This article appeared in the Hartford Business Journal on October 10, 2022.
It’s no secret that the mental healthcare needs of residents in Connecticut and across the country have increased amid the pandemic.
As the stigma surrounding mental health continues to fade, the industry that provides care to those experiencing psychological and other related issues is growing. And one of the most well-known mental healthcare providers in the region is Hartford-based nonprofit The Village for Families & Children, led by longtime CEO Galo Rodriguez.
The Village — which served nearly 4,400 kids, teens and adults and reported $41.5 million in program funding in fiscal 2021 — provides a full range of behavioral health, early childhood and youth development, substance use treatment and support services in Greater Hartford.
Rodriguez led the organization’s pandemic response and other recent important initiatives, including partnering with Hartford Public Schools and Travelers Cos. to address chronic absenteeism in the Capital City.
He also led an expansion of outpatient services with the nonprofit’s new telehealth services.
And he’s making a big bet on downtown Hartford. Last year The Village purchased a downtown Hartford office building and announced plans to relocate some of its mental health programs there.
Rodriguez was formerly a physician in Colombia, where he delivered more than 200 babies over a decade spent in family medicine.
He earned a master’s degree in public health from UConn in addition to his medical training at the University of Cartagena in Colombia.
He formerly was chief operating officer at Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Hartford.