2 0 2 5 C A L E N D A R & 2 0 2 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T
A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
D e a r S u p p o r t e r s , P a r t n e r s , a n d F r i e n d s ,
A s w e c l o s e a n o t h e r y e a r a t T h e C o n n e c t i c u t W o m e n ' s C o n s o r t i u m , I a m f i l l e d w i t h g r a t i t u d e
a n d h o p e . T h i s p a s t y e a r h a s b e e n a t r a n s f o r m a t i v e j o u r n e y f o r o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n , m a r k e d b y
c h a n g e , r e s i l i e n c e , g r o w t h , a n d a r e n e w e d c o m m i t m e n t t o o u r m i s s i o n .
T h r o u g h o u t 2 0 2 4 , w e c o n t i n u e d t o c h a m p i o n t r a i n i n g s a n d c o n f e r e n c e s f o c u s e d o n h o l i s t i c ,
t r a u m a - i n f o r m e d , a n d g e n d e r - r e s p o n s i v e c a r e , b r i n g i n g i n n e w , d i v e r s e t r a i n e r s . I n r e s p o n s e t o
o u r c u s t o m e r s ’ f e e d b a c k , w e d e v e l o p e d a s y s t e m t o o f f e r s o m e o f o u r t r a i n i n g s i n a h y b r i d
f o r m a t t o m e e t t h e n e e d s o f t h o s e e x c i t e d t o r e t u r n t o i n - p e r s o n t r a i n i n g s w h i l e a l s o h o n o r i n g
t h o s e w h o n e e d o r d e s i r e r e m o t e o f f e r i n g s . T h e f e e d b a c k f r o m p a r t i c i p a n t s h a s b e e n
o v e r w h e l m i n g l y p o s i t i v e a n d w e a r e e x c i t e d t o c o n t i n u e t h i s t r e n d i n 2 0 2 5 . W e s t r i v e t o e n s u r e
t h a t o u r t r a i n i n g s a n d p r o g r a m s a r e i n c l u s i v e a n d r e f l e c t i v e o f t h e d i v e r s i t y w i t h i n t h e
e x p e r i e n c e s o f o u r p a r t i c i p a n t s , t h o s e t h e y s e r v e , a n d o u r c o m m u n i t y a t l a r g e .
H i g h l i g h t s f r o m t h i s p a s t y e a r i n c l u d e t h e r e t u r n o f t h e H o l i s t i c H e a l i n g a n d R e c o v e r y T h r o u g h I n t e g r a t i v e M e d i c i n e
C o n f e r e n c e , w h i c h s h o w c a s e d a k e y n o t e a d d r e s s a n d b r e a k o u t s e s s i o n s l e d b y l o c a l C o n n e c t i c u t t a l e n t . A t t e n d e e s
a l s o h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o e x p l o r e a h e a l i n g a r t s s p a c e , o f f e r i n g a v a r i e t y o f h e a l i n g m o d a l i t i e s p r o v i d e d b y l o c a l
C o n n e c t i c u t p r a c t i t i o n e r s . T h e C o n s o r t i u m h o s t e d a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l W o m e n ’ s D a y e v e n t t h a t c e l e b r a t e d e m p o w e r e d
h e a l t h c a r e d e c i s i o n s w i t h s o m e c o m p e l l i n g s t o r i e s b y w o m e n a n d n o n b i n a r y f o l k s f r o m s u r r o u n d i n g C o n n e c t i c u t
c o m m u n i t i e s . I n O c t o b e r , w e h o s t e d t h e 3 r d B i e n n i a l T r a u m a a n d R e c o v e r y C o n f e r e n c e a t t h e D o u b l e T r e e H o t e l i n
B r i s t o l , C T . T h e 2 - d a y c o n f e r e n c e w a s a h u g e s u c c e s s w i t h i n s p i r i n g k e y n o t e a d d r e s s e s f r o m i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r e s e n t e r s ,
v a r i o u s b r e a k o u t p r e s e n t a t i o n s f r o m C o n n e c t i c u t - b a s e d e x p e r t s , l o c a l v e n d o r s , a n d a h e a l i n g a r t s s p a c e . W e h a v e
a d d e d s e v e r a l n e w t r a i n i n g s t o o u r o n - d e m a n d c a t a l o g a n d l o o k f o r w a r d t o c o n t i n u i n g t o e x p a n d o u r o f f e r i n g s .
A s w e l o o k a h e a d t o 2 0 2 5 , w e r e m a i n c o m m i t t e d t o o u r v i s i o n o f a b e h a v i o r a l h e a l t h c a r e s y s t e m t h a t i s n o t o n l y e f f e c t i v e , b u t a l s o c o m p a s s i o n a t e a n d i n c l u s i v e . W e w i l l c o n t i n u e t o a d v o c a t e f o r p o l i c i e s s u p p o r t i n g w o m e n ’ s m e n t a l h e a l t h a n d p u s h f o r i m p l e m e n t i n g b e s t p r a c t i c e s t h a t r e f l e c t o u r h o l i s t i c a p p r o a c h .
I a m v e r y p r o u d o f o u r d e d i c a t e d s t a f f w h o w o r k v e r y h a r d t o d e l i v e r q u a l i t y t r a i n i n g s a n d p r o g r a m s . T h e y a r e a
y o u n g a n d p a s s i o n a t e t e a m , w o r k i n g h a r d b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s t o e n s u r e o u r c u s t o m e r s g e t t h e v e r y b e s t . I e x t e n d m y h e a r t f e l t g r a t i t u d e t o o u r d e d i c a t e d p a r t n e r s , o u r c o m m i t t e d b o a r d m e m b e r s , a n d o u r g e n e r o u s d o n o r s . Y o u r
u n w a v e r i n g c o m m i t m e n t t o o u r m i s s i o n i n s p i r e s u s e v e r y d a y . I i n v i t e y o u t o j o i n u s a s w e e m b a r k o n a n o t h e r y e a r o f e d u c a t i o n , a d v o c a c y , a n d m e a n i n g f u l c h a n g e f o r c o m m u n i t i e s i n C o n n e c t i c u t .
T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r c o n t i n u e d s u p p o r t . W e c a n ’ t d o i t w i t h o u t y o u . T o g e t h e r , w e l o o k f o r w a r d t o c r e a t i n g a b r i g h t e r
f u t u r e f o r w o m e n i n C o n n e c t i c u t a n d b e y o n d .
W a r m r e g a r d s ,
A l i c i a F e l l e r , L C S W
E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
MISSION
The mission of the Connecticut Women’s Consortium is to ensure that the behavioral health system responds to the needs of women and the people and organizations that affect them.
VISION
We envision a behavioral health care system that is accessible and effective, while practicing holistic, trauma-informed and gender-responsive care. We work collaboratively with nonprofits, state departments, and direct service providers to promote environments both within and beyond the behavioral health field that are safe, trustworthy, collaborative and empowering for all.
MISSION MOMENT
“I am a super fan of your organization. The one benefit that the pandemic gave us was the ability to attend trainings in other states when flying out was cost prohibitive. I was at a different organization for 12 years and have attended several trainings with y 'all. Thank you for offering the opportunities to help clinicians help clients.” - Peter
CATALOG TRAININGS
69 Total Live Trainings (hybrid, virtual, & on-site)
1,925 Participants 3 Training Formats (hybrid, virtual, & on-site)
TRAINING TOPICS
Cultural Competency
Integrated Health
Trauma Treatment
Clinical Skills
Children & Families
Leadership Development
Professional Development
Veterans Services
“The training was excellent. Catharine is extremely knowledgeable and engaging. I particularly liked the end of the training talking about practical applications for the information shared.” - Perinatal Mental Health Training Participant
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Three Kings Day
GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY
Students from Squash Haven smile with school supplies generously donated by The Connecticut Women’s Consortium and our participants. We are proud to support local youth and remain committed to giving back to our community through initiatives that empower and uplift. Together, we’re building a brighter future for the next generation!
February 2025
Presidents’ Day
Groundhog Day
Valentine’s Day
Start of Ramadan
PRIVATE TRAININGS
At the Connecticut Women’s Consortium, we are committed to elevating your team’s expertise with impactful, convenient training solutions tailored for behavioral health professionals. Imagine high-quality, evidence-based education brought directly to your organization, saving you the time and cost of off-site travel. Our private training options are designed to meet your unique needs, whether you choose one of our established courses or collaborate with us to develop a customized program just for you. From trauma-informed care to gender-responsive approaches, our expert-led sessions can be tailored to address the specific challenges and goals of your team. Elevate your staff’s skills and inspire meaningful change within your organization reach out to explore the possibilities of our private training today.
10 organizations
18 Private Trainings
459 Participants
ON-DEMAND TRAININGS
1,473 Participants
62 Courses
Gender Equality Month, International Women’s Day, Social Work Month, Self-Injury Awareness Month
International Women’s Day
World Social Work Day
St. Patrick’s Day
Eid al-Fitr
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICES (DMHAS)
1,100 + Participants
In 2024, we continued our close partnership with the CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), collaborating with them to program, produce, and host 5 conferences and dozens of training workshops on a variety of subjects to state employees and DMHAS-affiliated non-profit organizations through federally-funded initiatives.
2024 DMHAS Highlights
3rd Annual LGBTQIA+ Conference: Continuing Conversations Across the LGBTQIA+ Continuum 6th Annual Women’s Services Conference: Nurturing Hope, Recovery, and Resilience
Collaborated on toolkit and implementation for Managing Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in CT Nursing Homes
Hosted 2 conferences on acquired brain injury (ABI); one for survivors and family/caregivers, one for professionals
Offered a popular, new hoarding disorder training, Buried in Treasures presented by David Tolin, PhD, ABPP
Hosted a DMHAS film series beginning with Moving America’s Soul on Suicide
Offered training for 2 cohorts on NADA Auricular Acupuncture Detox Protocol
L to R, top to bottom: Charles Hawthorne, MPH, Kevin & Kaitlyn Pearce, and a panel from the Women’s Services Conference.
April 2025
KIND WORDS FROM OUR TRAINER
“I met staff from CWC last year at the NASW summit, and from that time meeting them until now, it has been an amazing experience to say the least. The entire team at The Women’s Consortium has just been a joy to work with. I have never taught a CE accredited course before and the amount of belief and faith that the team put in me that I was going to do a good job and be successful and the confidence that the course that I was teaching was also a course that people wanted and needed to hear about made me feel so empowered to go up there last week and crush it. To say that I was nervous would have been an understatement, but again the amount of confidence that the team placed into me took all the butterflies away. This was an amazing experience, and quite honestly I can’t wait until the next one. Thank you all for this opportunity. I appreciate each and everyone of you. Thank you.” - E-mail received from a trainer
May 2025
Mental Health Month, National Women’s Health Week, Prevention Week, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month
Mother’s Day
Memorial Day
Armed Forces Day
TRAUMA AND GENDER (TAG) LEARNING COLLABORATIVE
e f f o r t w o r k s
a c k n o w l e d g i n g t h e u n i q u e w a y s g e n d e r i n f l u e n c e s t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e s .
P a s t T A G m e e t i n g s a r e a v a i l a b l e t o w a t c h o n o u r Y o u T u b e C h a n n e l .
1 5 7 T o t a l A t t e n d e e s
J a n u a r y - N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 4
T A G T o p i c s
E m o t i o n a l F r e e d o m T e c h n i q u e
I m p l i c i t B i a s
G e n d e r - A f f i r m i n g C a r e a s P a r t o f
A n t i - O p p r e s s i v e T r a u m a - I n f o r m e d
C a r e i n a S a n c t u a r y S t a t e
P r o b l e m G a m b l i n g
I n t i m a t e P a r t n e r V i o l e n c e
Father’s Day
Juneteenth
Flag Day
WOMEN’S SERVICES PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT COLLABORATIVE (WSPI
T h e W o m e n ' s S e r v
d e d i c a t e d t o e n h a
s o c i a l s e r v i c e s , a n
u n i q u e c h a l l e n g e
c r e a t i n g a m o r e r
c o l l a b o r a t i o n , d a t
m e a n i n g f u l i m p a c
P a s t W S P I C m e e t i
Y o u T u b e C h a n n e l W S P
1 6 3 T
S u p p o r t e d E m p
S u p p o r t i n g M a
L e a d e r s h i p S u p
D
Independence Day
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Connecticut Women's Consortium is deeply committed to supporting and engaging with our community. Over the past year, we’ve proudly participated in local events and strengthened our community ties through meaningful initiatives.
From collecting food donations to adopting a family for the holidays and collecting school supplies for Hamden Public Schools and Squash Haven, we aim to give back and positively impact the lives of those around us. Through these efforts, we reaffirm our dedication to building a compassionate, supportive community.
Thank you to our guests who joined us in gathering food and supplies!
Staff member Sandi Young at the Fatherhood: The Next Level Conference on August 8th & 9th
August 2025
Consortium staff, pictured here with a collection of carefully chosen gifts, came together to bring warmth and joy to a local family in need during the holiday season. Each gift represents our team’s commitment to spreading kindness and supporting our community, one thoughtful gesture at a time.
National Recovery Month, Suicide Awareness Month, Traumatic Brain Injury Month Prevention
Labor Day
Rosh Hashanah Begins
TRAUMA & RECOVERY CONFERENCE 2024
140 Participants
Keynotes
Alexis and Justin Black
Kim Carter-Tillman
Bryn Lottig
Steve Pemberton
Keynote presenter Kim Carter-Tillman
Sponsors
C.A. White, Inc.
Community Mental Health
Affiliates (CMHA)
Configio (Community Brands)
CT DCF
CT DMHAS
CT DPH
EMDR
Hartford Courant
Impact
Presenters
Alicia Davis, PCC
Ann Marie Hager, MS
Kathryn Thomas, PhD, JD
Beth Robins Roth, APRN, SEP
Deb Borzellino, LMFT
Eileen M. Russo, MA, LADC
Erin O’Neil, LCSW
Anthony Nave, LCSW, LADC, ACS
Laney Rosenzweig, MS, LMFT
LaQueshia Clemons, LCSW, AFC
Leyanne Oliveira
Shane Scott, LCSW
Michele Klimczak, MA, LMSW
Pastor Briggitte Brown, LCSW
Patricia D. Wilcox, LCSW
Aminah Ali, LMSW
Robin McHaelen, MSW
Sara Merrick-Albano, C-IAYT
Christine Saari, C-IAYT, MA
Stephanie Zanker-Rivera, MS, LPC
Lisa Zurolo, LCSW
Tawanna Woolfolk, LCSW, CIT
KidsPeace
Liberation Programs, Inc.
MCCA, Inc
McCall Center for Behavioral Health
Natural Awakenings
Powerstation
Silver Hill Hospital
Wheeler
Yale Behavioral Health Consulting Services
Vendors
Bridge Healing Arts Center
Designs By Melba
Healing Springs Wellness Center
Ital Creations, LLC
LifeBridge Community Services, Inc.
Racebrook Consulting, LLC
Sacred Ground Institute, LLC
Wheeler Health
Whitehead Tax & Financial Services, LLC
One of our fabulous vendors
October 2025
ADHD Awareness Month, AIDS Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bullying Prevention Month
World Mental Health Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Halloween
Diwali
Yom Kippur Begins
Realizing Resilience podcast now on
2.8k Social Media Engagement
Staff members Allie Caruso & Alicia Feller
CWC Staff with Colette Anderson, who retired in May after 12 years as Executive Director
Staff
Alicia Feller, LCSW
Executive Director
Marisa Pedron
Executive Assistant
Jaquanna Soules
Director of Marketing & Administration
Alana Valdez
Project Coordinator
Alexandra Caruso
Director of Programs
Chaniya Jackson
Administrative Training Coordinator
Jordan Reda
Education & Training Specialist
Sandi Young
Education & Training Specialist
Madison Mickey
Education & Training Specialist
Rachael Burs
Assistant Project Coordinator
Board of Directors
Maria LaSala
President Emily Aber Vice-President
Diane Young-Turner
Secretary
Tracy Beckley
Treasurer
Terre Daniels
Steve Driffin
Dr. Jozlyn Hall
Opal Harmon
Catherine John
Cathleen Meaden
Kevin Paulin
Jessica Walker
Total Revenue 2024 $ 2,136,717.17
Total Expenses 2024 $ 2,156,477.43
World Aids Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Human Rights Day
Christmas Eve Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve
Kwanzaa
Hannukah Begins
