How Are You? Town of Wilton Launches Resident Surveys to Identify Mental Health Needs and Guide Support Services

The Town of Wilton is taking its temperature.

The Wilton Community Needs Assessment (CNA) — a comprehensive study of residents’ health and well-being — is now underway to identify areas where residents need support and help direct resources toward programs and services they need most.

The CNA has been years in the making but officially kicked off on Oct. 1. Wilton’s Social Services Department is leading the project in close collaboration with the Wilton Police Department and Board of Education, as well as the Wilton Youth Council (WYC), its Mental Health Task Force and other community stakeholders.

The assessment is expected to help the town, schools and community organizations set priorities, make funding decisions and seek grants to address needs documented by the surveys.

The assessment includes separate surveys for adults and students in grades 6-12, with findings expected to be shared in January.

Understanding What Affects Mental Health

At the Board of Selectmen’s Monday, Oct. 5 meeting, Wilton Social Services Director Stephanie Rowe explained why an initiative first presented as a survey assessing mental health now examines broader community needs.

Rowe said that accurately gauging residents’ mental health also requires understanding other circumstances affecting people and their barriers to getting help.

“So this was always obvious to me because you can’t ask somebody if they’re happy or if they’re depressed and not try to find correlation,” Rowe said.

For example, she said, identifying transportation barriers could help her seek a grant to address them, improving residents’ access to support.

“So without knowing the answers to the entire community, how am I supposed to help mental health?” she said.

Rowe said the assessment asks questions similar to those that her department uses when residents proactively seek assistance, including questions about transportation, community connections and access to mental health services. But the survey is intended to reach beyond those already coming through the department’s doors.

“I only see the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

Rowe also emphasized that Social Services provides mental health referrals to residents of all ages and income levels, countering a misconception that the department serves only people who qualify for financial assistance.

“A Long Time Coming”

Rowe told GOOD Morning Wilton that she is thrilled to see the project finally get off the ground. Rowe began advocating for it almost immediately after stepping into the director’s role in 2024.

“I’ve been told before I was the director, it was an idea that was floating around, but never came to fruition,” Rowe said. “It’s a long time coming.” 

As Rowe noted, the concept for the CNA had been discussed in Wilton for some time. Some elected officials, notably Second Selectman Ross Tartell, and members of the Wilton Youth Council were among the voices calling for a community-wide assessment in the early post-pandemic years.

“We at Wilton Youth Council believe this is a vital tool to help our community —  including the town, schools, and community organizations like ours — better understand, and thus serve, the needs of Wilton residents,” WYC Chair Kim Hall said.  

WPD Deputy Chief Rob Cipolla praised Rowe’s leadership on the project and said it would be a “critical tool” for the police department.

“While we’ve certainly worked together on the [CNA], Stephanie has steered the ship,” Cipolla wrote in an email to GMW. “I am grateful for her collaboration and can-do attitude. Wilton is very lucky to have her heading up our Social Services Department.”

A Data-Driven Approach

Rowe’s plan crystallized after she learned about similar studies in nearby towns, notably New Canaan. Her discussions with the New Canaan Behavioral Health Alliance led her to engage Nina Chanana of Chanana Consulting, who has significant experience in helping municipalities assess their residents’ needs.

The CNA will include two surveys — one conducted by Chanana for Wilton’s adult population, and a “Youth Voices Count Survey,” designed specifically for Wilton students in grades 6-12.

The Town purposely sought outside consultants to ensure professional design and execution of the surveys, while Town departments and other stakeholders provided extensive input for the questionnaire.

While it is estimated at just 10 minutes to complete, the adult survey covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Community belonging — participation in faith, civic, cultural and other groups, and volunteerism
• Awareness and use of mental health, disability, educational, financial, healthcare and other support services
• Attitudes and beliefs about local support
• Health and well-being concerns and barriers
• Perceptions of youth health, well-being, safety and behaviors
• Other topics such as substance use, caregiving and financial stress

Residents can respond anonymously and may skip questions they don’t wish to answer.

As noted in the introduction to the survey, Wilton will use the data to “guide funding decisions” and “strategies, programs, and policies that support health, wellness, and prevention.”

In her Sept. 27 update to residents, First Selectman Toni Boucher urged residents to respond to the survey, which she said would lead to “better, more informed decisions about town programs and services.”

Youth Needs

The Youth Voices Count survey is being conducted by B. Weyland Smith Consulting and facilitated by the Wilton school district.

The survey of students in grades 6-12 explores their experiences and feelings about mental health, social media, gaming, gambling and substance use. To encourage participation and honesty, the introduction to the survey assures students about the anonymity of their responses, including “There are no names or IP addresses collected. The company cannot connect your answers to who you are. No one in your school and community will see any individual responses to the survey.”

Still, students do have the right to opt out of the survey. Parents may also request to see the specific questions students will be asked.

While the youth and adult surveys are completely different, Hall said both are necessary and broad participation is important.

“Youth health and mental health are impacted by the family’s and community’s health as well,” she wrote in a statement to GMW. “Understanding where things work well and where we need more focus and attention can help create a healthier community overall, which benefits our youth.”

“A strong response rate will help us understand what our community’s current strengths are and where additional focus is warranted,” Hall continued. “We hope to leverage the data to identify focus areas for programming, so we keep what works and can address areas where residents may be seeking more support.”

Funding

The surveys cost $15,000. In March, the Board of Selectmen approved using funds from Wilton’s opioid settlement fund rather than local tax revenue. At that time, the opioid fund balance was reported to be $175,945, with approximately $190,000 more expected over the next 12 years.

Although the funds are earmarked for addiction prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery efforts, there is broad discretion on what qualifies. Because the needs assessment addresses substance issues, the project qualified for the funding, even though the scope of the study is broader.

Chanana applauded Wilton’s decision to deploy the opioid funds for a CNA.

“Kudos to Wilton for utilizing the opioid settlement funds to fund this project. It’s such an appropriate use of those funds,” she said. “Many communities are still sort of struggling with what to use them for. But I can’t think of a better purpose, to start by collecting data and information to guide communities.”

Not Just Another Report on the Shelf

In addition to the CNA’s expected role in prioritizing programs and services, Chanana emphasized another potential use for the data: applying for grants.

“There are so many opportunities for bringing in outside funding. But if you don’t have the data to show the need, you’re not going to get those funds,” she said. “For years, I think Wilton has probably been excluded from some of that because they haven’t been able to provide that kind of up-to-date, relevant data.”

Chanana says that’s also true for school districts seeking grants.

“I hear this a lot, especially from schools, we know what the issues are, we know what the problems are,” she said. “Not to dispute that [but] that’s not going to get you anything if you don’t have the data to back it up. When people are giving you money, they need to see quantitative data.”

Chanana said that, in her experience, CNA findings are most useful when they’re broken down by subgroups.

“When you can create information that’s very relevant to certain interest groups or action groups within that community, it’s a lot easier to digest and decide the next steps,” she said.

“What often does sit on the shelf is the larger report with just a lot of charts and data,” Chanana continued. “Overall, here’s what folks in Wilton are saying, but are we seeing a different response when we look at older adults [or] parents or our young adults… That’s really where it starts to get much more impactful and relevant.”

Cipolla also sees the CNA as mission-critical for WPD.

“The CNA will serve as a critical tool in informing future funding decisions, ensuring that investments are targeted and responsive to the unique challenges faced by the Wilton community,” Cipolla wrote.

“By ensuring that funding decisions are informed by a thorough understanding of local needs, we can more effectively address the identified problems and foster lasting, positive change in our community,” Cipolla continued. “This is directly correlated to our mission of preserving the quality of life in the Town of Wilton by honoring the value and dignity of every person.”