CCGC’s HISTORY
The Community Child Guidance Clinic’s doors first opened in 1959, after almost a decade of hard work by physicians, clergy, teachers, parents, and community leaders in Manchester and surrounding towns.
At that time, the understanding of the very real need for mental health treatment options for children was starting to grow, however, there was a severe lack of local resources for families in Manchester to access. This forced children and families to travel distances to receive treatment, causing them to leave their schools or homes at times.
In 1954, local health associations decided that there must be a better way for families to access care right in their own community. Something where children could also receive the benefits from all their local supports as well - schools, churches, and health care providers. After vigorous research, and dedicated fundraising and campaigning, CCGC was created to provide a central community resource for children with mental health concerns. This not only included psychiatric care, but also some of the first expanded “welfare departments” in the area, employing social workers to help families access health care and other services.
Over time, CCGC’s staff grew from just four people in 1959 (a psychiatrist, psychiatric social worker, psychologist, and secretary) to the roughly 100 staff employed today (including teachers, licensed professional counselors, and so much more). During the 60s and 70s, additional programs and departments were also added to the clinic’s original offerings, including an early version of the CCGC School, as well as specific teams focused on addressing current community issues and concerns. In fact, our Sexual Abuse Team in the late 70s was one of the first of its time in the area!
From the beginning, CCGC has always strived to provide the most current, effective, and proven techniques that are in touch with the needs of the community. In recent years, these efforts to utilize the best possible contemporary practices has led us to the training in various evidence-based practice models, which use proven techniques to help address specific mental health issues. Now, as throughout our history, CCGC staff represent a wide span of disciplines and clinical interests, and a wide range of mental health and psychiatric needs are met by the programs they provide.
The world of mental health is constantly evolving, and we strive as an organization to adapt and progress in order to best meet the needs of our ever changing world. Our efforts are geared towards excellence in everything we do and we are proud to continue CCGC’s legacy of continuously providing quality mental health care to children in our Connecticut communities.
