Community Mental Health Affiliates, Inc. (CMHA)

Founded in 1975, CMHA is a private, non-profit, community-oriented provider of behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment. Headquartered in downtown New Britain with locations across the city and in Waterbury, CMHA provides treatment for children, adolescents, adults, and families statewide, serving over 7,500 individuals annually. In addition to being the first Joint Commission accredited Behavioral Health Home in Connecticut, CMHA is also a SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), exemplifying our commitment to integrated behavioral and primary health care for all, including historically underserved populations. At CMHA, we believe Recovery is Real – and it starts here.

CMHA Accomplishments

CMHA provides quality, compassionate care to all who enter our doors, and we are continuously working on ways to improve access to care for those in need. Recent CMHA news:

• The agency finalized the purchase of ‘Kensington Gardens’ a former convalescent facility that will be fully renovated and reimagined as the future home for two of our residential programs, comfortably housing over 35 individuals with chronic behavioral and medical health issues.
• As we return to in person services, CMHA’s state-of-the-art Open Access Center at our headquarters in downtown New Britain has reopened to the public for same-day care. The welcoming space is meant to provide immediate access to individuals who are ready to seek treatment or enroll in services, a key approach to combatting the ongoing opioid epidemic, the skyrocketing rates of substance use, and increase in depression, anxiety, and other behavioral health concerns exacerbated by the pandemic.
•  CMHA has been amplifying efforts to support students and teachers in local school districts as they navigate the pandemic and resulting behavioral health issues. Clinical Director of Child and Family Services Christopher Marino has been promoting Social Emotional Learning (SEL) during the Consolidated School District of New Britain’s Summer Enrichment Series, and provided SEL training to hundreds of district educators. CMHA recently hired a case manager to work directly with students, parents and staff in New Britain schools, and we are also developing a partnership with Naugatuck schools to provide similar support.
•  CMHA is working with local police on an innovative, community-based approach to improve outcomes for encounters between law enforcement and individuals who may be experiencing a crisis. CMHA’s Michelle Jefferson, LCSW, is the first and only Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Clinician embedded within both the Bristol and New Britain Police Departments. The goal of any CIT program is to educate and assist officers in diverting individuals with behavioral health concerns from arrest towards appropriate services.
•  President & CEO Raymond J. Gorman has recently been given the opportunity to further serve the people of our state as an appointed member of Governor Ned Lamont’s Task Force To Study Peer Support Services. “Peer Support is critical to the recovery centered services that we provide at CMHA and throughout Connecticut’s behavioral health system,” says Gorman, “I look forward to the work of the Task Force. 

TANGO’s Impact on CMHA

Throughout the pandemic, TANGO has continued to promote nonprofits and highlight the vital work we do, while offering insightful, accessible resources regarding funding trends, communication strategies, and grant writing. These resources have helped hone our development skills and improved our ability to adapt and grow in an ever-changing non-profit world.