The recovery community has some extremely active young adults in our state providing support and services to peers in their age range. It is estimated that one of every five people between the ages of 18 to 25 are affected by mental illness. Connecticut is extremely fortunate to have some very talented young peers who create resources, educate others and advocate not only for themselves but for people of all ages. This page is specifically for young adult programs and services though the organizations listed here may also have offerings for all age groups.
Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people under the age of 18 (up to 21 years of age in some communities) in need of immediate help and safety. As a collaborative community prevention initiative, Safe Place designates businesses and organizations as Safe Place locations, making help readily available to youth in communities across the country. Safe Place locations include: libraries, YMCAs, fire stations, public buses, various businesses, and social service facilities.
For Connecticut locations click HERE
To use TXT 4 HELP, text the word “safe” and your current location (city/state/zip) to 4HELP (44357).
If you believe your are danger, get to a safe location and call or text 911 immediately!
Help and resources for: Abuse, Anxiety & Stress, Body Awareness, Bullying, Drugs & Alcohol, Eating Disorders, Homeless Youth, Human Trafficking, LGBTQ, Life Changes, Loss & Greif, Pregnancy, Rape, Running Away, Sex, Sexual Assault, STD’s, Suicide Prevention, and Teen Dating Violence.
ALATEEN (AL-ANON for younger members) is a worldwide organization that offers a program of help and mutual support for families and friends of someone with a drinking problem whether or not the person with a drinking problem seeks help or even recognizes the existence of a drinking problem. Participants in ALATEEN give and receive comfort and understanding through a mutual exchange of experience, strength and hope, and learn how the principles of the AL-ANON program can be applied to their own lives.
Alateen must have consent form and notarized medical form filled out by parent/guardian and presented at the Alateen registration desk.
Alateen Form Required for Convention Attendance.
Locations: Statewide Access
Bridges is unique in its ability to offer care and treatment for the whole family, children and adults, in the same location, which can make it easier to access services and afford better outcomes for all. As the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority for Milford, Orange and West Haven, Bridges offers recovery-focused services to support individuals with severe and prolonged mental illness and addiction problems. Several of our programs extend to serve residents of the surrounding communities of Ansonia, Bethany, Derby, Seymour, Shelton, and Woodbridge.
Location: Milford, CT
Capitol Region Mental Health Center (CRMHC): is a community based mental health center, operated by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, which provides an array of innovative clinical and community support services to individuals with a psychiatric disability, in many cases with co-occurring problems of substance abuse. Our mission is to partner with persons in recovery to ensure access to high quality and culturally competent person-centered behavioral healthcare services.
Location: Hartford, CT
Causeway Collaborative: we are deeply committed to helping young men who are struggling and stuck. Our pragmatic, multi-disciplinary approach, built on a foundation of care, trust, and mutual respect, re-engages young men in their lives, and empowers each young man we work with to chart his own course for his future.
Location: Westport, CT
Cheshire Youth Employment Services: The service provides a listing of middle and high school aged young people who are available to do a variety of jobs ranging from babysitting, lawn work, animal care, office work, tutoring, and odd jobs, to employment opportunities with local commercial businesses. Annual sign-ups are conducted at both the middle school and high school in the fall.
Location: Cheshire, CT
Child and Family Guidance Center: Our Mission, We provide children and families with culturally-informed mental health care and complementary supports, regardless of ability to pay.
Location: Bridgeport, Norwalk, & Stratford, CT
Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County: OUR MISSION is to help all children with mental and behavioral health needs achieve emotional stability, academic success, and happy and productive lives.
We are the largest provider of child mental health care in Mid-Fairfield County. Our experienced team of board certified psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical therapists provide individualized, evidence-based treatment services to children struggling with a broad range of mental and behavioral disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and trauma related disorders.
Location: Norwalk, CT
Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut is dedicated to improving the mental and behavioral health of children and teens through treatment, education, and community support. We take pride in meeting and exceeding the standards of excellence in accountability, transparency and good governance.
Locations: Stamford – Greenwich
Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance (CTJJA) :is a team of fiercely dedicated advocates working to ensure the safe, fair, and effective treatment of youth who may become involved in the juvenile justice system.
Location: Statewide
Connecticut Renaissance has provided quality substance abuse and mental health treatment to men, women, and adolescents throughout the state of Connecticut. Through programs run by a compassionate, committed, results-oriented team of counselors, therapists and administrators, Renaissance has earned the reputation as a leader in Evidence-Based Treatment practices, and continues to break new ground in the areas of positive outcomes, outreach, research, and community involvement.
Locations: Several addresses are listed for this organization, since they offer a wide range of services it stands to reason that not all locations offer the same services. Please see their Facilities Page for more information.
Connecticut Voices for Children: Our goal, to reduce the number of children and youth involved in the juvenile justice system — and improve outcomes for children and youth who are involved — through best practices that keep children and youth in school; keep children, youth, schools, and communities safe; address academic, mental health, and behavioral health needs as early as possible; provide children and youth with developmentally-appropriate services; and reduce recidivism.
Location: Statewide
Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) has been helping individuals and families throughout Fairfield County and beyond to realize life’s possibilities. We increase the social and emotional well-being of our clients by providing strength-based, solution-focused services for every stage of life.
Every year, FCA serves more than 13,000 people.
Location: Norwalk, CT
GLSEN, Inc. Connecticut Chapter: Championing LGBTQ issues in K-12 education since 1990
Our mission is to create safe and affirming schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. All of our meetings are at the New Haven Pride Center (NHPC), 84 Orange St., in New Haven and open to the public. However, you can also participate in meetings remotely or virtually via Zoom.
Location: New Haven, CT
Homes with Hope is a Westport-based organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Fairfield County. Incorporated on December 5, 1983, Homes with Hope (formerly the Interfaith Housing Association) opened in 1984 as a homeless shelter for single men, occupying a retired firehouse owned by the Town of Westport. Local religious organizations worked together to create the Interfaith Housing Association in response to an increased number of homeless individuals, primarily men, who were turning to them for aid.
Location: Westport, CT
It Gets Better Project: The It Gets Better Project is a nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe. Growing up isn’t easy, especially when you are trying to affirm and assert your sexual orientation and/or gender identity. It can be a challenging and isolating process – but, the good news is, no one has to do it alone.
Location: Online Resource
Join Rise Be: A statewide, peer-run initiative for young people in Connecticut. We share our experiences to influence change at the local, regional, and state levels. We connect with our peers and community partners to reduce discrimination against young people. We cultivate the belief that recovery is possible and we all have the capacity to achieve success.
Location: New Britain, CT
The Statewide Young Adult Warmline is a phone-based peer support line.
7 Days a Week 12noon – 9PM 1-855-6-467-3669
Kids In Crisis: provides emergency shelter, crisis counseling, and community education programs for children of all ages and families facing crisis. Crisis can can include domestic violence, mental health concerns, homelessness, substance abuse, economic difficulties, and other critical challenges.
The Kids In Crisis Helpline is staffed 24 hours a day with trained Crisis Counselors, and provides free, confidential phone and face-to-face intervention, counseling, and referrals. Since its founding in 1978, Kids In Crisis has provided vital 24-hour services to more than 148,000 children and teens, and their families. Providers, educators, community members, and family members are encouraged to call the 24-hour helpline: 203-661-1911 for support.
Location: Cos Cob, CT
Kids in Crisis – Lighthouse: Lighthouse serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) teens and their allies with a welcoming, safe space weekly meeting.
Lighthouse encourages LGBTQ youth to live their best, healthiest and most authentic lives. Teens can drop in to share life experiences and feelings, socialize, snack, and share common bonds, in Lighthouse’s confidential, non-threatening environment. Lighthouse also hosts guest speakers, trips, barbecues, parties and movie nights. Lighthouse empowers LGBTQ youth to clarify issues, gain skills and resiliency, and envision and seek healthy, productive, and fulfilling adult lives.
LifeBridge Community Services: Helps adults, youths, and families by providing the tools that strengthen their ability to cope, adapt, and overcome challenges. Our comprehensive services support people struggling with personal issues, family challenges, domestic violence, trauma, loss, and unemployment. We operate the only walk-in behavioral health clinic.
Sign Language Interpreting Services based on availability.
Location: Bridgeport, CT
MARY’S PLACE: Grief is a natural reaction to death for children as well as adults. Our purpose is to provide an atmosphere of trust in which children and families who are grieving a death share their experiences, receive support and find comfort. We are able to do this through peer support groups, education and training.
Location: Windsor, CT
New Haven Pride Center: The purpose of New Haven Pride Center, formerly the New Haven Gay and Lesbian Community Center, is to provide educational, cultural and social enrichment for the LGBTQ+ community, its allies, and members, to make a positive contribution to the entire community of Greater New Haven. They offer peer led support groups and have group opportunities for young adults.
Location: New Haven, CT
Newport Academy: is a series of evidence-based healing centers for adolescents and families struggling with mental health issues, eating disorders, and substance abuse.
At the center of a breathtaking 65-acre nature preserve, the Newport Academy East Coast location is surrounded by beautiful foliage, rolling hills, and flowing streams. The Newport Academy CT campus is convenient to both New York City and Connecticut airports, and offers a bucolic setting in which teens can find inner peace and personal healing. Residences are secluded and gender-separate, with comfortable common areas for downtime, group sessions, and relationship building. Separate housing for male and female clients.
Location: Bethlehem, CT
Positive Directions was established in 1971 in Westport, CT as a volunteer effort by recovering alcoholics to support recovery and bring awareness and prevention into school and community programs. The Agency’s mission is to support individuals, families, and communities by providing treatment for mental health and addictive behaviors and prevention programs that build resiliency and life skills in adolescents, adults and families.
Location: Westport, CT
Q+ is grassroots, community-based, youth-led, and volunteer-run. We are a group of teens, young adults, and older adult supporters. We work to create more youth accessible spaces, uplift youth voices, and empower youth. Our overall goal is to create space for queer youth to be authentically and entirely themselves.
River Valley Services (RVS), a community mental health center serving Middlesex County and the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme, is operated by the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). RVS’s goal is to provide the highest quality crisis intervention, case management, and residential and clinical services to adult citizens, 18 years of age and older, who suffer from serious mental disorders and who lack the financial means to secure such services in the private sector.
Location: Middletown, CT
Root Center for Advanced Recovery: provides a continuum of behavioral healthcare services to help individuals struggling with substance use disorders. Counselors work with each patient to develop an individualized recovery plan which is based on the unique strengths, needs, abilities and preferences of each person served. Recovery services include:
Adolescent IOP – Infectious Disease Services – Intensive Outpatient Program – Individual, Group and Family Counseling – Pregnancy Program – Recovery Planning
Locations: Bristol, Hartford, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, New London, Norwich, Torrington & Willimantic, CT
Rushford is one of Connecticut’s leading providers of addiction and mental health treatment programs for teens and adults. We are accredited by the Joint Commission and have received national recognition for our success in delivering high quality prevention and treatment programs. Rushford is a designated Local Mental Health Authority for the Meriden/Middletown region, providing comprehensive services for individuals suffering from serious mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and others.
Locations: Avon, Cheshire, Durham, Glastonbury, Meriden, Middletown, & Portland, CT
Rushford at Stonegate: When your teenage son is struggling with addiction, it can be hard to tell where to turn. Rushford at Stonegate, in Durham, Connecticut, offers residential treatment for boys ages 13 to 18. The program engages even the most resistant teens and helps them focus on their individual strengths and make meaningful life changes.
Location: Durham, CT
Smokefree.gov – SmokefreeTeen: A Web site that helps teens quit smoking. Smokefree Teen is part of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI). The goal of Smokefree Teen is to reduce the number of youth who use tobacco.
Location: Statewide Access
STOMP Out Bullying: is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to changing the culture for all students. It works to reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying and other digital abuse, educates against homophobia, LGBTQ discrimination, racism and hatred, and deters violence in schools, online and in communities across the country. In this diverse world, STOMP Out Bullying promotes civility, inclusion and equality. It teaches effective solutions on how to respond to all forms of bullying, as well as educating kids and teens in school and online. It provides help for those in need and at risk of suicide, and raises awareness through peer mentoring programs in schools, public service announcements by noted celebrities, and social media campaigns.
Location: Online Resource
StopBullying.gov: If you have done everything you can to resolve the situation and nothing has worked, or someone is in immediate danger, there are ways to get help. stopbullying.gov is a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Location: Online Resource
TeenCounseling.com: is an online platform where teens from ages 13-19 can get help from a licensed therapist online.
TeenCounseling.com makes affordable, discreet, professional counseling available through a computer, tablet, or smartphone. All teens can benefit from having a professional counselor at their fingertips to discuss issues such as coping skills, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, depression, bullying, anger, eating disorders or any other mental challenges.
The Cove – Bereavement Support : provides a free 20 week grief support group program for grieving children ages 4-18 years of age and their parent/caregivers. The Cove has 7 satellite sites in CT in West Hartford, East Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, Guilford, Stonington and Easton serving Newtown/Fairfield County. The Cove also partners with The Moyer Foundation to provide Camp Erin CT, a free berevement camp held once a year. Pathways to Healing and Good Grief in Schools are additional resources for young adults ages 18 to 25 and school aged children.
Locations: Guilford – Meridan – New Haven – Stonington – Easton (Serving Newtown/Fairfield County) – East Hartford & West Hartford
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning youth. The Trevor Support Center is a place where LGBTQ youth and their allies can find answers to frequently asked questions, and explore resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity and more! Remember, if you need immediate support or help, Trevor’s counselors are just a phone call, chat, or text away. You are not alone.
TrevorLifeline — A crisis intervention and suicide prevention phone service available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386
TrevorText — Text “START” to 678678. Standard text messaging rates apply. Available 24/7/365.
TrevorSpace — An online international peer-to-peer community for LGBTQ young people and their friends.
Trevor Support Center — Where LGBTQ youth and allies can find answers to FAQs and explore resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity and more.
Location: State Wide Access
Triangle Community Center (TCC) is Fairfield County’s leading provider of programming and resources to nurture growth and connection within the LGBTQ community.
Triangle Community Center serves over 300 individuals who utilize its programs and services on a regular basis as well as over 5000 members of the Fairfield County community who attend a TCC program or event at least once a year. While our primary service area is Fairfield County, we often see people travel from Westchester, New Haven, and Litchfield counties to attend one of the programs we offer. TCC’s key target population is the LGBTQ community in Fairfield County, however, we welcome all who seek our services and have many clients who do not identify as LGBTQ.
Location: Norwalk, CT
TurningPointCT.org is an award-winning online resource, created by and for young people in Connecticut to guide their search for mental wellness. This online peer support community includes a discussion forum, personal stories, media room, Q&A guide, resource map & more.
Location: State Wide Access
Youth Continuum: has worked with the at-risk youth population since its inception. We serve over 1,000 young people annually with comprehensive services for homeless, runaway and at-risk teens and young adults.
Currently, Youth Continuum operates the most extensive homeless youth outreach program in New Haven which includes a street outreach program, an emergency shelter, and a multitude of services at our Drop-In Center and our MacMullen Educational Training and Enrichment Center. In addition, we have a variety of transitional living programs in the greater New Haven region that are available to youth throughout the state. Another part of this continuum includes our therapeutic residences which provide 24-hour programming and serve a wide range of youth within the child welfare, parole, and probation systems.
The Women and Families Center is committed to promoting equity and improving quality of life through services that foster empowerment and independence.
Project REACH: Robyn’s House
Robyn’s House provides short term housing to young people ages 18-22. The program is dedicated to moving young people who are in crisis to a path of self-sufficiency and independent living. We offer young people a second chance at learning and achieving the skills necessary to become self-sustaining young adults who can live independently.
Youth Continuum F.R.E.E: Fostering Responsibility, Education and Employment. The F.R.E.E. program serves justice-involved youth ages 14-20 who are re-entering the community from a Juvenile Justice program. Our F.R.E.E. program is located in New Haven. For more information about referrals or program details, contact our F.R.E.E. Program Coordinator, Patricia Jenkins-Simmons
at (203) 497-0081.
YouthRecoveryCT : If you’re struggling with addictive behavior, you’re not alone. At SMART recovery meetings, you’ll find support and learn tools to put yourself—not your addiction—back at the center of your life. There’s no cost, no pressure, and nothing to lose. Meet people you actually connect with in a Peer Group, and join us for fun, free social events and activities.
Location: See Website – Both in person and Zoom meetings are available.
