{"id":216281,"date":"2025-09-10T19:30:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/216281\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T19:30:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:30:13","slug":"new-state-office-intended-to-help-ct-residents-with-mental-behavioral-health-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/216281\/","title":{"rendered":"New State Office Intended To Help CT Residents With Mental\/Behavioral Health Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"StateThe State Capitol Building in Hartford on June 4, 2025. Credit: Mia Palazzo \/ CTNewsJunkie<\/p>\n

HARTFORD, CT \u2014 Connecticut residents who need help with mental health and behavioral health care have a new advocate in Hartford, following the establishment of the state Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate.<\/p>\n

Gov. Ned Lamont announced the office\u2019s establishment Wednesday, though the General Assembly created it through 2023 legislation<\/a> .<\/p>\n

The new state office is statutorily assigned to assist Connecticut residents with accessing mental health and behavioral health care resources, supporting behavioral health providers with receiving timely payments from health insurance carriers for services provided, and advocating for greater access behavioral health care and resources with the overarching goal of improving consumer outcomes, according to a statement from Lamont\u2019s office. The office is within the Connecticut Insurance Department for administrative purposes.<\/p>\n

Lamont appointed Howard Sovronsky to the position, and the legislature confirmed his appointment during its most recent session. He is currently serving in the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess to mental health services is one of the most pressing needs of our time, and it needs to be treated just as we do for any other physical health situation,\u201d Lamont said. \u201cOver the last several years, I\u2019ve partnered with the state legislature to enact some of the strongest mental health parity and coverage laws in the nation, and this new office will provide the residents of our state with an advocate to help break down the barriers that still stand in the way of true mental health equity.<\/p>\n

Lamont said Sovronsky had \u201ca great depth of knowledge\u201d on mental health services and that he is \u201cpassionate about increasing access to care.\u201d<\/p>\n

A licensed clinical social worker for more than 40 years, Sovronsky has served in leadership positions in local government, hospitals, and within Connecticut\u2019s nonprofit community mental health sector. Most recently, he served as chief behavioral health officer at Connecticut Children\u2019s in Hartford, where he helped lead the hospital\u2019s response to the emerging children\u2019s behavioral health crisis.<\/p>\n

He also served for several years as chief operating officer for Community Health Resources in Windsor, where he led operations of the behavioral health network.<\/p>\n

Before moving to Connecticut in 2007, Sovronsky worked for two decades in government in Nassau County, Long Island, most notably as commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, in which he directed a comprehensive network of hospital and community mental health services for children, families, and adults. In addition, he oversaw a comprehensive system of care for individuals with developmental and intellectual challenges.<\/p>\n

Sovronsky earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College in New York, and a Master of Social Work degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere could not be a more critical time than now to establish an independent voice to advance the needs of both behavioral health consumers and providers,\u201d Sovronsky said. \u201cThe momentum to address universal behavioral health needs creates a unique opportunity for change and improvement that this office is committed to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate has various responsibilities, including::<\/p>\n