CHDI Hosts Data Walk, Exploring Trends in Connecticut's Children's Behavioral Health Data

Participant responses:

• "Standardize definitions [and categories across] the state."
   
• "Allow systems to share data more readily with each other and have communication about children and youth who intersect all systems."
   
• "Data collection should be a diverse set of data that consistently identifies size, special populations, race/ethnicity, age, location, and socioeconomic status across each variable identified."
   
• "Track families sooner."
   
• "[Identify] ethnicity information based on suicide challenges."
   
• "Include school nurses' documentation in data points."
   
• "Find better ways to gather data about families and regional communities to better understand the "why" [behind the data]."

Participant responses:

• "Increase reporting from Juvenile Review Boards and Youth Service Bureaus."
   
• "Restrict phone use in schools."
   
• "I would encourage legislators to look at current policy for alignment/overlap to determine where there are duplicate efforts and gaps in services/voices."
   
• "[Support] a well-trained, diverse workforce, specifically trained in best practices and evidence-based interventions."

Participant responses:

• "Lots more intervention and prosocial support for younger children."
   
• "Require SBIRT for all youth in 8th-10th grade and collect data to ensure early intervention is available."
   
• "State-wide prevention for all students in schools related to behavioral health and substance use. Increase education and confidence in discussing substance use in schools."

Participant responses:

• "Mix statewide and local [data] for partnership with families."
   
• "Incorporate parents' feedback and communication in how the data can better serve them and their children."
   
• "Carve out protected space for youth and family voice to inform this work directly. Build space for lived experience in policy spaces and connect this to compensation or career ladders, i.e. peers."

Participant responses:

• "We have a good range of data publicly available." 
   
• "We are willing to look deeper into what the data means and what [the gaps are] that could make it more meaningful."
   
• "CT is a leader in evaluating."
   
• "We're bringing this data to light."

Participant responses:

• "Decrease in substance use over time." 
   
• "There are improvements within areas that we have been focusing on through an increase in supports and services."
   
• "There are improvements and key areas that have received funding and support in the last several years."

Participant responses:

• "The ability to have these conversations as a community with varied backgrounds and expertise." 
   
• "Partnership with colleagues who I don't always get to see and brainstorm with."
   
• "The dynamic of the group present. There are many voices, agencies, and organizations who are invested in this work."
   
• "Being in a room full of individuals dedicated to this work made me feel hopeful."
   
• "The focus on youth and family voice."
   
• "Collaboration with different systems."

Participant responses:

• "We are looking at these issues. The comments make me confident that the right discussions are happening to move us forward."
   
• "We have so many thoughtful, caring people in the state who are willing to dig deep, ask hard questions, and do the hard work!"
   
• "Opportunity for change."
   
• "Participation and investment in deep diving."
   
• "The conversation has begun and [is] intentionally focused on change and equity in the manner data is shared."