Community Health Services Behavioral Health in Hartford
Community Health Services provides integrated behavioral health and substance use care at 500 Albany Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut. CHS is a federally qualified community health center where behavioral health is connected with primary medical care and other health services. Its current Behavioral Health Department serves children, adolescents, and adults and is staffed by licensed clinicians, psychiatric advanced practice providers, and a child and adolescent psychiatrist. For adults concerned about alcohol use or other substance use, CHS offers outpatient assessment, counseling, medication management, and a Medication-Assisted Treatment program that specifically includes alcohol use disorder.
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Substance Use
CHS describes its MAT program as a comprehensive approach for substance use disorders, particularly opioid and alcohol use disorders. The model combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to address physical and psychological aspects of addiction. Someone seeking alcohol treatment can begin with an intake assessment and discuss drinking patterns, cravings, medical history, mental health symptoms, and recovery goals. Medication decisions are individualized, and clients should ask which medications are currently available and clinically appropriate for their diagnosis.
Counseling and Integrated Mental Health Care
Individual counseling at CHS can address anxiety, depression, stress, difficult relationships, trauma recovery, self-esteem, identity, and social functioning. Group counseling is also available to established behavioral health patients and may address substance use, depression, interpersonal conflict, anger, anxiety, and other concerns. This integrated approach can be useful when alcohol misuse is connected with trauma, mood symptoms, family strain, or chronic health problems. Psychiatric evaluation and medication management are available when mental health treatment needs to be coordinated with alcohol recovery.
Outpatient Care and Higher-Level Referrals
CHS should be understood as an outpatient community health program, not an inpatient detox or residential rehab facility. Its own program information notes that clinical staff can refer patients to an inpatient program when detoxification is required. Anyone with a history of severe alcohol withdrawal, seizures, delirium, unstable medical problems, or heavy daily drinking should disclose that information during intake. The goal is to match the person with a safe level of care rather than assume every substance use problem belongs in routine outpatient treatment.
Phone, Insurance, and Payment Options
The current Community Health Services main number is 860-249-9625, and the Behavioral Health Department is extension 892. CHS currently accepts Medicaid/HUSKY, Medicare, Medicare managed-care plans, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, ConnectiCare, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and other plans, subject to network changes. It also accepts major credit cards, offers payment arrangements, and provides a sliding-fee discount for qualifying patients. Before starting alcohol addiction treatment, callers should confirm current insurance participation, medication coverage, appointment availability, and expected costs. The combination of behavioral health, medical care, pharmacy access, and integrated MAT can be particularly helpful for people who want treatment coordinated within one community health system.
