NEWS & EVENTS

01 Mar, 2024
The Root Center is proud to announce that we had a successful Grand Opening ceremony for our newest Healthcare Clinic, which is the first and only mental health and addiction treatment facility to offer methadone in Middlesex County. The statistics regarding mental health and addiction treatment needs are staggering. Middlesex County had previously seen the highest year-over-year increase in overdose deaths, and yet, it was the only county in Connecticut with no methadone clinic, as it previously had bylaws in their planning and zoning regulations explicitly prohibiting methadone clinics within city limits. This new clinic will help change the face of recovery for residents in Middlesex County, giving them the option of seeking treatment in their own community, rather than having to travel, often lengthy distances, on public transit or rideshare services, 6 days a week as they begin treatment. Our goal at the Root Center is to be able to offer mental health and addiction treatment services across Connecticut, especially to those often most marginalized in our communities. We are striving to make treatment more inclusive and accessible for those in need, as we know one of the greatest predictors of treatment success is services close to home as it helps to facilitate sustained participation. We are honored to now have a state-of-the-art clinic that we hope will make our patients and staff feel dignified and proud when they walk into the building. With the help of Tecton Architects , we are redefining what it looks like to recover. We want to make sure that our healthcare facilities look no different than any other type of establishment that someone would go to to seek care. This new clinic is located at 392 Washington Street in Middletown. We anticipate accepting patients at the end of March. Please call our Central Admissions to learn more at (800) 862-2181. Special thanks to all of our state legislators, Middletown Mayor, Ben Florsheim, community members, and media partners for helping to make this a success. We know this new facility will go on to help the more than 150 patients we anticipate treating. Check out the photos below of the clinic, and our Grand Opening celebration!
27 Feb, 2024
Our partnership celebration with Pequot Health Care and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation was a day to remember! Thank you so much to everyone who made it possible, and an extra special thank you to the Yootay Singers for their amazing opening and closing drum! We are so excited for this partnership, as we know it will go on to help so many who are in need of mental health and addiction treatment. Some of the folks pictured throughout: Dr. Setu Vora - MPTN CMO Bruce Simons - Root Center Board President MPTN Council Chairman Rodney Butler Chris Manzi - PHC President Heather Angel Mars-Martins - PHC Margaux Farrell - Root Center Marketing Director Patricia Rehmer - Root Center and PHC Board Member State Representative Aundr é Bumgardner Shanna Reels - Director of Tribal Health Service at MPTN Yootay Singers
16 Feb, 2024
The Root Center is now offering problem gambling treatment! Is gambling a problem in your life? Are you ready to start your recovery journey? Join us Friday mornings from 9am to 10am for our problem gambling program hosted virtually, and in-person at our New London Clinic: 931 Bank Street. What to expect? A safe space to discuss the impact of gambling your life. Identify the ways gambling may contribute to substance use. See how gambling has altered your family unit and socializing. Build skills to cope and identify community supports. Recognize you are NOT alone! Please call our Central Admissions line at (800) 862-2181 for more information.
30 Jan, 2024
The Root Center is excited to announce Joseph Maddalena, as our new Director of Nursing! Joe has been a Registered Nurse since 2014. His passion for mental health and addiction treatment started while he was working at South Central Rehabilitation Center, which is part of the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, in New Haven. There, Joe became the Nurse Manager of both inpatient withdrawal management and two methadone clinics. It was while doing this work that Joe developed a love for helping those on their recovery journey. We are fortunate to add Joe’s dedication and experience to the team, and know that he will have an impact on our staff and patients. Welcome, Joe!
05 Jan, 2024
We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Ashley Hickey, LPC, LADC, former Clinic Supervisor of our Middletown Clinic, to Director of Operations. Ashley has been with the organization for over four years, and has expertise in managing multiple service lines for both adults and adolescents. She is well versed in the operations of medication assisted treatment (methadone and the other forms of MAT), outpatient behavioral health services, psychiatric medication management, and is dedicated to the vision of our organization. As we continue to grow as an organization, it is wonderful to see one of our own use their knowledge and experience to progress into a greater leadership role. Way to go, Ashley!
27 Nov, 2023
We are hiring! Join us on December 14th from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at Root Center in New Britain (542 E. Main St.) for a 30-minute interview session at our next Recruitment Event! The Root Center is quickly expanding, and we are looking to hire staff for our brand-new state-of-the-art Middletown Clinic (392 Washington St., address linked on left, Clinic pictured below) set to open in February of 2024. Root is proud to offer comprehensive and competitive benefits, including, 4 weeks of PTO, 12 paid holidays, a volunteer day, plus a birthday holiday, $2,000 training dollars plus 3 paid training days, 10% retirement match, student loan repayment at certain clinics, and more! Some key positions that we are hiring for: Counselor - Master's Level (LMSW, LPC-A) or Fully Certified (LCSW, LPC, LADC) RN - (Full Time - 35 Hours/Week) Patient Service Representative (Full Time - 35 Hours/Week) ...and many others! This one-day event offers candidates the opportunity to meet our team and discuss potential opportunities. Click here to schedule your time slot. Your future awaits!
01 Nov, 2023
In honor of National Native American Heritage Month, we are excited to announce our new partnership with Pequot Health Care. We feel honored that they have chosen “Root” to be their healthcare provider of choice for addiction and mental health treatment! Pequot Health Care is a wholly-owned business of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, long recognized as a leader in managing health care plans for Native American tribes and other commercial enterprises. This partnership will serve members and employees of Tribal Nations. We look forward to welcoming these new patients to Root! More details on this exciting new venture to come soon. Pictured from left to right: Heather Mars, Pequot Health Care Communications Manager, Christopher Manzi, Pequot Health Care President, Dr. Setu Vora, Pequot Health Care Chief Medical Officer, Steven Zuckerman, Root Center President and CEO, Jenn Succi, Root Center Chief Financial Officer, and Ben Metcalf, Root Center Chief Operations Officer. 
13 Oct, 2023
We are so excited to announce our next Community Forum, coming up on November, 16th! This next forum will be a discussion on, "The Future of Psychedelics and Mental Health Treatment." We have an eclectic group of panelists who bring a breadth of experience and knowledge on this interesting topic that is growing in prominence across mental health recovery and treatment. Our panelists include: Peter Grayson, LCDP Founder of The Flow Initiative/ Psychedelic Assisted Sobriety in NYC, Director of Addiction and Recovery at Nushama Psychedelic Wellness Clinic in NYC. Jeffrey Quamme, MS, IAADC, ICCS, CNE, CNC Chief Executive Officer, Connecticut Certification Board. Ireon LeBeauf, PhD, MD Physician, Chief Resident UCONN Psychiatry Department. Dr. Saud Anwar State Senator, Deputy President Pro Tempore, Medical Doctor specializing in lung diseases and critical care medicine, occupational and environmental medicine. Don Fertman Chairman Emeritus for The Phoenix Board of Directors, in long-term recovery 38 years. Surita Rao, M.B.B.S, M.D, FASAM Associate Professor and Director of the psychiatry residency training program, at the UConn Medical School, Dept. of Psychiatry. Psychiatrist specializing in addiction. This will be a moderated discussion with opportunity for questions and answers from the public. The event is free and open to the public, and hors d'oeuvres will be served. If you are attending in-person, this will be held at Manchester Clinic (second floor conference room): 335 Broad Street Manchester, Ct 06040 There will also be a virtual option to attend. To register in-person, please click here . To register virtually, please click here .
06 Oct, 2023
Wow! It has been a busy past few months for construction on our many new clinics opening up in 2024, and Middletown is moving especially fast! Earlier this year, in February, we broke ground on what will be the FIRST clinic to offer Methadone in Middlesex County. We are so proud to be expanding our footprint in the state of Connecticut to be able to offer more access to mental health and addiction services. We take pride in all of our facilities having state-of-the-art design to make patients and staff feel dignified and proud when they walk into the clinics. With the help of Tecton Architects , we are redefining what it looks like to recover. We want to make sure that our healthcare facilities look no different than any other type of establishment that someone would go to to seek care. This new clinic will be at 392 Washington Street in Middletown. We anticipate a groundbreaking ceremony in late winter or early spring. Want an interactive tour? Check this out !
28 Sep, 2023
On September 28th, 2023, we officially broke ground on our newest clinic in Hartford. This new clinic, at 35 Lafayette Street, will replace our current clinic on Main Street (named Doctors Clinic). We feel that our previous clinic no longer meets the needs of patients and staff, and does not reflect what we believe recovery looks like. Many times, mental health and addiction clinics are hidden in the shadows. We want our staff and patients to feel proud and dignified when they walk into this healthcare facility, because that is exactly what it is... a healthcare facility. Mental health IS health, and we need to start seeing it, and treating it, as such. Our goal at the Root Center is to continue creating state-of-the-art facilities that resemble any other type of location that someone would go to for primary care, cardiology, or whatever their healthcare needs may be. Recovery is possible, and most of all, it is beautiful.
31 Aug, 2023
August 31st, was International Overdose Awareness Day, and we were proud to host a Remembrance Ceremony in memory of all those we have lost to overdose. In the last year, there have been 1,452 overdose deaths. To honor those lives, we started a tradition of planting something new in our Memorial Garden on this day, every year going forward. Our Memorial Garden was also opened on this day last year. This year, we planted a beautiful a purple leaf plum tree (see below). We would like thank everyone who attended, and spoke at the ceremony, like Senator Saud Anwar (pictured above on right next to Steven Zuckerman, Root Center President and CEO on left), Manchester Mayor Jay Moran, State Representative Justin Doucette, Senator MD Rahman, and our brave patient, Belmarie, who shared moving words about her own recovery with the Root Center. Another thank you to InterCommunity Health, as well, for bringing their Mobile Vaccine Clinic to offer free primary health care services to those in need. We also had providers on-site with free Narcan and fentanyl testing strips discussing usage and benefits. We appreciate those who joined us in remembering those lost, and also fighting for those still struggling. If you have not visited our Memorial Garden, we invite you to do so at your convenience. It is located at our Manchester Clinic, 335 Broad Street, Manchester, CT.
07 Aug, 2023
The Root Center has a podcast! Interested in mental health and addiction topics? Then this is the podcast for you! Recovery with Root is a new podcast that is now available on all major streaming platforms. This podcast delves into mental health and addiction topics, that anyone can listen to... no clinical background required! These are hot-button issues and current topics that we discuss with leading professionals, patients, counselors, elected officials, and many others. Our host, Margaux Farrell, is a former News Anchor and journalist, and she uses her interviewing skills to make this podcast accessible and engaging for all listeners. New episodes are released on the first Monday of every month. You can visit this link to listen and subscribe! Also, feel free to follow us on social media, and be sure to leave us comments about future topics you'd like to hear discussed.
17 Jul, 2023
The Root Center is proud to announce a new addition to the team, Geina Marrett, is now a Director of Operations! Geina came to Root Center from MCCA where she spent nearly five years working with the Residential Programs. Geina has 18 years of experience working in the substance use and mental health field and comes with a wealth of experience with PHP/IOP and OP programing. Geina's expertise is helping programs identify areas of growth and implementing ways to expand programming that best benefit the clientele served in the mental health and substance use community.  We are lucky to have her on our team!
10 Jul, 2023
The Root Center is proud to announce and welcome, Shelby Dumond, our new Director of Finance! Before joining Root Center, Shelby spent the past 9 years working as an auditor in the Public Accounting sector. During her time in Public Accounting, she worked with more than 20 organizations yearly, with a primary focus in healthcare and non-profit industries. Shelby’s experience has helped her gain a broad look at the financial structure of companies both large and small.  Shelby says she looks forward to bringing her diverse background of experience to help the organization expand and grow, but most importantly to provide our clients with the highest level of service!
12 May, 2023
It’s the time of year when we honor and celebrate a Root Center nurse who demonstrates “exceptional courage and devotion” by nominating them to be the recipient of the Nightingale Award for Nursing Excellence. This year, we are so pleased to announce that Root Center’s honoree for the 2023 Nightingale Award is Cherie Bochenko, PMHNP-BC. The Nightingale Award is the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve, so this is truly an impressive achievement! Cherie joined Root Center in March 2020, at the start of a once-in-a-century global pandemic, hitting the ground running, quickly becoming a pivotal and immensely valuable member of the Admissions team. Cherie has been a Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner for 5 years and a Registered Nurse for 14+ years, working in a variety of settings, including extensive experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities, mental health diagnoses, and substance use disorders. Cherie models exemplary clinical judgement and her experience and expertise has helped shaped her ability to act as a valuable resource to clinical & medical staff across Root Center. In the Admissions Department, Cherie meets all incoming patients where they are at in regard to their individual journey of recovery, adapting her approach with expertise to help design a plan of care best suited for them. Cherie’s patient-centered approach and commitment to addressing the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of opioid use disorder is unmatched—-she is a true patient advocate. Cherie is also recognized for her advanced teamworking and communication skills—her Admissions Dept. teammates can attest to her sunny disposition, her willingness to lend a helping hand, and her unwavering support of our community. Learn more about Cherie in this short video, and please join us in celebrating Cherie for this accomplishment and for representing Root Center as this year’s Nightingale Award honoree!
27 Apr, 2023
The Advanced Recovery Institute, a new entity of the Root Center for Advanced Recovery dedicated to research and training to elevate clinical care, will be hosting its next Community Forum.  This session’s topic will be on, “Marijuana and The Impacts on Teen Mental Health and Development.” We have a great set of panelists joining us with very eclectic backgrounds. The date is set for 5/24 from 6-8pm. It will be in-person at our Manchester location (335 Broad Street) on the 2nd floor (limited seating, so first registered, first served), and also on Zoom (unlimited). In-Person Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marijuana-and-the-impacts-on-teen-mental-health-and-development-tickets-625216849427 Virtual Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marijuana-and-the-impacts-on-teen-mental-health-and-development-tickets-625228955637
18 Apr, 2023
In April, we had a great day at the beautiful Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington. Our Board of Directors, Executive Leadership Team, and Directors, all came together for a 3-year strategic planning retreat. We brainstormed ideas on how to continue to grow and improve the Root Center for Advanced Recovery in the years to come, and the future looks exciting! “It was such an amazing day for me to bear witness to the immense knowledge and enthusiasm of our leadership and Board,” said Root CEO/President, Steven Zuckerman. “Everyone came together so cohesively to discuss the future of Root.” We believe that coming together as a team helps strengthen our organization so that we can continue to better serve our clients, staff, and the future of recovery in the years to come. 
18 Apr, 2023
At the Hartford Planning & Zoning Commission meeting and Public Hearing in April, Root received UNANIMOUS approval to build a new site on Lafayette street, currently existing as parking lots, with the end goal of relocating our Main Street clinic operations to this new location. There were ZERO public comments that came forth against this plan during the hearing.  “We are beyond excited for our patients, staff, and ultimately, the Hartford community, to be able to bring this new state of the art healthcare facility to our capital,” said Steven Zuckerman , Root Center President & CEO. More to come on renderings and anticipated opening date!
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