Howard Center

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Howard Center
Company type Nonprofit organization
IndustryCommunity mental health, substance abuse, educational, and developmental services
Founded1865 (Chittenden County, Vermont, U.S.)
Headquarters Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
Area served
Vermont counties of Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, and Rutland
Key people
Sandra McGuire, CEO
Website Official website

Howard Center is a Burlington, Vermont-based nonprofit organization that offers professional crisis and counseling services to children and adults; supportive services to individuals with autism and developmental disabilities who need help with education, employment, and life maintenance skills; counseling and medical services for those struggling with substance use disorders; and interventions and supports for adults with serious and persistent mental health challenges in Chittenden County, Vermont's most populous county. Howard Center collaborates with many community partners and is a United Way of Northwest Vermont-funded agency.

Contents

Services and supports are community-based and provided in more than 60 locations, including area schools, hospitals, emergency rooms, and client homes, in addition to Howard Center offices and residential homes. In 2018, Howard Center's professional staff of 1,500 helped more than 16,000 people, primarily in Chittenden County but also in the other Vermont counties of Franklin, Grand Isle, and Rutland. [1] In 2024, Howard Center helped 19,000 individuals. [2]

History

Tracing its roots to the 1865 founding of the Home for Destitute Children, Howard Center is the largest of Vermont's designated agencies representing Vermont's mental health care system.

In 1966, the Howard Center for Human Services received its designation as the community mental health center for Chittenden County under the federal Community Mental Health Act of 1963.

In 1994, the Howard Center for Human Services merged with Champlain Drug and Alcohol Services and the Baird Center for Children and Families (a successor of the Home for Destitute Children) into one organization, forming today's Howard Center. [3]

Crisis services

The organization maintains First Call for Chittenden County, a 24/7 crisis hotline for Chittenden County residents experiencing a non-medical crisis. In 2024, Howard Center opened a Mental Health Urgent Care in Burlington. [4] Howard Center also operates outreach teams in Burlington and the surrounding communities. [5]

Specialized programs

The organization operates three therapeutic schools: [6] [7]

When the Chittenden Clinic was established in 2002, it was the first medication assisted treatment clinic for opioid addiction in Vermont. [12] From July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018, the clinic provided treatment and support to 1,342 individuals.

Safe Recovery serves people who are currently using cocaine, heroin, or who are in early recovery from opioid dependence. Services include syringe exchange, low-barrier distribution to buprenorphine, fentanyl test strips, drug treatment options counseling, HIV and hepatitis C testing and referrals, hepatitis A and B vaccination, distribution of Naloxone overdose rescue kits, corrections outreach, basic needs assistance, advocacy, and other recovery support services. From July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018, 1,236 individuals visited Safe Recovery. In December 2013, Safe Recovery began distributing Naloxone kits to reverse overdoses from opioids. Since then, 1,357 overdose reversals have been reported from the kits the program distributed. [12]

Although the goal of all Howard Center programs is to help individuals and families live healthy lives as independently as possible, several programs provide specific support for individuals with intellectual disabilities including autism.

Howard Center programs serving those with mental health concerns include the following:

Clients served and community impact

Howard Center serves a yearly average of over 10,000 clients [17] in Chittenden County. Some of the programs and services for these clients include:

In addition, Howard Center annually provides support to thousands of individuals in the community who receive services (particularly through 24/7 crisis services) without officially enrolling as a client.

Several Howard Center programs offer treatment and support services that reduce the request for services from other city organizations and departments. For example, Howard Center's Street Outreach and Community Outreach Programs reduce reliance on the police to respond to calls in the downtown area that are primarily the result of social service needs.

Awards

The center has been recognized by the following organizations:

Accreditation

Howard Center's Chittenden Clinic, which provide medication assisted treatment for individuals with opioid dependence, received a three-year accreditation in 2015 from CARF International (formerly known as the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). The clinic is affiliated with the University of Vermont Medical Center. [20] The Clinic's CARF accreditation was renewed in 2023. [21]

Affiliations and partnerships

In addition to the programs and services offered by Howard Center, the agency collaborates with numerous community partners to expand the support it offers to individuals and communities. Key examples include:

Organization

The organization has a budget of $129 million. [26] Over 90% of services are state-funded.[ citation needed ]

In 2014, Vermont Business Magazine ranked Howard Center as the 11th largest employer in the state of Vermont by employee roster. [1]

The president of Howard Center was Kelly Deforge as of 2024. [27]

Sandra McGuire, MBA, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Howard Center, effective June 1, 2024. [28]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Howard Center Development and Communications Office
  2. https://howardcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Howard-Center-Annual-Report-FY2024.pdf.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. "Community Mental Health Act", Wikipedia, June 15, 2020, retrieved April 6, 2022
  4. "An urgent care center for mental health crises is opening in Burlington". September 11, 2024.
  5. "Mental health 'street team' coming to 6 Vermont communities". February 2018.
  6. "Howard Center :: Children and Families". howardcenter.org. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  7. "Centerpoint, Which Educates and Counsels Hundreds of Teens, is Poised to Close".
  8. "Howard Center :: Baird School Home Page". howardcenter.org. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  9. "Howard Center :: Jean Garvin School". howardcenter.org. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  10. Peters, Stephanie (June 9, 2010). "Teen offenders contribute at school". Vermont Today. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  11. "School Services Program". Students First Project. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Howard Center :: Substance Abuse". howardcenter.org. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  13. "Howard Center :: SUCCEED Program for adults with educational disabilities". howardcenter.org. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  14. "Vocational & Employment".
  15. https://howardcenter.org/developmental-services/employment/.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. https://howardcenter.org/all-programs/.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. "FY22 OUTCOMES REPORT" (PDF). Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  18. "Awards".
  19. "Greater Burlington YMCA Honors Howard Center". My Champlain Valley. May 29, 2015. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  20. The University of Vermont Medical Center. "The Community". The University of Vermont. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  21. "Howard Center achieves three-year CARF accreditation for Chittenden Clinic's opioid treatment program | Vermont Business Magazine".
  22. "Police Department | City of Burlington, Vermont". www.burlingtonvt.gov. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  23. "University of Vermont Medical Center (UVM) - Burlington, VT". University of Vermont Medical Center. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  24. "Second Spring Vermont | Mental Health Treatment | Residential Recovery Residence". www.secondspring.org. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  25. "Home". www.unitedwaycc.org. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  26. "FY23 Annual Impact and Outcomes Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  27. "Leadership & Board". Howard Center. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  28. Detzer, Paul (February 8, 2024). "Howard Center board names Sandra McGuire, MBA, as next CEO". Howard Center. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.