by an independent non-profit, validates The Village’s commitment to fostering different points of view and communicating with staff, two areas in which we received high marks. Staff also overwhelmingly reported feeling that The Village is “going in the right direction.”
Village staff pictured (l-r): Galo Rodriguez, Village President and CEO; Samantha Clarke, Village Clinical Supervisor for Family Based Recovery; Alena Pearce, Village Program Coordinator for Extended Day Treatment; Ashley Boutin, Village Supervisor for Extended Day Treatment; Natalie Farquharson, Village Clinician for Child First.
