Guiding Youth and Families from Crisis to Stability
The Children’s Center of Hamden offers a continuum of behavioral health, psychiatric, and special education services that guide vulnerable youth safely back to their homes, schools, and communities.
Behavioral Health Providers
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Families
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School Districts
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A Coordinated Path Forward
Young people in crisis often move between systems — hospitals, schools, outpatient providers — without a clear bridge between them.
The Children’s Center of Hamden was built to be that bridge.
Our programs are designed as a connected pathway, ensuring youth receive the right level of care at the right time — and the support needed to move forward.
Comprehensive Treatment. Lasting Stability.
When a young person’s needs exceed what can safely be managed at home or in a traditional school setting, structured care is critical.
Our Psychiatric Residential Treatment Program provides 24-hour therapeutic support, psychiatric oversight, and individualized treatment planning in a highly structured, clinically guided setting.
Education Designed for Students Who Need More Support
Whitney Hall School is a state-approved K–12 special education day school for students whose emotional and behavioral challenges have disrupted learning.
With small class sizes, integrated clinical support, and individualized plans aligned to each student’s IEP, students rebuild academic confidence and behavioral skills.
Sustaining Progress. Supporting Recovery. Preventing Crisis.
Every individual’s path to care looks different.
Some families reach out at the first signs of concern. Others are referred through schools, providers, or community partners. Wherever a child begins, the goal is the same: the right support, at the right time.
Our community-based programs provide flexible, trauma-informed care for children, teens, and families — with services that can be accessed directly or as part of a broader treatment plan.
Extended Day Treatment (EDT)
Extended Day Treatment is a six-month, structured outpatient program designed for youth who need more than traditional weekly therapy but do not require residential care.
Through daily therapeutic groups, individualized counseling, and direct collaboration with schools, youth strengthen coping skills, emotional regulation, and behavioral stability. Parent and guardian participation is built into the model — because lasting progress requires family partnership.
Outpatient & Substance Use Treatment
Through our Wakeman Hall Clinic, youth and young adults receive individualized behavioral health and substance use treatment tailored to their needs.
Services include individual and family therapy, medication management, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based substance use treatment for teens and young adults. Our clinical teams work closely with caregivers, schools, and community providers to reduce hospitalization, prevent relapse, and support sustained recovery.