Mayor Rilling announces efforts to fund Norwalk’s Youth Mental Health Gap Analysis

Tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at City Hall, Mayor Harry Rilling will announce the City’s efforts to fund a Mental Health Gap Analysis of Norwalk’s youth in partnership with Norwalk Public Schools, Silver Hill Hospital, the Norwalk Community Health Center, and Norwalk ACTS,

On hand will be State Representatives Dominique Johnson and Lucy Dathan, Norwalk Public Schools Superintendent Alexandra Estrella, Dr. Andrew Gerber (President of Silver Hill Hospital), Lamond Daniels (Chief of Norwalk Community Services), and Jennifer Barahona (CEO of Norwalk ACTS.) 

The gap analysis will lay the necessary groundwork to help the City identify critical mental health barriers and needs within the community.  

Findings from this analysis will help inform the City’s actionable strategy, which will include securing additional funding from private, state, and federal sources to address identified gaps in youth mental health.

What is Gap Analysis?

Gap analysis is defined as a system that compares how a company works now with how it would like to work, and then calculates how the company can use time, money, etc. to achieve the success it would like. (Cambridge Business English Dictionary).

This project will collect data from behavioral health providers who serve Norwalk’s younger population (13-25) to better understand the current landscape of mental health services and resources. From the information gathered, a service map will be created outlining existing mental health services for Norwalk youth, and a report will be developed to identify gaps in services.

By funding this analysis, Mayor Rilling aims to enhance the City’s capacity to serve youth city-wide through the creation of a comprehensive funding strategy and coordinated effort with Norwalk Public Schools, mental health providers and the community at large.

“The work being done to fully understand and address the mental health needs in Norwalk is a living example of collective impact and the essence of Norwalk ACTS, said Jennifer Barahona, CEO of Norwalk ACTS in an email to NancyOnNorwalk.

“When partners come together across a community to work together to solve problems, anything is possible, Barahona added. “Norwalk ACTS is proud to have been the catalyst to start this conversation and is incredibly grateful to strong and willing partners like the City, Norwalk Public Schools, Norwalk Community Health Center, Silver Hill Hospital, and Positive Directions for coming together to take action to address the pervasive mental health crisis that directly or indirectly impacts every member of our community.”