CT is One of 8 States Launching Pilot Projects to Retain Workers with Disabilities

Eight states - including Connecticut - have launched projects aiming to provide opportunities for people who experience occupational or non-occupational injuries or illnesses to remain in and return to the workforce. After a competitive selection process, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy in partnership with DOL’s Employment and Training Administration and the Social Security Administration awarded eight states with funding for RETAIN Demonstration Projects.

Connecticut’s request was $2.1 million. Phase one of the project will be in the Capitol Region; the intention is to then expand to other regions of the state in phase two.  Each state created a leadership team comprised of representatives from state health services, state workforce development, and other public and private stakeholders. The team will work to foster collaboration between health care providers and employers to assist injured or ill workers in remaining in the workforce.

Health care partner on the Connecticut pilot initiative is the University of Connecticut Health Center and the insurer is The Hartford.  The state Department of Labor’s Office of Workforce Competitiveness is leading the team, along with representatives of Capital Workforce Partners, The Hartford, UConn Health, the state Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the CT Business Leadership network.

In addition to Connecticut, the states of California, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Vermont and Washington received awards. While each has the same mission, the projects are adaptable to specific state needs. The goal of RETAIN, or Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network, Demonstration Projects is to test the impact of early intervention strategies that improve stay-at-work/return-to-work outcomes, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, as reported by the Council of State Governments (CSG).

Stay-at-work/return-to-work initiatives provide timely and effective supports and services that allow employees to remain in the workforce and avoid long-term unemployment. Keeping people engaged in the workplace benefits all stakeholders including the employee, employer and state, officials point out.  States hope to reduce long-term work disability and the need for Social Security Disability Insurance through the projects.

The projects will be funded in two phases. The eight states mentioned above were funded for the 18-month Phase 1 pilot project. After Phase 1, a subset of the recipients will competitively apply for Phase 2 funding. Phase 2 will include a 30-month project implementation and a 12-month evaluation.

Providing supports and services for people who have acquired occupational or non-occupational injuries or illnesses strengthens their quality of life, allows businesses to prosper, and stimulates state economies, officials noted.

Housatonic Community College Program Finalist for National Award

Housatonic Community College's advancements in the areas of efficiency and effectiveness were recognized by the Community College Futures Assembly, which recently named the College's Family Economic Security Program (FESP) as a finalist for its national 2019 Bellwether Award. "It is an honor to be among the finalists for this prestigious award. We're excited to compete and share the program with other colleges because it is really helping our students," said Alese Mulvihill, Associate Dean of Student Success at Housatonic Community College (HCC). "Our hope is that other schools will institute FESP in their own communities and get the same results we're seeing."

The FESP program provides bundled services to HCC students of low to moderate income, whereby students receive resources and tools to advance their education, career and economic security. Achievement coaches provide academic, financial and life counseling, career coordinators provide career counseling, and students participate in workshops and activities.

The high-touch program was adopted from the Center for Working Families model from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and is an innovative partnership between HCC, Fairfield County's Community Foundation Fund for Women and Girls, and the Housatonic Community College Foundation.

As part of the Bellweather Awards process, the awards application must identify the issue or challenge that the leading edge program or activity was designed to address, describe the process, timeline, participants, and resources required to implement the program or activity, specify the results and/or impact, and elaborate on lessons learned for colleges considering a replication of the initiative.

Now in its fourth year, the FESP program is a model for student success, with retention rates for FESP students a full 30 percent higher than those of the College.

"FESP is a perfect example of the power of partnerships to transform services for students," said Dr. Paul Broadie, HCC President. "Through these collaborations, the program increases graduation rates, leading to greater employment opportunities, increased earnings, and the economic expansion of surrounding communities. The impact is tremendous."

Bellwether College Consortium through the Community College Futures Assembly addresses the best practices at community colleges. Thirty finalist colleges in three categories were competitively chosen by a national panel of judges to compete for the coveted award.  The selection process culminates with the winning program initiatives to be announced this month.

"The Fund for Women & Girls designed FESP to address the academic achievement gap among Fairfield County's low-income women and simultaneously promote their economic advancement. FESP uses a proven model that yields higher graduation rates,” said Tricia Hyacinth, Director, Fairfield County's Community Foundation's Fund for Women & Girls.  “We've seen firsthand how the program improves odds for women and their families.”

https://youtu.be/xFFkZb9RQjU

Connecticut Hall of Fame Inductions Seem to Have Ended

It seemed like a good idea at the time.  More than a decade ago, in 2005, a committee of legislators successfully urged the state legislature to establish the Connecticut Hall of Fame, to be featured in the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford. In announcing the proposal, they explained “the hall of fame is designed to recognize those individuals from Connecticut who have distinguished themselves in their professions, nationally or internationally. It will also have an education function because of the great number of students who visit the Capitol and LOB annually.”  It was even specified that the lettering of the names of inductees “will be in brass.”

The first class of inductees, in February 2007, were Mark Twain, Igor Sikorsky and Katharine Hepburn, their names affixed to the wall of the second floor atrium in the LOB.  It marked a successful launch, after being “in the planning stages for four years,” according to an announcement at the time.

The legislators driving the initiative were then-Senators Joseph Crisco (D-Woodbridge) and John McKinney (R-Fairfield) and then-Representatives Elizabeth “Betty” Boukus (D-Plainville), and Michael Caron (R-Danielson).  Today, all no longer hold legislative seats.  When it began, it was said that “Funding for the Connecticut Hall of Fame is expected to come from corporate contributions, grants, and contributions from individuals, foundations and, potentially, appropriate state agencies.”

The Hall has slowly fallen from the legislative radar screen. A brochure about the Hall of Fame indicates that “Each year the committee reviews the applications of many nominees and refers their selection to the Legislative Leaders for approval. An awards ceremony, ‘Connecticut Hall of Fame Day,’ is held to honor those inducted.”  Not lately.

Induction ceremonies were held in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, but only in three years since – 2013, 2014 and 2016.  In 2008, the committee reviewed the applications of 30 nominees.  No ceremonies have been held, however, in three of the past four years, and none appear to be on the immediate horizon.  Officials indicate that the “committee” currently is without leaders.

In 2009, the committee included Rep. Themis Klarides, now the House Republican leader. In a news release that year, she saluted one of the inductees:  “Paul Newman’s story is a truly American story and Connecticut can be proud he called our state home,” said Representative Klarides. “Mr. Newman is known widely for his distinguished film and Broadway career, but his service to our nation in WWII and his life-long philanthropic dedication further make him uniquely worthy of addition to the Connecticut Hall of Fame.”

Most recently, in 2017, the co-chairs were then-Sen. Anthony Guglielmo and Rep. Terrie Wood, along with then-Rep. Matt Lesser, now a State Senator.

Among the inductees are UConn’s Geno Auriemma and Jim Calhoun, along with historic figures Noah Webster, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Roger Sherman, Nathan Hale, Henry Burbeck, Helen Keller, Horace Wells, Marian Anderson, Harry Gray, Jackie Robinson and Ralph Sturges, longtime leader of the Mohegan Tribe.

The inductees also Judge Constance Baker Motley; composer and musician David Brubeck; architect Frederick Law Olmsted; aviation pioneer Frederick Rentschler; composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim; actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, and actress Meryl Streep.  Also having their names added to the roster of inductees on a second-floor wall of the Legislative Office Building are Judge John T. Downey; American inventor and businessman Alfred Carlton Gilbert; artist Deane Keller and undersea explorer Robert Ballard.

Whether the Connecticut Hall of Fame will see additional inductees this year, or in future years, remains uncertain. Information on the Hall can be seen at https://www.cga.ct.gov/hof/

Manufacturing Assistance Program Aims at CT Companies

If you are looking for more evidence that manufacturing is back in Connecticut, you need look no further than Hartford and East Hartford.  The Technology Labs Assistance Program (TLAP), just getting underway, was created as part of the Hartford/East Hartford Innovation Places Initiative, which is striving to make the area a more vibrant hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Hartford and East Hartford-based companies with less than 300 full-time employees in their Connecticut facilities are invited to apply to a new manufacturing assistance program that offers – among a dozen possibilities - 3D printing, engineering design and prototype development.  Those chosen will receive a project subsidy of 50 percent off the total project cost, with subsidies reaching up to $10,000 annually.

The innovation begins with the partners in the program. TLAP is designed to provide Connecticut entrepreneurs and businesses with easy access to the vast manufacturing resources and services available at various schools, universities and Advanced Manufacturing Centers in the Greater Hartford Area. Participating organizations currently include the University of Hartford, Goodwin College, and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology. Funding for the project subsidies is supported by CTNext.

“There’s a wide array of area companies who perform advanced tech work, but they might not have the machines or resources to, say, build a prototype, optimize a process or fabricate a complex part,” said Paul Striebel of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT). Goodwin College, the University of Hartford and CCAT are part of an effort providing easy access to advanced resources and services available at their facilities.

“We are in a new era of interagency collaborations among state and private educational institutions and corporate partners,” said Cliff Thermer, Goodwin College’s Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Business Development and Department Chair for Business, Management, and Advanced Manufacturing. “The future of Connecticut innovation is bright.”

CCAT and the University of Hartford have a long history of working together developing programs, obtaining grant funding, sharing equipment and facilities, and ensuring that students have interesting research projects as well as hands-on learning opportunities through internships and experiential education.  This is the latest program collaboration.

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. (CCAT), driving the program, is a dynamic and innovative applied technology organization that leads regional and national partnerships that assist global industrial companies and the manufacturing supply chain across industry sectors to drive advancements, efficiencies and adoption of leading edge technologies.

Project possibilities include – but are not limited to j- Engineering Design Services, Prototype Development, 3D Printing, Part Fabrication, Process Testing & Analysis, Technical assessments in conjunction with engineering projects and manufacturing challenges, Research to support proof of principle, Process Improvement, Commercialization Services, Tooling development and manufacture, Reverse Engineering and Inspection Services and Failure Analysis.

CT Ranks 11th in U.S. in Economic Impact of Immigrants

In an analysis of the economic impact of foreign-born populations on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Connecticut ranks 11^th in the nation. The states were immigrants have the biggest economic impact, according to the analysis by the financial website WalletHub, are California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Florida and Washington.

To determine the states in which immigration has the most positive economic impact, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key dimensions: 1) Immigrant Workforce, 2) Socioeconomic Contribution, 3) Brain Gain & Innovators and 4) International Students.

Connecticut was just outside the top 10 overall, with its top ranking in the socioeconomic contribution category, where it ranked eighth.  Connecticut ranked tenth in both workforce and international student categories, and 13th in “brain gain and innovation.” The four dimensions were examined using 20 key metrics, ranging from jobs generated by immigrant-owned businesses as a share of total jobs to foreign-born STEM workers as a share of total STEM workforce.

"Connecticut ranked 11th in terms of economic impact of immigration. It has the eighth most work visas per capita, and the sixth largest share of active physicians who are international medical graduates at 28.8%, explained WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.  “Twelve percent of households in Connecticut are second-generation immigrants and the median household income of foreign born population is the ninth highest, which means immigrants bring a strong socioeconomic contribution to the state. Additionally, Connecticut has the fifth most H1-B visas per capita."

At the bottom of the list, reflecting the least immigrant impact, were Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Mississippi.

Connecticut also ranked 7^th in the share of second-generation immigrant households and 9^th in the median household income of the state’s foreign-born population, $64,168.

CT Ranks 4th Among Nation's Most Educated States, Analysis Shows

Connecticut ranks third in the nation in the percentage of residents with graduate or professional degrees, and fourth in the nation in the percentage of residents with a bachelors degree.  Those statistics helped lead Connecticut to an overall ranking of fourth in the U.S. in an analysis of the nation’s “most educated states.” In this study, the financial website WalletHub examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races. They compared all 50 states across 20 total metrics grouped into two categories.

"Connecticut is the fourth most educated state as it has a high quality school system, the fourth largest share of adults aged 25+ with at least a bachelor's degree, 38.5%, and the third largest share of adults with at least a graduate or professional degree, 17%,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.

“The projected college graduation rate for 2020 in Connecticut is 64.5%, the fifth highest in the country, and 31% of 2017's high school class received high scores on advanced placement exams, the third largest share nationwide," Gonzalez added.

The data reviewed includes the share of adults aged 25 and older with at least a high school diploma,  average university quality, and gender gap in educational attainment. Metrics also included graduation rates, math and reading test scores, advanced placement exams and public school system quality.

Leading the way was Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and Vermont.  Rounding out the top 10 after Connecticut was Colorado, Virginia, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah and Washington State.  At the bottom of the rankings: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia and Mississippi.

Last year, a similar ranking of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas saw Bridgeport-Norwalk-Stamford rank tenth in the U.S. and the Hartford area rank 26^th.  Greater New Haven ranked 44^th in that analysis.

In the state education analysis, Connecticut ranked 11^th in average university quality and 17^th in the percentage of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults.

It is the third consecutive year that Connecticut has ranked in the top five, although the criteria has differed slightly each year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kAqi_Xs3xE&feature=youtu.be

Libraries Join Response to Connecticut’s Opioid Crisis; Stand Ready to Save Lives

The collective response to America’s opioid crisis has opened a new front in Connecticut in an unlikely location – the public library.  Driven by a desire to be prepared to save a life, a growing number of libraries – in communities large and small – now have the opioid reversal drug naloxone on hand, with librarians trained in how to use it. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse and block the effects of other opioids.  It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin or prescription opioid pain medications.

The U.S. Surgeon General has issued a nationwide public health advisory, to “urge more Americans to carry a potentially lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.” That office reports that an estimated 2.1 million people in the U.S. struggle with an opioid use disorder.

For Marlborough’s Richmond Memorial Library, the decision to train three staff members to administer the medication was wholly consistent with what a library is all about, as director Nancy Wood explains.

“I liken it to the defibrillator that we brought in to the library two years ago.  If you are saving a life for one reason, you can save a life for another.  And it is a cultural thing for librarians to want to help people.  It is what we do.”

As a significant public place in Marlborough, open more hours than just about any other building in town, Wood says that although “hopefully we never have to use it,” she and her staff felt it was important to be trained and ready.  The AHM Youth & Family Services organization provided the training last March.

Rates of opioid overdose deaths are rapidly increasing nationwide and in Connecticut.  Since 2010, the number of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. has doubled from more than 21,000 to more than 42,000 in 2016. Overdose deaths in Connecticut have nearly tripled in a six-year period, from 357 in 2012 to 1,038 in 2017. Of those 1,038 deaths, 677 involved fentanyl — a synthetic opioid drug 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin — either by itself or with at least one other drug, according to published reports.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, between June 2017 and June 2018, there were 1,056 reported cases of drug overdose deaths, based on provisional data, in Connecticut.  An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation concluded that the opioid overdose death rate in Connecticut was the 10^th highest in the nation, and the percentage increase between 2016 and 2017 was 17^th highest in the U.S., exceeding the national average.

Hartford recently announced a $10,000 grant from CIGNA Foundation that will train librarians in the city and cover the purchase of naloxone for city libraries.

“As a public institution, we see that our entire community is impacted by the opioid crisis; it was clear that a rapid and robust response to the problems caused by the opioid drug crisis was imperative,” said library CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey as the grant was announced earlier this month.  Library officials also plan to provide information about opioid abuse awareness and host education and information forums.

When the town of Canton made training available for department heads last year, library director Sarah McCusker took the one-day session.  Like Wood, she views it as an extension of first aid training that can help a patron in distress.

“It’s the same as knowing CPR or having an AED on-site.  We call 911 immediately, but we see everything, and we’d like to be prepared,” McCusker explained.  She also believes employees in public spaces should be “widely trained” to assist in emergency situations. And she anticipates that if her town government makes training in the use of naloxone available again this year, although it is not mandated, additional staff members will choose to attend.

The Connecticut Library Consortium indicates that while official figures are not available, reports of libraries having naloxone available, along with official policies governing its use and trained staff members, are increasing.  Hartford, Marlborough, Canton and Avon are among them.  Other libraries have librarians on staff who have sought and received individual training. For many libraries, it is a major health issue that their municipalities and local governing boards are reviewing, and one that impacts cities and small towns.

The naloxone brand NARCAN® Nasal Spray is a pre-filled, needle-free device that requires no assembly and is sprayed into one nostril while patients lay on their back. Those prepared to administer it have been trained on the signs of an opioid overdoes, and how to respond immediately as 911 is called for a local ambulance response.

“Public libraries are responsible for meeting the wide-ranging needs of their communities. Yes, libraries offer books and storytime programs and research help that goes beyond Google. But they are also the place to turn to find a job, become a citizen, discover a new app, find quality healthcare information, make art, or learn a new skill,” said Jennifer Keohane, Executive Director of the Connecticut Library Consortium.  “Having library staff who are trained to administer NARCAN is another way that libraries are evolving with their communities and are ready to provide help whenever and however it is needed.”

Webster Bank, People’s United Climb in Forbes Ranking of Nation’s Best Banks

Webster Bank has earned a place on Forbes’ America’s Best Banks 2019, ranked as number 68 and the highest-ranked bank based in Connecticut. Forbes’ 10th annual list of America’s Best Banks ranks the 100 largest publicly-traded banks and thrifts based on their growth, credit quality and profitability. The data is courtesy of S&P, but the rankings are done by Forbes.  Webster Bank was ranked at number 80 a year ago.

“Webster is proud to be continuously recognized as one of the highest performing banks in the country,” said President & CEO John R. Ciulla. “This ranking is a direct result of the quality and dedication of our bankers who are committed to delivering great service to our customers and achieving outstanding results.”

Over the years, Webster Bank has expanded to become a leading mid-sized bank in the Northeast with more than $27 billion in assets and 157 banking centers from greater New York City to Boston. Webster Bank has close to 3,400 employees.

Bridgeport-headquartered People’s United ranked number 82 on the Forbes list, up from number 92 on last year’s list.  The company’s more than 5,000 employees continue servicing customers through nearly 400 retail locations in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Among other banks with a presence in Connecticut, Citigroup was #80, Wells Fargo ranked at #85, Bank of America was #89, and Key Bank placed in the top 100 at number 92.

The Forbes reported noted that there were zero bank failures last year for the first time since 2006. There are more than 5,000 banks and savings institutions in the U.S., but assets are concentrated at the top. The 100 largest have $13.8 trillion in assets, representing 78% of total U.S. bank assets, the publication reported.

Home BancShares is the top-rated bank for the second-straight year. Muncie, Indiana-based First Merchants moved up two spots this year to second among the best banks. Rounding out the top five were Community Bank System, CVB Financial and SVB Financial. In addition to CVB and SVB, fellow California-based banks Axos Financial, East West Bancorp and Cathay General Bancorp also landed in the top ten overall, according to Forbes announcement of this year’s annual ranking.  JPMorgan is the leader of the big four (JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo) for the third-straight year, but its rank of 52nd is down 12 places.

Webster offers the full range of financial services, including business and consumer banking, mortgage, financial planning, trust, and investment services. Most recently, Webster Bank has been recognized as New England’s top U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender, by dollar volume and best overall bank in the Northeast in Bank Director's annual Ranking Banking study released in January 2019.