Resource Library

This section provides a wealth of information, references, and education on a variety of mental health related topics, skill builders, legal rights, and services.

    Library Index:   Select Resource Advance Directives Advocacy - Should You Become an Advocate? Advocacy - Principles of Advocacy AU Newsletter Basic Needs Program Center for Mental Health Services CMHS - Mental Health Block Grant CMHS - Resource Guide for CT Connecticut Clubhouses and Social Clubs Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Connecticut Crisis Services Connecticut General Assembly Connecticut General Statutes Connecticut Legal Rights Project Connecticut Legal Services Connecticut Legislative Guide Connecticut Managed Care Ombudsman Connecticut Public Transportation Info Connecticut Trauma Info Connecticut Warm Lines Crisis Help Lines Driving Directions Greater Hartford Legal Aid Housing for Persons with Disabilities Legal Services in Connecticut Legislators - State, Local, and U.S. Local Mental Health Authorities Malta House of Care - Free basic health care New Haven Legal Assistance Association Prescription Drug Assistance Programs Public Internet Access Sites Recovery Core Values Regional Mental Health Boards Rights of People with Mental Illness in CT Self-Help Directory State, Local, and U.S. Legislators Statewide Legal Services of CT STEP Program Suicide and Crisis Help Lines Tardive Dyskinesia Warm Lines and Crisis Lines Work as a Priority

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• Advance Directives
  Connecticut specific information regarding Advance Directives with links to other prominent Advance Directives resources.
  
  
• AU Newsletter
  You can sign-up to receive our newsletter by mail, or read it online!
  
  
• Basic Needs Program
  This is a link to the Basic Needs Program section of the DMHAS website, which contains complete information about the program. The Basic Needs Program, now administered and operated by the United Way of CT, is designed to assist individuals with mental health and/or substance abuse issues transition back into a healthy and productive life. The program offers eligible SAGA Medical and Norwich GA Medical clients temporary supports for a variety of basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter beds or housing, personal care items or services, utilities, and transportation.
  
  
• Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)
  This is a link to the CMHS website. CMHS is charged with leading the national system that delivers mental health services. The goal of this system is to provide the treatment and support services needed by adults with mental disorders and children with serious emotional problems.
  
  
• CMHS - Mental Health Block Grant
  This is a link to the State Planning/Mental Health Block Grant section of the CMHS website. The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) State Planning Branch awards grants to states for providing mental health services to people with mental illnesses.
  
  
• CMHS - State Resource Guide for Connecticut
  Part of the CMHS website, this resource guide provides contact information for mental health agencies and advocacy organizations in Connecticut, including the Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Protection and Advocacy, the Health Care Financing Administration, National Mental Health Association, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and statewide consumer organizations.
  
  
• Connecticut Clubhouses and Social Clubs
  Here you'll find a listing of Connecticut Clubhouses and Social Clubs. You can locate a club by either city or clubhouse name.
  
  
• Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence
  CCADV is comprised of 18 programs throughout Connecticut. These programs provide services to victims of domestic violence. Their services are confidential, and available to all individuals regardless of age, race, religion, sexual preference, class, or physical ability. They offer safety planning, advocacy, information, referrals, counseling, support groups and emergency shelter. You can be immediately connected with a program in your area by calling our toll free domestic violence toll free hotline 1-888-774-2900.
  
  
• Connecticut Crisis Services
  This is a link to the CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services' comprehensive list of crisis centers. Crisis centers are located throughout the state, and through the above link you can locate services by town or region.
  
  For Crisis Intervention Services by Region, see:
  
     Crisis Intervention Services Region One
     Crisis Intervention Services Region Two
     Crisis Intervention Services Region Three
     Crisis Intervention Services Region Four
     Crisis Intervention Services Region Five
  
  
• Connecticut General Assembly
  This is a link to the Connecticut General Assembly website.
  
  
• Connecticut General Statutes
  This is a link to the General Statutes of Connecticut. The first page provides information on the organization of the statutes and instructions on how to search or browse this information.
  
  
• Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc.
  CLRP is a nonprofit agency providing legal services for individuals with or in recovery from psychiatric disabilities, whether they are in hospitals or in the community.
  
  
• Connecticut Legal Services
  Connecticut Legal Services is a private, non-profit, civil law firm dedicated to helping low-income families and individuals obtain justice. The bulk of their work consists of providing civil law representation and counseling to thousands of low-income families and individuals each year.
  
  
• Connecticut Legislative Guide
  This is a link to the Legislative Guide section of the Connecticut General Assembly website. View the entire CT Legislative Guide for current and prior years here.
  
  
• Connecticut Office of Managed Care Ombudsman
  The State of Connecticut's Office of Managed Care Ombudsman is a powerful Independent State Agency that Helps Connecticut's 1,700,000 managed care patients with their problems related to managed care. The toll free number in Connecticut is 866-HMO-4446 (1-866-466-4446). This independent agency was created by the Connecticut State Legislature and Connecticut Governor Rowland and has a broad base of powers.
  
  
• Connecticut Public Transportation Info
  This is a complete directory of information about Connecticut's ridesharing, van pooling, and public transportation resources, including train and bus schedules, bus routes, Rideshare, Easy Street, etc.
  
  
• Connecticut Trauma Info
  Links to various trauma resources:
  
        Warm Lines and Crisis Lines
        Women and Children's Programs
        Trauma Matters
        DMHAS Trauma Initiative
  
  
• Driving Directions to Key Locations
  Detailed driving directions to the AU Office and other locations frequently used for AU activities, meetings, classes, legislative activities, and other pertinent events.
  
  
• Greater Hartford Legal Aid
  Greater Hartford Legal Aid is a not-for-profit legal services agency whose staff helps clients with civil legal issues. We are advocates -- primarily lawyers and paralegals -- who use our resources and know-how to help people who have little money. Since 1958, GHLA attorneys have represented thousands of people and won significant victories for our clients in the fight for justice.
  
  
• HUD - Housing for Persons with Disabilities
  This is a link to the HUD website section for people with disabilities. It contains information from all parts of HUD's website and brings together everything pertaining to housing for persons with disabilities. Specific information that can assist advocates in finding affordable and accessible units is available at HUD's Subsidized Multifamily Units web page.
  
  
• Legal Services in Connecticut
  A listing and map of legal service agencies in Connecticut for low-income and elderly individuals. Also see on this page:
  
        Connecticut Legal Rights Project
        Connecticut Legal Services
        Greater Hartford Legal Aid
        New Haven Legal Assistance Association
        Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut
  
  
• Local Mental Health Authorities
  A listing of the primary Mental Health Authority in each region, along with a link to the DMHAS web page of all MHA's in the region.
  
  
• Malta House of Care
  Malta House of Care provides free basic primary health care to the uninsured at various locations in the city of Hartford.
  
  
• New Haven Legal Assistance Association
  The New Haven Legal Assistance Association (LAA) provides high-quality legal services to individuals, families and groups in the greater New Haven area, including the lower Naugatuck Valley, who are unable to obtain legal services because of limited income, age, disability, discrimination and other barriers. LAA was one of the first legal services programs established and the federal government used it as a model for similar programs throughout the country. LAA continues to provide free legal services to eligible individuals and families in the greater New Haven area.
  
  
• Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
  Links to organizations whose purpose is to offer information about, or assistance with, Patient Assistance Programs that provide free medications for a small processing fee to low-income individuals and families. Please be sure to read all the requirements and qualifications.
  
  
• Public Internet Access Sites in CT
  Find public Internet access sites, either in specific towns or throughout Connecticut.
  
  
• Recovery Core Values
  Recovery Basic Premises and Recovery Core Values for the Mental Health and Addictions Recovery System, as developed by Advocacy Unlimited, Inc. and The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR).
  
  
• Regional Mental Health Boards
  A listing of Connecticut's five Regional Mental Health Boards, along with a link to the Catchment Area Councils (CAC's) in each region.
  
  
• The Rights of People with Mental Health Illness in Connecticut
  The complete and definitive booklet, written by Yale law student Carl Riehl with the assistance of Attorneys Edward Mattison and Thomas Behrendt, describing the legal rights of people with mental illness in Connecticut.
  
  
• State, Local, and U.S. Legislators
  A convenient link where you can find and write to your state, local, and U.S. Legislators and Congress Members.
  
  
• Self-Help Directory
  Toll free hot lines and web addresses to assist you in finding help on several subjects.
  
  
• Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut
  Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to helping as many low income people as possible to understand their civil (non-criminal) legal problems. We cooperate with other non-profit law firms and volunteer attorneys to provide a broad range of legal services to Connecticut's low income. Eligible clients can call us about any non-criminal legal issue, but we can be most helpful to people calling about housing (including evictions, public housing, repairs, and foreclosure), children and families (including divorce, child support, custody, guardianship, visitation, and restraining orders), benefits and work, consumer issues, elderly concerns, utilities and energy.
  
  
• STEP Program
  The STEP Program is an innovative and highly effective service in Connecticut where individuals who are in the early stages of a psychotic illness are offered a detailed evaluation and a package of enriched treatments. See the DMHAS "INFORMATION...Foundation for Good Policy" flyer for a more detailed overview.
  
  For more information about the STEP Program, contact Vinod Srihari, M.D. or Nicholas Breitborde, Ph.D at Yale University.
  
  
• Tardive-Dyskinesia
  Tardive, meaning late, and dyskinesias being movement disorders, are neurological side effects of anti-psychotic medications that can be disabling and disfiguring. The Tardive-Dyskinesia website offers information on the symptoms, treatment, and side effects of Tardive Dyskinesia and information on the many anti-psychotic drugs utilized in the treatment of schizophrenia. Resources for contacting a lawyer and learning about legal rights regarding Tardive Dyskinesia are also available on the site.
  
  
• Warm Lines / Suicide and Crisis Lines
  As a valuable resource to AU Advocates and all Mindlink.org visitors, this page provides information for several Connecticut non-crisis Warm Lines as well as links to several Suicide and Crisis Help Lines.
  
  
• Work as a Priority:  A Resource for Employing People Who Have Serious Mental Illnesses and Who Are Homeless
  
  From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Center for Mental Health Services, this new guidebook is designed to help service providers and others make informed decisions as they guide people who are experiencing homelessness and have mental illnesses into employment.