Opinion: Strengthen CT’s mental health crisis response

CT Mirror – Thursday, April 2, 2026
By Jessica Abellard

Jessica Abellard MD is President of the Connecticut Psychiatric Society.

Recent tragedies in Hartford should serve as a wake-up call for Connecticut’s mental health crisis response system.

The deaths of Everard Walker, 53, and Steven Jones, 55, began as calls for help during moments of acute psychological distress. Instead of leading to care and stabilization, those encounters ended in the loss of two lives and deep grief for their families and communities.

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