BrainDance Awards
The Brain Dance Awards are an academic, art, and mixed media competition sponsored by the IOL/Hartford Hospital each year. The goal of this event is to stop the stigma of mental illness, while also promoting student interest in mental health care careers.
Learn more about how to apply, or to see projects from previous years.
NAMI Walk
Hartford Hospital and the IOL participate each year in a walk to raise money in support of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Colleagues, clients, and community members can join in on this fundraiser to support NAMI and their mission to decrease stigma and promote mental health awareness.
Building Gender Literacy Conference
Each year during Pride Month, the FRC, along with the Center for Gender Health at the IOL, holds a “Building Gender Literacy” conference. The conference centers around a different topic each year, our most recent conference in 2024 exploring a ‘Family Matters’ theme. The goal of the event is to bring together experts in gender health, as well as a panel of individuals with lived experience, to foster insightful discussions and learn from diverse perspectives.
Back-to-School Extravaganza (Resource Fair)
This year, the FRC has joined our CRG colleagues in supporting the 2024 Back-to-School Extravaganza, hosted by the Angel of Edgewood. Offering a wide array of fun activities, community resources and vital school supplies, the largest event of its kind in Connecticut will take place Friday, August 23rd from 9 AM – 2 PM at Dunkin Park.
We need your help in making sure families get the resources they need as students gear up for the 2024 school year. Your generosity in collecting the following items truly makes a difference in making sure kids get off to a great start!
- Notebooks and journals
- Pens, pencils, and highlighters
- Art supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils)
- Educational games and puzzles
- Stress relief items (stress balls, fidget spinners)
- T-shirts/Socks
- Basic Human Needs (Soaps, Toiletries, Shampoo, Deodorant)
Collection boxes are located in the IOL Café, Gift Shop & Family Resource Center (Mass Cottage). Please let us know if you are interested in setting up a collection drive in your department. For questions, comments and suggestions, email IOLFRC@hhchealth.org.
Holistic Healing Series
The Family Resource Center is promoting health and wellness by hosting regular holistic activities for everyone to enjoy! Patients, staff, and community members alike are welcome to join us in the Commons Building (Hartford Room) for:
- Reiki with Hilary
- Wellness Workouts with Nick (simple exercises you can do from your desk)
- Yoga with Andrew
- Sound Healing with Kevin
For more information, including the times and dates of each session, click here.
Wellness Space at the FRC
We're pleased to announce that we will be expanding our facilities in the coming months. This expansion (we’ve renovated the basement) will provide us with additional space to enhance our current offerings and introduce new activities and services surrounding alternative modules of recovery.
The rooms are large enough to accommodate support groups of 10-12 and holistic healing sessions for individuals or groups of approximately 5-6.
We would greatly appreciate your thoughts on how we can best utilize this new space to benefit clients, staff and the greater community. Specifically, we're interested in your ideas regarding:
- New classes or workshops you'd like to see offered
- Additional equipment or amenities that would enhance your experience
- Potential collaborations with local practitioners or experts
- Talents or self-care practices you’d like to facilitate
- Ways to create a more welcoming and serene environment
- A new name for what we should call our community area!
Your feedback is crucial in helping us shape the future of our center. We aim to create a space that truly meets the needs and desires of our community. Please feel free to share your ideas by replying to this survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N5Q7PVB or send an email to IOLFRC@hhchealth.org.
World Suicide Prevention Day Conference
The FRC is planning to hold our annual conference on Friday, September 6th, 2024, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Week. This free event features mental health education led by clinicians recognized as experts in their field, along with a panel discussion of people with lived experience sharing their personal stories.
The conference will be held at the Hartford Hospital Education Resource Center (510 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT), and can be attended either in person or virtually.
Additional details and registration link to come. For any other questions, contact: IOLFRC@hhchealth.org.
Earth Day
To celebrate Earth Day each year, the FRC hosts an IOL Community clean-up event. The goal of the event is to bring people together in the hopes of celebrating Earth Day, and having some FUN. Events in the past have included exciting activities, such as rock painting, temporary tattoos, seed planting, and chalk art.
This is an annual event on the IOL campus, so look out for an email from the FRC in April.
Pride Parade
Every June, the IOL gets together to celebrate our PRIDE! This year, hundreds of our staff and clients walked together around the IOL campus, waving colorful flags and holding up beautiful posters in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Community Outreach
The FRC actively participates in local community events to share behavioral health information and materials, and to destigmatize the important services and support offered at the IOL.
Visit our Family Resource Center's table at community events! Discover valuable resources, connect with supportive peers, and explore educational opportunities. If you have a community event that could benefit from mental health resources, please contact us at IOLFRC@hhchealth.org.