HARTFORD, Conn. — A local group from the New England Health Care Employee’s union called for action on International Women’s Day Wednesday from Connecticut lawmakers and Gov. Ned Lamont for funding to staff the Sisters Together Achieve Recovery or STAR program.
The STAR program shut down during the pandemic, but due to staffing shortages and lack of funding the program will close for the foreseeable future. Advocates are calling for Lamont to use some of the states multi-billion-dollar budget surplus to fund the program.
Lamont’s Communication Director, Adam Joseph told FOX61 in a statement “The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Children and Families are still providing outstanding services and care to women and girls. With respect to both the STAR and DCF’s PRT programs, the agencies hope to reopen them once we have sufficient staff. The State of Connecticut has a multi-agency effort to recruit nurses and care professionals to address these needs. The state is facing the same nursing shortage that private sector care institutions, which is why the Governor and legislature are committed to continuing to fund job training programs in the health care industry long-term.”