HCC In The News...

Home | Return to News Archives

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
DR. JESSICA WOLF AT 203-332-5169

HCC MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM WINS ACCOLADES, $5,000 AWARD

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Housatonic Community College’s MERGE Mental Health Certificate program has won first place in the national Lilly Reintegration Awards Education category.

The ten-year old program, which promotes the reintegration of individuals with serious mental illness into the community by preparing them for entry-level positions in the mental health field, will receive a $5,000 award. That will be turned over to the Housatonic Community College Foundation, a sister organization, to be used to benefit students who are enrolled in or have graduated from the MERGE program.

“The Lilly Reintegration Awards, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, recognize the outstanding achievements of people and programs that provide necessary support for those with schizophrenia and related disorders and/or bipolar disorders to reintegrate them into their communities,” said Dr. Ralph Aquila, Chairman of the Lilly Reintegration awards. “For your work and dedication, you (Housatonic) have been awarded first place in education.”
Second place in the education competition also went to a Connecticut organization, Laurel House in Stamford, for its supported education program. That program, said Lilly spokesman Della Burns helps people with serious and persistent mental illness to pursue educational opportunities at the college or post-high school technical training level.

Laurel House and HCC’s Merge program were initiatives of the State Department of Mental Health’s Southwest Regional Office. Dr. Jessica Wolf of Fairfield, coordinator of the Housatonic MERGE program, was regional director during that period.

Both HCC and Laurel House were presented the awards in an awards ceremony in New York City October 12.
HCC’s nomination for the award was well supported. Among the 18 testimonials accompanying the application was one from Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Dr. Thomas A. Kirk Jr.

“The MERGE Program has helped to strengthen Connecticut’s behavioral health system by providing a means by which consumers can enter the behavioral health workforce as trained employees,” he said. “This has resulted in tangible benefits to MERGE graduates and to the system as a whole.”

Kirk noted that the MERGE program has produced more than 70 graduates, 75 percent of whom are currently employed in mental health agencies. More than half of the program’s graduates are self-acknowledged mental health consumers.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill- CT nominated the program for the award. President Marilyn Ricci also offered praise for the program. “This program has demonstrated the effectiveness of education as a path to reintegration and employment for individuals with serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorders,” she said.

The 27-credit MERGE program was founded in 1992, a partnership of HCC, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health, and the University of Connecticut. Currently, Norwalk Community College in Norwalk and Capital Community College in Hartford also offer mental health certificate programs.

HCC and Laurel House were chosen from more than 300 applicants for the awards.

With a five-year-old campus in the heart of Connecticut's largest city, Housatonic is one of the region's fastest-growing public community colleges. Since it moved to the new campus in January 1997, HCC's enrollment has increased by 61 percent. According to the most recent statistics released by the Washington D.C.-based American Association of Community Colleges, HCC is the second fastest-growing community college in New England.

In response to increased enrollments and changing workplace needs both regionally and nationally, HCC has increased the number of programs offered from 43 to 66 since moving to the new campus.

HCC is located less than150 yards off I-95 and Rte 8 in downtown Bridgeport.