FREE TO GROW

Domestic violence.  Depression.  These and other mental health issues are difficult to identify and provide services for in communities that can't identify mental health issues and don't understand them. 

That's the challenge facing Free to Grow, a community initiative of the Head Start Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc., serving the low-income Latino population there.

To better understand this community's mental health needs, Free to Grow conducted a survey in 2004 about the issues concerning area residents.  Funded by a four-year $100,000 grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health), the survey's results were to serve as springboards to help Free to Grow develop strategies addressing those concerns.

Residents responding to the survey identified domestic violence and depression as their greatest areas of concern.  Free to Grow responded by organizing community workshops for children, youth and adults, which included experts on domestic violence and depression, who answered questions and provided training.  The community also took action, including:

• Preventing a liquor store from moving into the North Oak neighborhood
• Advocating successfully for a new playground to be built by the city in a vacant lot next to their community center
• Commissioning a mural symbolizing their efforts and beautifying the neighborhood

"The domestic violence workshops served two needs," says Elena Trueworthy, Free to Grow family and community development manager.  "It trained residents to help their neighbors when they know there is a domestic violence issue and it provided support to residents involved in domestic violence situations."

Workshops on depression also drew strong response.  Organizers arranged referrals for four program participants and provided on-site counseling services available for additional referrals made by the community and Free to Grow partners.

Community partners, along with Free to Grow, also organized an antiviolence/antidrug march on National Night Out to demonstrate the community's intolerance for domestic violence and its support for violence victims.  More than 150 children, youth, community members and leaders, such as the mayor and police chief, participated.

"This is proof that we do not tolerate violence in our neighborhoods," says Trueworthy.

www.hranbct.org