Health & Wellness
Community Violence
There are no words to describe the anguish and grief many are experiencing in response to the increase in community violence impacting children and families. In Connecticut, the nationwide violence toward children in schools is a traumatic reminder of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown.
These are hard topics to discuss with young children. Please see the resource below to assist in talking with children about school violence.
A Message to our Integrated Health Services Community
As we all attempt to navigate the circumstances surrounding this public health crisis with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), first and foremost, it is our hope that you and your families remain safe and healthy!
COVID-19 Tips
We offer you the following resources to be informed of community, state, and national updates:
The national Center for Disease Control updates and resources can be found here, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
The stated Department of Public Health updates and resources can be found here, https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus
The updates offered by Goodwin University can be found here, https://www.goodwin.edu/covid-19/
As we all practice social distancing, at the link below are some suggested healthy activities list from the IHS team:
Laura M. I. Saunders, Psy.D. ABPP is a staff psychologist working at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital and is also Board Certified in Clinical Psychology. She is the Director of the new initiative, the Center for Gender Health at Hartford Healthcare. In 2015, Dr. Saunders was named Employee of the Year for Hartford Hospital and in 2019, she was the recipient of the Ned Graffagnino Award for distinguished service in the areas of community-oriented work and collaboration with other mental health professionals. 
Kareen Wilson is a team leader, owner, and patient-therapist at Contemporary General Dentistry in West Hartford, CT, and Smile Studio Dentistry in Hartford, CT. Kareen also works as an adjunct professor in the leadership program at Goodwin University. She has over twenty-five years of experience in clinical dental hygiene and office management. 
For over 25 years Doug Edwards has been a family services consultant who designs and facilitates fatherhood-focused programs. He provides professional development and training for family workers at state and non-profit human services agencies.
Joe Murphy is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Gateway Financial Partners. He has over 40 years of experience in Wealth Management and Investment Planning, including working with teams in the bank investment arena.