News

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we take a look back at the history of children’s mental health as well as provide helpful information to support the mental health of children and youth. It wasn’t too long ago that anyone who suffered with a mental health diagnosis was viewed as weak or as somehow [...]

HCRS held a Team Two Training at the Hartford Police Department on April 27, 2018 for 25 first responders. Team Two is a training program designed to help ensure that first responders to a mental health emergency are as prepared as possible. Police officers and mental health workers from Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Vermont State [...]

On May 3, the Vermont House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution brought forward by Representative Valerie Stuart, congratulating HCRS on our 50th anniversary. Our CEO, George Karabakakis, Ph.D., attended the ceremony on behalf of the agency. Below is the full resolution.

HCRS received the Governor’s 2018 Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award for the fourth year in a row. The agency focuses significant resources each year on the health and wellness of its more than 550 employees. HCRS was recognized for this year’s award based on the work of its Wellness Committee. In addition to the agency’s [...]

HCRS has partnered with the Vermont State Police in order to further assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Our Police Social Work program has embedded a Police Liaison within the Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks, as a mobile crisis responder. The Police Liaison will provide supports for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or [...]

Disability Awareness Day February 28, 2018 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Vermont’s Disability Awareness Day will be held at the Statehouse in Montpelier on February 28. Held from 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, this day-long event is a great opportunity for clients to share their personal stories with legislators. Advocacy workshops will be held during [...]

We are pleased to announce that we have hired Jennifer A. Smith as the new Director of our Children, Youth, & Families Division. Jennifer brings extensive experience in community-based youth programs, both in Vermont and Massachusetts, our non-profit agency. Having provided clinical and administrative oversight to many non-profits serving children and adolescents over the last [...]

HCRS announced today that it has instituted a new, faster process for new clients to access services. As part of the Agency’s quality improvement efforts, which includes feedback from clients and community members, HCRS has instituted Centralized Access Navigation for all its sites and programs. Centralized Access Navigation is a model used in many community [...]

An open house of the Southern Vermont Hospital Diversion Program, a collaboration between NFI and HCRS, will be held on Monday, January 29, from 1:00-3:00 pm. All are welcome.

Jill (her name is changed to protect her identity) is a fourteen year old with curly brown hair, blue eyes, and finely detailed tattoos on her arms and neck. She sits on a gurney at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital emergency room and talks with Becky, a clinician at HCRS who is also an on-call mental [...]