SERVING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY SINCE 1968
In collaboration with Oak Hill, Gilead’s newest program, The Bridge, opened it’s doors, July 19, 2024: Staff at The Bridge Program hosted an open house for Gilead and Oak Hill staff and board 
members. Staff members at the program welcomed guests with delicious homemade food and tours of the new living space. The Bridge Program is a collaboration between Gilead and Oak Hill. The program is for individuals with co-occurring mental health challenges and intellectual disabilities. Gilead staff will provide residential services, clinical support, and day-programming while Oak Hill staff will provide nursing and a behavioral specialist. The original name of the program – Community Transitional Residence – was changed to The Bridge Program after a naming contest within the agency. The program will house three clients who will learn the skills to transition into more permanent housing in the community. The new facility is fully furnished with private bedrooms, a new bathroom, laundry facilities, game room, a communal living space, and a new kitchen. This is an exciting new addition to both Gilead and Oak Hill programming and creates a much needed model of care for individuals needing both mental health care and other disability services.
Gilead’s Board Member, Suzanne Gaskell, named a 2023 Connecticut Arts Hero, January 24, 2023: The Connecticut Arts Hero Awards honor and celebrate Connecticut residents who are doing 
inspiring things in, for, or through the arts. Gilead nominated Suzanne for this honor for her advocacy through artistic expression. She is a compassionate and selfless leader in the community who consistently makes meaningful and profound connections between the issues that she is passionate about and the needs within our community. As an art teacher at Daniel Hand High School, Suzanne sought out creative opportunities to blend her passion for art with her compassion and dedication for advancements in the areas of mental health, addiction, and developmental disabilities. Suanne embodies Gilead’s mission, vision and values. Her artwork and vision are gifts to our organization and our community. Click here to read an article in THE DAY about Suzanne and this award.
Oak Hill & Gilead Community Services are seeking proposals for an Electronic Health Record that will meet the needs of each department (Oak Hill Schools, Oak Hill Centers, Oak Hill Community Programs and Gilead Behavioral Health) across both (legally affiliated) organizations. All interested parties are invited to submit proposals. Please click here for Cover Letter and RFP.
Come Together CT fundraiser at Arrigoni Winery, July 15, 2023: Thank you to Consigli Construction Co., Inc. and Brian Santoro for choosing Gilead as the nonprofit recipient of this year’s Come Together CT fundraiser! The evening was full of great food, exciting games, and a lively raffle. It was a treat to meet so many new and existing supporters! Thanks to this event, Gilead received an addition $27,245 to support high-quality mental health and substance use services in our community.
Mental Health Resource Center Open House, July 12, 2023: What a turnout! Over 130+ community members and staff came to the MHRC’S Open House! It was a hot one out there; thankfully, we had cool treats and plenty of food to fuel an afternoon of fun. Thank you to the MHRC’s amazing service navigators for creating thoughtful scenarios and sharing their knowledge and expertise with all of us. What started out as a shared vision between board members Fran Ludwig and Russ Hassmann has come to life and is now providing an invaluable service to our community.
Gilead celebrates Pride Month & Juneteenth, June, 2023: June was a month worth celebrating! Gilead staff and clients spent time learning about and acknowledging both Pride Month and Juneteenth. The Racial Equity Committee and other staff members walked to Main Street, Middletown to watch the city’s first ever Juneteenth parade! Programs celebrated Pride Month at home and in the community with affirming and accepting signs and appearances at Middletown Pride Fest. We are grateful to be part of a community that celebrates progress and inclusivity!
Oak Hill & Gilead Community Services: “The Impact of Affiliation” Mar 28, 2022: Click here to listen to the River’s 105.9 Renee’s interview with Barry Simon, President and CEO of Oak Hill and Dan Osborne, CEO of Gilead chat about our services and affiliation!
A Federal Jury Rules on the Side of Civil Rights, Oct 15, 2021: The Federal Court Case between Gilead and the Town of Cromwell was based on the town’s actions six years ago that caused us to close one of our Cromwell group homes that would have supported six men with mental health disabilities transition to independent living in the community. Those six men wanted what we all want, to be good neighbors and to have good neighbors as they strived to overcome challenges in their lives and experience the fullness that life in our diverse communities has to offer. Sadly, concerned neighbors, town officials, stigma and prejudice took over back in 2015 in the form of a concerted campaign to prevent these people with mental health disabilities from realizing their dreams to live in the community!
State Supreme Court Upholds Charitable Property Tax Exemption Sept 1, 2021: The Connecticut State Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion stating that Gilead’s mental health group home was improperly denied tax exempt status in the Town of Cromwell.
Many tax assessors have claimed that any residential program in which people live for more than six months does not constitute “temporary housing,” and is not tax exempt. Using this argument, assessors have denied the tax exemption applications of dozens of nonprofit organizations across Connecticut. The Court expressly disagreed, and instead said the durational limit to whether housing is “temporary” — and thus tax-exempt — was based on the needs of each nonprofit program and the people they serve.
Gilead Community Services and Oak Hill have dedicated significant resources to defend this appeal, as well as a dozen other nonprofits who have filed similar cases in Superior Court. The Court’s clear ruling has hopefully settled this particular issue surrounding residential services.
Echo of pandemic isolation continues to impact addiction crisis in Connecticut, July 2021: Isolation post-pandemic continues to be a set back for Connecticut residents struggling with addiction. In June, the Connecticut Department of Public Health reported the number of overdoses in the first three months of 2021 are higher than the same period in 2019-2020.
“Addiction is a disease of isolation and recovery is a program of connection,” said Daniel Millstein, Director of Addiction Services. Read More from Fox61 and how Gilead’s Farrell Treatment Center have increased their treatment options to combat the tremendous increase in substance abuse post-pandemic.
Cities of Peace Illuminated and The Breathing Project Inspired an Artwork Honoring Gilead Community Services: In August of 2018, a group from Gilead’s Social Club accompanied Suzanne Gaskell, Board Member, on a field trip to Old Lyme. The highlight of the morning was the Cities of Peace Illuminated exhibition at Lyme Arts Academy. The power of the works was immediately experienced. A collective “Wow” and “Oh, how beautiful!” filled the otherwise quiet gallery, as the group took in the beauty of the collection of multilayered, gold illuminated paintings replete with cultural symbols, quotes and maps. Equally beautiful, was the belief in the transformative power of human creativity, to help heal trauma that made the work possible. Artist and visionary, Ellen Frank, directed and collaborated with students, scholars and artists from 33 countries to create a suite of paintings honoring cities imperiled by conflict. Read the full story in our newsletter.
To learn more about the Cities of Peace Illuminated and The Breathing Project 2020 visit: https://www.citiesofpeace.org
Gilead named as Nonprofit of the Year by the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, Feb. 2021: The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is an amazing and special business organization that serves as the voice of the business community in Middlesex County as well as many surrounding towns. Larry McHugh and his team run the strongest and most influential Chambers of Commerce in New England (and beyond!) and they are a trusted and valued partner to businesses of all sizes! Thank you to the amazing team at our Chamber who support our community in so many ways and who have been a great support to me over the last several years. We are grateful for the work they do to help make Middlesex County the greatest place to live and work in Connecticut!
Check out this wonderful article that highlight’s this year’s recipients of the Chamber’s small business awards, including Gilead Community Services!
Gilead Granted $50,000 for Mental Health Resource Center, June 8, 2020: The Cigna Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Gilead Community Services for the creation and operation of a Mental Health Resource Center (MHRC). The Center will provide an array of mental health services to people in need of help who need guidance when facing a mental health issue.
“This money will go a long way toward our goal of a centralized service for an individual or family facing a mental health crisis,” said Gilead CEO Dan Osborne. “Navigating the service system for mental health can be confusing and challenging. The Mental Health Resource Center will be a starting point and an ongoing resource for those people.”
There are 48 million U.S. adults living with mental illness and a full 60% don’t receive the services they need because of the unique needs of each individual and a complex service system.
Gilead’s mission is to empower personal growth, independence and recovery through improved mental health, physical well-being and community integration. This new service, a centralized, Mental Health Resource Center, staffed with a full-time Service Navigator, will serve as a breakthrough system to allow individuals unfamiliar with the system to find the help they need.
The Cigna Foundation awarded the grant because the MHRC provides a unique service that fulfills a need that has not been previously met.
“The health care system can be confusing and hard to navigate, so it’s absolutely essential that we try to make it easier for people to get connected to the care they need, especially people who are facing a mental health crisis. That’s why Gilead’s Mental Health Resource Center is so important and so deserving of the Cigna Foundation’s financial support,” said Wendy Sherry, president of Cigna’s Connecticut market.
The MHRC will provide various complimentary services, including case management, benefits counseling, family supports, stress reduction & wellness programs, educational events and trainings. Through outreach and engagement, Gilead hopes to impact at least 150 individuals in its first year and will use quality assurance and data management systems to measure our success.
The MHRC will expand Gilead’s reach to the broader community, helping more members overcome barriers and challenges, and improve their quality of life. Gilead envisions a future where a mental illness is as understood, and appropriately addressed, as any other chronic illness—free from stigma, surrounded by support and full of hope.
ART for SOCIAL CHANGE – Daniel Hand High School Partners with Gilead Community Services, March 2, 2020: Inspired by the work of Abby Carter, whose powerful portraits of patrons at the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, put a face on the struggles of the poor and homeless in Middletown, students at Daniel Hand High School in Madison began a portrait drawing project with the hopes of raising awareness and advocating legislative action for quality mental health care.
Thanks to Patti Burke, Gilead staff and clients graciously agreed to have their portraits drawn. The positive work that Gilead is doing was highlighted in class but, as the project evolved, discussions were had about the societal prevalence of mental illness and substance abuse; no one is immune. The conversation quickly turned to mental health and teens. Some students decided to put their face on the issue. The statistics are staggering; according to the National Institute of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents, age 13-18, will experience an anxiety disorder. Hospital admissions for suicidal teens doubled in the last decade. The National Education Association recently published an article that cited the following alarming data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: One in six high school students reported “seriously considering suicide” in 2017. That statistic included one in four girls and nearly half of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students.
While we have much work to do, to insure that quality mental health care is accessible to all, I’m encouraged that students are talking about the issue. Talking openly about mental illness removes the shame or embarrassment that prevents many from seeking help, for themselves or a loved one. The other lesson in this project is about the Power of Art to effect positive change.
Students are paying attention. Their conversations about social issues and the passion with which the students have engaged in this art project has reaffirmed my optimism about the future and the belief that “Art can change people and people change the world,” attributed to musician John Butler.
*Thank you to Board Member, Suzanne Gaskell for spearheading and coordinating this project!
Gilead Gladiators Success – August 2019. Congratulations to the Gilead Gladiators softball team on their recent win over New Haven, the strongest team in the league!
Tom Harrison, Gladiator Head Coach and ACT Engagement Specialist, gives us his post game report: “Gladiators started off with an early lead of 4-0 in the 1st inning. New Haven made a little come back with three runs in the 2nd and eventually took the lead in the 3rd inning. The Gladiators battled back and took the lead in the 5th, making it 9-8. New Haven had the bases loaded with one out but the Gladiators hung on with a game ending double play! We had a total of 
three double plays and one home run.”
The Gladiators generally play every Thursday in August and September. Contact Tom at tharrison@gileadcs.org for game schedule and more information.
Gilead’s Social Club Celebrates PRIDE Month – June 28, 2019. In conjunction with the City of Middletown’s PRIDE parade on Saturday, June 22nd, Gilead coordinated with Melissa Cordner from True Colors CT, answered questions from clients and discussed topics such as: what LGBTQ stands for; expressing your sexuality, human and civil rights; and how to be an ally of people in the LGBTQ+ community. “The bottom line is to respect people and just be nice to each other,” she told the group.
Bill Urich, a member of the International PRIDE Movement and ACT Team Recovery Specialist Case Manager, talked about the history of the movement and why we celebrate PRIDE month. Bill provided us with a beautiful montage of posters and information that gave us a feeling for the entire movement (50-year anniversary on June 28!), and helped us understand the history of the LGBTQ+ persons internationally. Attendees enjoyed the presentation, along with lunch and rainbow cake, and ended the day posing under the flag that proudly hung from the Social Rehab Center!
Gilead Marches in Memorial Day Parade – May 27, 2019. Staff, clients, board members and volunteers came out to represent Gilead at Middletown’s Memorial Day parade. This was the second year Gilead marched in the parade. There were a lot of cheers of support along the route. Gilead felt truly loved!
Nonprofit Candidate Forum – September 27, 2018: Over 100 people attended this event that featured about 20 legislative candidates legislative candidates! This is by far the largest candidate/legislator turnout that we have ever had. Thank you to the event sponsors: MARC Community Resources, Kuhn Employment Opportunities, Middlesex Community College and Keep the Promise Coalition for their generous contribution to our event breakfast! We wish everyone the best of luck in the upcoming elections and encourage all constituents to register to vote! Register here: https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do
Exciting Survey Results – June 2018: Gilead Client’s Overall Average Satisfaction this year was 86% agency-wide – the highest level of satisfaction in five years! This is the fourth year in a row total overall satisfaction has increased. The highest levels of satisfaction, agency-wide, was in the areas of: Access; Participation in Treatment; Quality & Appropriateness; Satisfaction with Services; and Respecting Wishes with Family Involvement – all with an 89% to 91% satisfaction level. 96% of clients reported that “staff here believes that I can grow, change and recover.” 90% of clients deal more effectively with their daily problems and 85% feel that the quality of their lives is better this year than it was last year. Gilead is proud and thankful to all our staff for the great work they do every day and to all the clients that work hard day in and day out to improve their lives!
Liberty Bell Award – May 2018: Congratulations to 
our very own Gary Wallace, who was recognized by the Connecticut Bar Association for his exceptional work as a Middletown Police Officer. He was presented with the Liberty Bell Award for his presence as an outstanding representation of the Connecticut law and justice system. This award is given to an individual in a legal profession, who is not a lawyer, and is committed to bolstering relationships between the community and other law and justice officials. In addition to being a valued member of the Gilead Board of Directors, Gary is involved with a number of other local organizations and initiatives.
Gilead spends Hill Day at the Capitol – April 2018: 
Gilead CEO Dan Osborne visited Washington D.C. last week to advocate for non-profits and mental health organizations. Dan and 12 colleagues from the CT Nonprofit Alliance were participating in “Hill Day,” an advocacy event coordinated by the National Council for Behavioral Health. On Hill Day, leaders from the state level meet with Federal Delegation to communicate legislative priorities. Dan reported, “This year, I was fortunate to be able to meet with Connecticut’s Federal Delegation including multiple staff members as well as legislators (including Representative Joe Courtney, pictured).”A take-away from Hill Day that Dan would like all of us to reflect on is the importance of being an advocate. “While political advocacy can often feel like a daunting task,” he says, “it is rewarding to see the change that all of us can make when we take steps to advocate for what we believe in. This year, we learned that several of Connecticut’s leaders in Washington have co-sponsored bills that we urged them to get involved in last year when we attended Hill Day, 2017! Based on support from the Connecticut delegation, these bills now have the chance to move forward and generate additional funding and favorable legislation that will help us significantly back home in CT.”
Gilead appreciates the partnership we have with Genoa Healthcare! Check out their new branding video to learn more about all the services they offer.
Mental health issues affect everyone, not just those struggling with these challenges. Just ask Cathy and Jim Probolus of Portland, CT. The Probolus’s are long-time supporters of and volunteers for Gilead. When their nephew, Daniel Howe, passed away, they established the Daniel G. Howe Memorial Fund for Gilead Community Services. This endowed fund will help Gilead meet the needs of our clients and their families for years to come and honors the life’s work of an inspiring individual. Read more.
Gilead and Oak Hill unite to build a new model of care – November 7, 2016. Oak Hill and Gilead Community Services are pleased to announce a new affiliation, which brings together two strong organizations with an innovative vision. Gilead, a leading regional private provider of mental health services, is joining forces with Oak Hill, the state’s largest private provider of services for people with disabilities. Recognizing that many individuals in both organizations live with both mental health needs and physical disabilities, Gilead and Oak Hill will work to build a new model of integrated care that meets the unique needs of each individual served. Read more.
Community Citizen Excellence – May 2016. Gilead was honored to present our Community Citizen Excellence Award to Laura Janik and Linda DeLillo, sisters of long-time Community Apartment Program (SCAP) resident, John. Loved by all for his generosity and good spirits, John’s family grew to be like a family to others who lived at SCAP, as well as staff. Sadly, both John and his father passed away within months of each other. Though grief stricken, Linda and Laura continued to show care and concern for the clients and staff. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May, family and friends gathered under the pergola donated by Laura and Linda to celebrate John’s life. In addition, the family donated funds for a rocking chair in memory of another client that had recently passed away. With their unflagging compassion and commitment, Laura and Linda embody Gilead’s mission of Improving Lives and Building Futures.
Chester Elementary’s Kindness – Feb. 25, 2015. Gateway Community Treatment Team in Chester welcomed students from Chester Elementary School’s Interact Club Junior/Student Council recently when they delivered items for the clients. The students collected several bins at school for Gateway club members. Clients and students enjoy cookies and juice before the bus takes them back to school. Thank you Chester Elementary School for your kindness and generosity!
Voices in the Dark – May 20, 2015. New network aids perceptual and auditory hallucination sufferers. Nathan started hearing voices when he was 16. Alan’s began much earlier, when he was 6, and Sandy’s started after a psychotic breakdown as a young adult.
Get inspired! There are so many ways to get involved with Gilead.
We invite you to participate in one or more of our annual events. Thank you to all the individuals and businesses that support our mission throughout the year.
Team Gilead Move for Every 1
The Move for Every 1 road race event happens every Spring (typically the second Sunday in April)! Check out the event page for more info!
Gilead Gratitude Gathering
Every summer Gilead recognizes our supporters, donors and volunteers who are committed to improving lives and building futures of the people we serve with this special event. For more information, click here.
Matching Campaign
Each May, stakeholders step forward and offer a dollar-for-dollar match of all donations we receive during the month of May, Mental Health Awareness Month. Your donation made during the month of May and June will be doubled! For more information, click here.
Quizine for a Cause
Quizine is a night of cuisine, trivia, and fundraising. Guests begin the evening with dinner at a local home or restaurant and then gather all together at Wesleyan University for client stories, homemade desserts, wine and beer tasting, teacup raffle, live auction, and trivia quizzes. To join in the fun, click here.
Annual Appeal
Gilead’s need for your support remains steady, year-to-year, because the needs of the individuals we treat are constant and enduring. For that reason, every December we make a special appeal to ensure client needs are met.
Gilead Community Services has so many wonderful stories to tell.
Since 1968, Gilead Community Services has provided housing, support services and clinical treatment for individuals with mental illness throughout Middlesex County. We provide services that foster recovery including general psychiatry and therapy for individuals and families as well as more intensive case management and residential programs.
Interested in scheduling an interview or learning more about Gilead Community Services, contact:
Dan Osborne, CEO
Phone at 860-343-5300, ext. 3412.
