Not only is September the start of a new school year, it is also Suicide Awareness Month.
Connecticut lawmakers and healthcare providers are taking time to remind families of the resources available for children who may be experiencing instability or mental health crises.
Connecticut has several hotlines that can provide around-the-clock support, including 211, which connects families to social services like homeless shelters, food banks and mental health support. The 988 hotline is also available to cater to emergent mental health crises.
The state’s emergency mental health services always check on the core requirements, like food and housing, according to Dr. Laine Taylor with The Village.
“All of these services look at those basic needs for our kids when they come through,” Taylor said. “If you got mobile crisis coming out, they're going to ask about these things. If you go to the urgent crisis center, they're going to ask about these things. 211, they help with those things.”
The Village, in Hartford, is one of three Urgent Crisis Center sites established about three years ago. Other sites are in Waterbury and New London.
The centers have served more than 3,000 people since they were created.
Transitions and changes, including housing instability or the start of a new school year, can particularly impact children’s mental health, Taylor said.
“We are seeing a growing number of youth who have housing insecurity,” Taylor said. “They may not be explicitly on the streets, but where they live and whether they have the ability to have a safe place to lay their head each night is less and less secure for many of our children.”
About 600 children were homeless in Connecticut in 2025, according to the state’s annual point-in-time count, a census of the homeless population.
Changes in children’s behavior may manifest in different ways, including avoiding responsibilities, appetite changes and trouble sleeping, Taylor said.
But, families don’t need to be in an acute crisis to contact the emergency hotline or visit a help center, according to Connecticut Department of Children and Families Commissioner, Susan Hamilton.
“When you're in a period of crisis, as many of our families and children are, oftentimes knowing where to go and who to contact is really instrumental,” Hamilton said.
In the last fiscal year, more than 700 kids received assistance from one of the urgent crisis centers, according to Hamilton.
Last fiscal year also saw more than 28,000 calls to the 211 hotline and nearly 55,000 calls into 988.
“We have in fact seen a decrease over the anticipated rates of suicides in Connecticut among people 15 to 34,” United Way of Connecticut President Lisa Tepper-Bates said. “That's already some really good progress, but we need to do better with young people, and we need to be here for parents.”
