Community Solutions To Celebrate 60 Years

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

March 17, 2022

Community Solutions Inc., which includes the locally-based youth division LISA, Inc., is offering a virtual open house April 7 in celebration of 60 years.

Community Solutions opened its first halfway house in 1962 on Irving Street in Hartford, originally known as "Connecticut Halfway House Inc." Since then, it has helped hundreds of youths and adults to transform their lives. The organization's adult programs are based in Hartford, Bloomfield and Waterbury. The youth programs, overseen by the LISA, Inc. division, are based in Plainville and Meriden with LISA, Inc.'s offices located in Southington.

Elizabeth Hyatt, director of communication with Community Solutions, said the virtual open house, which will be held April 7 from noon to 1 p.m., will celebrate six decades of service and primarily on the adult programs.

"We did a virtual open house about our youth programs last year," she said. "This open house will help the community to understand the services and programs that we provide for adults. It will also show them ways that they can connect with us to help."

Hyatt said most of the individuals in the adult programs are people leaving incarceration and trying to re-integrate back into the community. Among other things, the programs assist these individuals with finding employment.

Sherry Albert, chief operating officer at Community Solutions, Inc. said that the program, which lasts about four months, helps give a foundation to those coming out from prison who often just have the clothes on their backs.

“We help them to meet their basic needs of food and shelter so they can focus on employment,” she said. “We also help them with developing interview skills and setting goals. These goals could be things like re-uniting their families or addressing addiction or mental health needs and building a treatment program.”

Albert added that the program also helps participants access resources in their communities that they can continue to utilize for supports once they’ve left the program. Additional supports include helping them to save money so that they can afford a car or apartment and “become contributing citizens.”

When Community Solutions was first founded by its first executive director, the late Ralph Cheyney, Hyatt said the idea of transition programs was novel at the time and "created quite a bit of controversy" in the neighborhood.

"Ralph Cheyney and his family lived in the halfway house with our first clients," she said. "He provided stable housing, connections to employment and ongoing support to the people he served. Ralph and the founding Board members also partnered with state government to grow the halfway house model to serve more people by the late 1960’s. The early example they set for us still guides the work we do on a daily basis."

Hyatt said the program on April 7 will honor Cheyney's contributions and explore the residential re-entry programs. It will include a behind the scenes tour of the Cheyney House in Hartford.

"Participants will learn how clients are provided supports and services to help them create a better life for themselves," Hyatt said.

Today, Hyatt said, Community Solutions has more than 60 programs employing nearly 500 staff.

"Our programs moved beyond residential services to include community programs, training, and evidence-based models for youth," she said. "While we have grown considerably over the past 60 years, we remain true to our mission. We will continue to expand our services in the future, but never losing sight of the personal touch that was present in our very first program."

Hyatt said that much of Community Solutions success over the years can be attributed to the support and donations it has received from the communities it serves.

"This support has served as a model for our clients," she said. "Many who have gone through our programs come back and make donations themselves."

To register to receive a link for the virtual open house, email ehyatt@csimail.org.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.