School Mental Health Spotlight: Q & A with Enlightenment School
Enlightenment School in Waterbury is currently in its second year of participation in the Connecting Schools to Care IV Students (CONNECT IV) initiative. CONNECT IV is a partnership of the CT Department of Children and Families, CHDI, Carelon Behavioral Health, FAVOR, Inc., and The Consultation Center at Yale University. We work with Connecticut schools and districts statewide to enhance student mental health supports and strengthen connections to community-based behavioral health services through assessments, training, quality improvement support, and other technical assistance—all at no cost to participating schools.
CHDI Project Coordinator Rosie Breindel interviewed Principal Lauren Miele and Parent Liaison Larenzo Maldonado about how CONNECT has strengthened their school mental health system. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Thanks for sharing your perspectives with us! To start, could you tell me about your roles at the school and your previous involvement with student mental health initiatives?
Lauren Miele: As a principal, I’ve had years of experience working with students and families who, unfortunately, may not have had their mental health needs addressed or may have been unaware of where to turn. It’s my role to understand the supports available both in and out of the building and help guide my students to the right place. Healthy and happy students are the ones who can show up and be engaged in their learning.
Larenzo Maldonado: In my role as a Parent Liaison, I have spent years working alongside families who struggle to access mental health and behavioral health services. I help families navigate complex systems, locate appropriate resources, and connect with providers that can support their children's and family's needs. My work is grounded in advocacy, relationship-building, and ensuring families feel informed, empowered, and supported.
Lauren Miele, Principal, Enlightenment School
Larenzo Maldonado, Parent Liaison, Enlightenment School
Can you describe your school's participation in the CONNECT IV initiative?
Miele: Enlightenment School is a proud Year 2 participant this year! Our team worked to include the right stakeholders and identify our baseline through the School Mental Health Quality Assessment (SHAPE), with the ultimate goal of providing students and families as much access as possible to the right mental health supports.
From there, CONNECT IV coaches and partners worked with us to identify additional goals, current resources, and barriers in the spirit of being solution-oriented. With so many competing priorities, CONNECT IV and the partnership with CHDI has been such an asset because it helps us make the time to stay laser-focused on this critical piece of the puzzle.
We are currently working on developing and sharing resource mapping, collecting, organizing, and housing data, and using it to make informed decisions, and training staff to create educational safe spaces and be trauma-informed champions in their respective roles!
Maldonado: My role in the CONNECT Initiative focuses on supporting and strengthening family engagement within the school community. CONNECT [helps us] fulfill this component by providing state-level resources that help families address a wide range of needs. Through CONNECT, families receive support in understanding the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process, learning how to effectively advocate for themselves and their children during meetings, and accessing practical supports such as transportation to summer therapeutic camps within the region. This partnership allows me to better connect families with comprehensive resources that promote student success and family empowerment.
What is one thing Enlightenment School has learned from CONNECT that you will continue to utilize moving forward?
Miele: One thing we’ve learned about our participation is that it takes a village, and there is a village! With so many moving parts, having these partnerships lends itself to a true wraparound model in service of students. We will continue to collaborate with our community partners to get our staff the training—and our students and families the care—they need. The biggest change is keeping a close eye on our data and housing it in a central place, helping us stay organized and intentional. It’s not hard, but it does require delegation and some time commitment. Having the right people in the right place for these tasks makes all the difference!
Maldonado: Through my participation, I’ve gained a broader perspective on family engagement and realized that there are far more supports available than I initially expected. The Community of Practice meetings have given me the opportunity to reflect on our work at Enlightenment while learning from other programs that are experiencing similar challenges. These conversations have been especially valuable, as they allow me to bring new ideas back to my team and consider how successful strategies from other schools can be adapted to better support our families.
The database of resources we have received from CHDI has also stood out, offering ongoing access to educational, social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health supports in one central place.
One challenge I continue to reflect on is the limited connection among alternative programs. Strengthening these relationships would create more opportunities to learn from one another and explore new ways to engage families more effectively.
What advice do you have for other schools interested in CONNECT?
Miele: It may seem like another time commitment, but it is well, well worth it to understand any gaps your organization may have and having the right people guide the process to remedy them. The CHDI team and their partners truly want to help—and do help every step of the way! Prevention will take you a lot further than simply responding to crises on the fly!
Maldonado: For schools considering participation in the CONNECT Initiative, this partnership offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen family engagement and better support students and caregivers. Designating a dedicated point person, such as a Parent Liaison, helps families feel guided and supported as they navigate available resources. By intentionally sharing information about the full range of CONNECT supports with both staff and families, schools can ensure the initiative is used to its fullest potential. When CONNECT is approached proactively and rooted in collaboration and trust, it becomes a powerful tool for reducing barriers, empowering families, and strengthening school-family relationships.
What is your hope for your students and school after CONNECT?
Miele: A long-term impact we all hope to witness is that the mental health needs of every student, staff, and family are tended to in a timely manner before [the effect of] trauma worsens. This would make a world of difference in our communities and certainly improve outcomes as students age out of formative education.
Additionally, our hope is that all students and families will, unequivocally, have access to everything they need to be healthy and successful in their educational journey. We are all here to help one another along the way, and thanks to CONNECT, we have the information, resources, and support to get us closer to seeing this hope come to fruition!
Maldonado: My hope for families after participating in CONNECT is that they feel supported and confident in navigating the school system and accessing the resources their children need. I hope families gain a clearer understanding of processes like the IEP, feel equipped to advocate for their children during meetings, and know where to turn for both practical and emotional support.
"When CONNECT is approached proactively and rooted in collaboration and trust, it becomes a powerful tool for reducing barriers, empowering families, and strenghtening school-family relationships."
What is an immediate impact you've noticed as a result of your participation?
Miele: An immediate impact we are seeing is a mindset shift for the staff in becoming even more trauma-informed and trauma-responsive. The trainings that come with the Educate SMART platform have been so insightful and help us understand not only the systems more thoroughly, but also our role in connecting students to them and how we can approach teaching and supporting with students’ needs in mind.
Maldonado: One immediate impact I’ve noticed through CONNECT is that parents are particularly engaged in the training that teaches them how to advocate, not just for themselves, but for their children as well. The Family Advocate plays a key role in this process, motivating and empowering parents by providing guidance, support, and encouragement. This partnership helps families gain the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need to actively participate in meetings, understand their child’s needs, and ensure their voices are heard in the educational process.
What resources were most helpful in expanding or improving your school's comprehensive mental health system?
Miele: A map of all the resources in a ready-made packet for all staff members to access is a tool we are certainly using often. Also of note: the grant money provided has allowed our school to engage in endeavors we would not be able to finance without the partnership of CONNECT. It has allowed us to start exploring and implementing educational safe spaces, items for stress reduction, incentive items for family and student engagement, and support the well-being of our staff!
Maldonado: One resource that has been particularly helpful in improving family connections with the school is the resource database provided by CHDI. It provides the most recent and updated information in real time, making it easy for families and school partners to access resources, stay informed, and feel supported in their engagement with the school community.
How has CHDI's technical assistance and support with the SHAPE system enhanced your understanding of Enlightenment's needs and informed your planning?
Miele: As mentioned, SHAPE has been instrumental in identifying strengths and gaps and helped us to navigate next steps. It asks the tough questions from an external perspective that schools might fail to consider and identifies areas to work on.
Maldonado: CHDI's technical assistance and support with the SHAPE system have helped us better understand our students’ mental health needs and identify resources that families can access. By highlighting both our strengths and areas for growth, SHAPE has informed our planning, allowing us to more effectively connect parents with supports, prioritize initiatives, and develop strategies that enhance student well-being and family engagement within our alternative program.
Get Involved
Want to learn more about CONNECT IV?
- Download our free School Mental Health Resource & Support Guide
- Watch our March 2026 webinar for an in-depth overview of how CONNECT IV works
See if your school is a good fit for CONNECT IV
To inquire about CONNECT IV participation, contact Sarah White, LCSW, or click here to learn more about the CONNECT IV Students initiative.