August 2, 2023
CCA’s June 2023 Newsletter features our work during this year’s legislative session, community events, celebrating our clients’ graduating from high school and so much more.
2023 Legislative Accomplishments
In the 2023 legislative session, CCA successfully fought for new Connecticut laws that will improve children’s and youths’ health and education and help them successfully transition to adulthood. We played a critical part in the passage of the following new life-changing laws.
CCA in the Community
On May 27th, a remarkable Summit event took place in Bridgeport, hosted by a local organization, 100 Girls Leading. The event brought together CCA and several organizations from around Bridgeport, all of which are committed to the success and mentorship of young girls in the city. Attendees were given custom CCA temporary tattoos by Attorney Karrol-Ann Brown, Eileen Brennan, and Janet Ortiz while learning about the exceptional work that CCA does in the community.
Congratulations to the Class of 2023!
CCA is proud to recognize and celebrate 2023 graduating clients and their families! CCA Attorney Marisa Halm and the youth fought through many systemic barriers to reaching graduation. Attorney Halm’s representation helped the youth get what they needed to succeed in school, and the youth and their parents never gave up!
De’Sean, 2023 graduate from Hamden Public Schools, with his mom, Shernette 
Matthew, 2023 graduate from Bloomfield Public Schools with his family and CCA Attorney Marisa Halm. Matthew is joining the U.S. Marine Corps, and two Marines were proud to attend Matthew’s graduation to support him 
Xzavion, 2023 graduate from Waterbury Public Schools with his mom Tyesha and dad Muhammed
Celebrating 25 Years of Impact
Endeavor Films created a powerful short film detailing CCA’s work over the past 25 years in Connecticut! This film, Changing Systems, Changing Lives: CCA’s Impact, premiered at Spring for Kids 2023 and is an essential reminder of our statewide impact on Connecticut’s most vulnerable children since our founding. It also shares personal stories and testimonials attesting to the importance of CCA’s work in the future.
Spring for Kids 2023: Our Biggest and Best Yet
Our Spring for Kids event this year was truly amazing! We were privileged to witness inspiring speeches by our 2023 Champions of Children and to hear moving testimonies from youth. Thank you to all those who attended Spring for Kids 2023 on June 14th, including Scott Murphy, CCA’s Board Director and inaugural Sustainability Award winner, and our 2023 Champions of Children Shelley Geballe and Greg Jones! We welcomed over 250 guests, sponsors, community partners, friends, and family members and are extremely grateful to each of our guests and our online auction supporters for helping us celebrate our 25th Anniversary this year and raise funds for CT’s most vulnerable children and youth. It was a memorable night at Dunkin’ Park, 25 years in the making!
CCA’s Medical-Legal Partnership at Yale Child Study Center is the first medical-legal partnership in the country dedicated exclusively to medical-legal advocacy in a children’s behavioral health setting. CCA’s attorney is located on-site at Yale Child Study Center to provide legal support for children suffering from family trauma and environmental stressors impacting their lives. The project receives approximately 150 referrals per year, and powerful impacts for families and providers alike have been documented.
Now available: a new 20-minute webinar where attorney Kathryn Meyer and clinician Anamaria Orozco provide an overview of the partnership’s work and discuss some de-identified case examples.
CCA Webinar: Healthcare Access for Adolescent LGBTQ+ Youth
This webinar focused on the unique healthcare needs of adolescent LGBTQ+ youth, including the affirmation of confidential care, issues surrounding transgender healthcare access, and behavioral healthcare needs. Watch the webinar recording on Youtube.
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