State of Connecticut Vocational & Education Services

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State of Connecticut Vocational & Education Services

1669 Thomaston Avenue
Waterbury, CT 06704 | map | directions

Ms. Dawn Santilli

(203) 759-3516 | fax: (203) 759-3529

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DMHAS envisions a recovery system of high quality behavioral health care that will offer Connecticut residents choices from among an array of accessible services and supports that will be effective in addressing their health concerns. These services and supports will be culturally responsive, attentive to trauma, built on personal, family, and community strengths, and focus on promoting persons’ recovery and wellness. Through a focus on cultivating inclusive social contexts in which individuals’ contributions will be valued, the DMHAS system will also foster a sense of full citizenship among persons with behavioral health needs. Finally, services and supports will be integrated, responsive, and coordinated within the context of a locally managed system of care in collaboration with the community, thereby ensuring continuity of care both over time and across organizational boundaries. As a result, each person will have maximal opportunities for establishing, or reestablishing, a safe, dignified, and meaningful life in the communities of their choice. DMHAS Overview The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) promotes and administers comprehensive, recovery-oriented services in the areas of mental health treatment and substance abuse prevention and treatment throughout Connecticut. While the Department's prevention services serve all Connecticut citizens, its mandate is to serve adults (over 18 years of age) with psychiatric or substance use disorders, or both, who lack the financial means to obtain such services on their own. DMHAS also provides collaborative programs for individuals with special needs, such as persons with HIV/AIDS infection, people in the criminal justice system, those with problem gambling disorders, substance abusing pregnant women, persons with traumatic brain injury or hearing impairment, those with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness, and special populations transitioning out of the Department of Children and Families. DMHAS operates on the belief that most people with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders can and should be treated in community settings, and that inpatient treatment should be used only when absolutely necessary to meet the best interests of the patient. Effective care requires that services such as residential, supportive, rehabilitative and crisis intervention programs are available within their local communities. DMHAS is responsible for providing a wide range of services to adults in each of the five human service regions in Connecticut. For assistance in finding services in your area, follow the link to: Finding services in your area. The Commissioner and the DMHAS Executive Group confer with many constituency and stakeholder groups. These include the State Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services, a 40-member advisory group consisting of 15 gubernatorial appointees, the chairperson, one designee each from the 5 Regional Mental Health Boards, and one designee each from the 15 substance abuse Regional Action Councils. For more information on these groups, follow the link to: State Advisory Board.

Member Since: 2013

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	(Date: 12/15/2025)