Many at Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) support a variety of causes in the New Haven community and beyond, whether through volunteering their time, participating in fundraising teams, or making individual monetary donations. Others coordinate efforts to support local children and families through the center, such as toy and supply drives.
YCSC Chair Linda Mayes, MD, recently shared a message with faculty, staff, and trainees at the center, which serves as the Department of Child Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine (YSM). She began, “With Thanksgiving and the winter holidays around the corner, we are entering a season marked by giving and service—yet these are year-round endeavors for members of our compassionate YCSC community.”
She notes that she had heard from many across the department wanting to support local children and families facing an interruption in food benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the government shutdown this fall. YCSC Assistant Clinical Professor Bridget Torres, LCSW, responded to this concern by organizing a fundraising team through Connecticut Foodshare, which purchases food to distribute to pantries across the state.
“This type of initiative is a hallmark of our community,” says Mayes, continuing, “We have many faculty, staff, and trainees directly providing families with basic needs on a daily basis.” This includes the center's Someone Cares Closet (SCC), a project launched in 2022 by YCSC Assistant Clinical Professor Carolina Parrott, LCSW, in collaboration with Claire Criscuolo, RN, of Claire’s Corner Copia. The SCC team collects and distributes personal care and cleaning products for children and families in need who receive services at YCSC.
“Food security is of great importance for the families that we serve,” Torres comments, “So often, emotional safety and stability start when basic needs are addressed. This is why the work of Someone Cares Closet is so impactful. Our clinicians also support families in accessing basic needs in many other ways—in the clinic by gathering and referring to resources, and in the community by linking families directly to resources, including bringing them to food pantries.”
Over the years, YCSC community members have also participated in events including the Closer to Free Ride and IRIS Run for Refugees, along with efforts to support Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, and other organizations. Each December, many contribute to a holiday gift drive organized by YCSC Research Associate Kathy Armstrong, which benefits patients in the Children’s Psychiatric Inpatient Service at Yale New Haven Hospital.
“Truly, our department consists of a compassionate community of givers—I am proud of this fact, and I am grateful to you all for caring,” writes Mayes. YCSC Assistant Clinical Professor Tara Davila, LCSW, who serves as the department’s vice chair for collaborative excellence, comments, “Supporting our local community is so important, and Bridget found a way to make it easier to come together to support families through this current challenge.”
Davila notes that this type of coordinated effort is another way for members of the department to support and care for those in the local community, which aligns with one of the areas of focus for collaborative excellence at YSM. The center’s website highlights this commitment within the department and across the broader community of children and families served, with a focus on care that supports health and well-being in communities locally, nationally, and globally.