St. John's Community Foundation Awards $5,000 Grant to Child Guidance Center

St. John’s Community Foundation awarded The Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut (CGC) a grant of $5,000 in support of their Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services (EMPS) program which serves youth from the towns of Stamford, Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan.

CGC’s EMPS team provides immediate, on-site mental health and crisis support to children, up to 18 years old, with the highest risk behavior and most serious psychiatric symptoms. Children seen within the EMPS program often struggle with suicidal thoughts or attempts, self-harm, physical attacks or threats of violence against others, severe depression and extreme anxiety, or severe impairments in judgement and decision making. CGC provides EMPS services at homes, schools, and in the community seven days a week, 365 days a year. Additionally, the EMPS team, comprised of clinicians who specialize in treating at-risk youth, provides post-crisis support services to the community. Because CGC’s EMPS program is mobile and charges no out of pocket fees to clients, youth and teens in need of crisis support can receive needed mental health care regardless of their families’ financial capacity, or potential transportation restrictions.

“We fund programs that aim to change people’s lives for the better, and we believe that youth crisis support is critical not just for impacted individuals, but also for the community as a whole,” highlighted Cathy Ostuw, Board Chair of St. John’s Community Foundation.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the continued support from St. John’s Community Foundation,” said Dr. Jessica Welt, CGC’s Chief of Mobile and Urgent Services. “This award will help ensure that children and families have immediate access to crisis stabilization and mental health services, significantly decreasing the likelihood of long-term consequences.”

St. John’s Community Foundation was established by St. John’s Episcopal Church to help address the broad social issues facing the Stamford community. Since its inception in 1987, St. John’s Community Foundation has awarded over four million dollars in grants to more than one hundred organizations. More information about the Foundation is available at http://www.stjohns-stamford.org/st-johns-foundation/.

CGC serves children, from birth to 18, in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan. CGC’s staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other clinicians work with nearly 3,000 children annually, providing culturally competent and sensitive care to families. The agency also provides preventative services to youth, parents and professionals through community education and consultation programs. If you would like to get help for a child or learn more about CGC’s mental health services, please call CGC at (203) 324-6127 or visit www.childguidancect.org. CGC is on social media at www.facebook.com/childguidnacect.org and www.twitter.com/cgcct.