Every Family. Every Child. Every Time.
Residential Services
 

STAR Homes

We have three Short-Term Assessment & Respite (STAR) homes in Hartford, West Hartford, and Wolcott. The Hartford and Wolcott homes are for boys and the West Hartford home is for girls. Our STAR homes have a licensed bed capacity of six (nine in West Hartford) girls or boys ages 11-20. Teenagers in our shelters receive assessment and clinical services in a small, structured home-like setting.

We offer high-quality care for every resident by providing for every need that a child has when she/he enters our program. Basic needs include shelter, food, clothing, medical and dental care, counseling and family reconciliation support, primary education, life skills training, drug and sex education, and recreational and social activities.

The target length of stay for our residents is 30-90 days. A primary responsibility of a STAR home is to prepare young people for their next placement, whether it is reunification with their family, placement with a foster family, placement in a group home, or transition to other Bridge residential programs.

Community outreach and education

We teach young residents about the communities they live in and the services offered there. They are taught basic community life skills in order to

  • budget
  • cook
  • schedule appointments
  • fill out job applications
  • interview for a job

Additionally, individual and group health education is provided. All residents attend health-related classes taught by the staff nurse on subjects such as reproductive health, use of medication, etc.

Our staff members encourage and help with resident participation in extracurricular school activities. Whenever possible, we assist with financial payments associated with these activities, such as the purchase of a prom dress or sporting equipment.

About referrals

Our STAR homes are accessible 24/7 to Connecticut teenagers. Most residents come from Hartford, West Hartford, New Britain, Manchester, Southington, and Meriden and may attend school in their hometown or in the shelter community. Referrals can come from ANYONE who knows a kid in crisis including:

  • State Department of Children and Families 
  • juvenile courts 
  • friends 
  • schools 
  • social workers 
  • police 
  • parents 
  • the teen in crisis 

In order to reside in the shelter, a resident must have permission from a legal guardian and must follow house rules.

Kyeesha Clayborne, Director of Residential Services oversees all residential program, the Moving On Project, and the Mosaic Parenting Center.  

Our shelters are staffed 24 hours a day; at least two staff are on duty at all times. Each home has a Program Manager, a Clinical Coordinator, a part-time nurse, and limited psychiatric hours. Our staff members are trained in applying the Relational Model and are certified to administer medications and CPR. All staff must obtain certification in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), a 30-hour course focused on basic counseling skills and verbal de-escalation.


More about our individual STAR homes:

Freymann House (West Hartford STAR Home) 

We opened our West Hartford shelter in 1978 under the name Junction 1019 and then the Bridge Youth Shelter. The home was renamed Freymann House in October 2013 in honor of the woman most responsible for its beginning, Ruth Freymann.

In 1971, Ruth volunteered at the Bridge, then a fledgling grassroots organization. She later became a board member, and eventually the second executive director of the Bridge from 1975-1980. Ruth secured a major federal grant for the Bridge and struggled through controversy to open a temporary shelter for teen runaways in 1978.

Freymann House is one of our flagship programs and is consistently full. Though STAR homes typically have 6 beds, this home has 3 additional beds for homeless and runaway youth who are not involved in the state system of care. 

Contact information:

Cherrell Durrant

Freymann Program Manager

Winifred House (Hartford STAR Home) 

Winifred House is named for Winifred Rohrbaugh, a clinician who worked at the Bridge for many years. Winnie worked magic with young people and families by modeling the importance of focusing on "good" qualities rather than on flaws. She shared her gifts of wisdom, unconditional love, honesty, compassion, humor, and a desire for social justice. The world is a better place because of Winnie. We were lucky to have called her our friend.

Contact Information:

Amekia Hampton

Winifred House Program Manager

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Hastings House (Wolcott STAR Home) 

Hastings House is named for George Hastings, one of the Bridge founders, longtime Bridge board member, and friend. George, a respected attorney, advocated for youth and families in many arenas, including the courtroom. He was courageous, caring, and insightful; he shared his wise counsel without hesitation; he gave his time, opened his heart, and shared his humor with all of us. The Bridge was built on George's commitment to social justice.

Contact Information:

Sarah Hatcher

Program Manager

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