Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.
health

Support across Region One: HYSB

Local Matters

Support across Region One: HYSB

HYSB clinician Taylor Rousseau works with a young client.

Patrick L. Sullivan

The Housatonic Youth Services Bureau, with offices on the campus of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, provides a wide range of services and programs to all students living in Region One.

In a phone interview Sept. 10, in response to a query about getting a photo of the entire staff, HYSB Executive Director Kelly Parker said that would be difficult to arrange because most of the time the HYSB staff are out at the six K-8 schools or the high school.

HYSB has a total of eight staffers: three full-time clinicians, one part-time art therapist, one part-time prevention coordinator, a finance employee (part-time), an office administrator (part-time) and Parker (full-time).

The clinical staff deals with mental health and behavioral issues such as anxiety and depression, school-based issues such as fighting, and problems students may encounter following a divorce or a death of a parent.

Parker said HYSB typically does not get involved in substance abuse issues, but will make a referral. HYSB works with the McCall Behavioral Health Network on substance abuse matters, thanks to a federal grant.

HYSB also works with the State Police (Troop B) under the aegis of the Juvenile Review Board.

Taylor Rousseau with State Police troopers from Troop B. HYSB works with Troop B on a juvenile diversion program.Patrick L. Sullivan

“It’s a diversion program,” Parker said, aimed at addressing problematic behavior before it gets to court.

Parker said the caseload as of Sept. 10 was 45 students. “That’s typical for the back-to-school period. We’ll probably get 30 referrals in the next couple of weeks.”

The average caseload is 90 clients. If the count gets up to 120, there is a waiting list.

Clinicians will see up to seven students a day, usually at their schools.

HYSB has worked with students at private schools as well.

“For 34 years, we have been honored to serve Region One, growing alongside this incredible community,” said Parker. “As a trusted partner to schools, students, and families, we are proud to continue providing services that support and strengthen the next generation.”

Patrick L. Sullivan
Senior Reporter
Patrick Sullivan has been a reporter for The Lakeville Journal since 2004, covering everything from town meetings to local characters and the outdoors. He grew up in Northern Virginia but spent summers on Mount Riga in Salisbury, giving him a lifelong connection to the Northwest Corner. A graduate of Denison University, Patrick is also the author of Tangled Lines, the newspapers’ popular fly-fishing column—making The Lakeville Journal, as far as anyone knows, the only newspaper in Connecticut with a regular fly-fishing columnist. He once received a fan letter from England, which he considers sufficient evidence that his work has achieved international acclaim.
health

Latest News

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

This Week

As summer comes to an end and the days begin to get a little cooler, signs of fall are starting to appear all around us. The leaves are beginning to change, the evenings are getting shorter, and a new season of activities and traditions is just around the corner.

Keep ReadingShow less

$5,000

$5,000

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Put $1M to work for housing affordability

If I had $1 million to improve housing affordability in Litchfield County, I would create a revolving Housing Opportunity Fund. Instead of spending the entire amount on one or two homes, I would use it to help local housing trusts acquire land or properties, provide down-payment assistance for qualified buyers, convert appropriate existing buildings into housing, and help cover some of the upfront costs that can prevent good housing projects from ever getting started.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Turning Back the Pages - September 17, 2026

Turning Back the Pages - September 17, 2026

125 years ago — September 1901

LIME ROCK — Matthew Patterson recently received a silver medal from the Canadian government as a token of his services during the Fenian raid in ‘71. The medal is suitably inscribed and is considerably heavier than a silver dollar. It depends from a silk tri-color and pin, and altogether makes a very neat souvenir.

Keep ReadingShow less

Voices from our community about the housing we need for a healthy, vibrant future

Voices from our community about the housing we need for a healthy, vibrant future

Jordan Seibert and Riley Bossi

Shelly Dinelle

There’s a reason people say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” To thrive, a child needs a safe, stable place to call home. That’s the bedrock for health, dignity, and the chance to build a bright future. What kind of “village” does it take to create these homes?

Motivated by compassion and a drive to make housing more accessible, it took the Foundation for Norfolk Living years of hard work to create ten affordable homes at Haystack Woods. The “village” turned out to be a patchwork of support that included financial help from the DOH, a construction mortgage through Northwest Community Bank, and a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the property and pay for the road and infrastructure. The result? Two- and three-bedroom homes reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 60-80% of Litchfield County’s median income, and selling for $159,000 to $261,000. The condominium homes are deed-restricted and net-zero thanks to energy-efficient construction, solar panels, and battery storage, meaning the homebuyers will have no energy costs! Curious? Just Google “Haystack Woods” to learn more. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

Keep ReadingShow less
our housing needs

Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance

Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance

FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen approved a request from the Fire Commission for $113,000 toward a new ambulance scheduled for delivery in November.

The selectmen acted during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14.

Keep ReadingShow less
falls village bos
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.