New light is shining on people battling depression, as the Hispanic Clinic of the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) has found a new home.
The clinic has moved from Long Wharf Drive to a renovated space right at CMHC on Park Street. An official opening took place Friday afternoon.
The relocated and renovated Hispanic Clinic has about the same amount of space as its former location. But with all the windows in the new place, the director says, “It’s psychically bigger. And all the light has an impact on depression.”
Not a bad thing for a place providing mental health and addiction services to a population of low-income Spanish-speaking clients, including the homeless. All the staff is bilingual.
The clinic, now attached to its “parent” CMHC on Park Street hard by Yale-New Haven Hospital, is a collaboration between the city, the state and Yale University School of Medicine. The $13 million renovation was funded by $5 million in state dollars and $8 million from Yale University. A $6 million addition of research space coming in the future will be funded entirely by Yale.
The clinic actually opened back in November, but the celebration on Friday afternoon brought together key players: Mayor John DeStefano, Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, Yale President Rick Levin, Yale Medical School Dean Robert Alperin, Commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Tom Kirk and CHMC Director Shelby Jacobs. State Sen. Toni Harp and four of New Haven’s state House delegation were there, including State Rep. Pat Dillon, whom Shelby hailed as the “patron saint” of the clinic for her efforts pushing the project through the General Assembly.
A tour of the new facility revealed big windows, where the brilliant sun reflecting off the snow poured in light. Different sections are painted in attractive hues of gold, salmon and avocado (definitely not “institutional green”). Clinic director Dr. Luis Anez explained that there’ll be no increase in staff, nor expansion of the space for treating patients beyond what existed at Long Wharf, but said the space configuration is better. Just bringing patients into the main clinic building provides an emotional connection as well as practical opportunities for them to participate in research projects.