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OUR HISTORY
The Child and Family Institute of Fairfield County (formally known as C.A.R.D. of Brookfield) was established in 1996 by Pamela Samaha, LCSW. CFI provides services to approximately 400 children and their families each year. This outpatient mental health facility based their success on the philosophy that for treatment to be effective, it must be comprehensive and innovative.
In 1997, The Child and Family Institute of Fairfield County developed the only Wilderness Based Therapeutic Program for Children and Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Issues in the State of Connecticut. The B.O.O.S.T. (Building Opportunities for Our Students to Thrive) program had operated for fifteen years at The Great Hollow Wilderness School. This innovative therapeutic program has changed the lives of many children. By mastering the challenges they faced in the wilderness, these kids learned to believe in themselves and learn that there wasn’t any obstacle they could encounter in their lives that they couldn’t overcome. Watching the transformation that occurred in these children’s lives was miraculous.
In 2008, a significant restructuring occurred. The Child and Family Institute of Fairfield County was formally known as C.A.R.D. Foundation and C.A.R.D. of Brookfield. These two entities have successfully provided mental health services for thirteen years. The decision to merge the two agencies and to become a non-profit provided greater capacity to offer increased services to the community such as enhanced advocacy and liaison services, and youth leadership programs, where that was not possible before. The name change from C.A.R.D. of Brookfield and C.A.R.D. Foundation reflects a name more appropriate to the expansion of services. This new non-profit entity, The Child and Family Institute of Fairfield County, will provide outpatient mental health services that empower individuals and promotes long-lasting health and well-being.
OUR REPUTATION
The Child and Family Institute of Fairfield County has developed a stellar reputation in the mental health community. We receive strong support from our community’s members and leaders.
Kevin Pape, juvenile probation supervisor, writes: “The Juvenile Probation Department has been referring children and families to C.A.R.D. (now known as C.F.I.) for ten years. They are one of the few agencies in this area that can deal with the multiple issues that confront our children and families. In an age where government is looking for community based resources to divert children from the system, C.A.R.D. is one of the few in this community that meets that criteria and provides results.”
Dr. William Glass, assistant superintendent of Danbury Public Schools, writes: “The Danbury Board of Education has a productive history of working with C.A.R.D. (now known as C.F.I.) to meet the mental health needs of our children. They have made a substantial impact on the well-being of our region’s children and their families. C.A.R.D. provides the highest quality of programming and assistance to many of the region’s neediest youngsters and their families.”
203-822-7056