NORWICH - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2), and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced the approval of new federal resources to help United Social & Mental Health Services expand  mental and primary health  services for adults and children in the Windham region.  The $10 million low interest federal loan, approved through the USDA’s Community Facility Direct Loan Program, will be used to construct a new 28,000 square foot behavioral health center. 

The members strongly supported the project in a joint letter to the USDA in June. You can read that letter at this link.

“The mental health care system is broken and I’ve made it my mission in the Senate to fix it. I’ve heard countless stories from families across Connecticut who are desperate to get their loved ones the mental health services they need,” said Senator Murphy. “Today’s announcement is great news for these families because it means that the employees of United Social & Mental Health Services and the people I met at Generations today will have better access to the high quality behavioral health services they need and deserve.”

 “Accessible and quality mental health services are some of the most urgent needs in the Windham area, and this new facility will ensure that the people of this region have the support and care they need,” Congressman Courtney said. “United Services is on the front lines of providing high quality care in eastern Connecticut, and I am proud to have worked to secure the resources needed to build this new center.”

“This major federal loan enables United Social & Mental Health Services to provide expanded high quality behavioral health care and social services to thousands of Windham adults and children,” Senator Blumenthal said. “Communities across Connecticut are in dire need of locally-based mental health and addiction services— particularly as our nation’s opioid crisis reaches epidemic proportions. I applaud this investment and look forward to continuing to support this important project as it moves forward.”

“We appreciate the leadership of our Congressional delegation in helping to make behavioral health care a higher priority in the nation, and remain hopeful that the State of Connecticut will also become a partner in this long-overdue expansion,” said United Services President/CEO Diane L. Manning. “Behavioral health care is as important, if not more important, in efforts to maintain healthy bodies and minds, yet public policy and support for mental wellness has yet to receive the same support as physical health.” 

“Expanding and consolidating these vital services on a public transit line will help ensure improved service to residents of the Windham region, while every dollar invested in the Windham Region Clinical Center can also achieve significant taxpayer savings by diverting care from the more expensive alternatives of hospitals, prisons, and emergency room admissions,” added Manning.

The new center will help provide needed mental health services to address increased demand in the region. According to United Services, outpatient mental health volume at their current facility has more than doubled since 2008. Their current clinic space in Willimantic was constructed in the 1950s and cannot accommodate the existing or expected growth in demand for services.