Council confirms two appointments, hears Silver Hill funding update
Town Council · Meeting of January 21, 2026
New Canaan Town Council hears Silver Hill funding for youth mental health program has dropped to $40,000. Dr. Gerber, president and medical director at Silver Hill Hospital, and colleagues Jason Pillo and Liz Moore told the council the town's contribution fell from roughly $250,000 in the program's first year to $50,000, then to $40,000 this cycle, with Silver Hill absorbing the rest of a program that costs up to $330,800 annually.
Officials said two-thirds to three-quarters of patients are young people, and Pillo noted a 2024 spike in visits "followed two very tragic suicides here in the town of New Canaan." The council also unanimously confirmed Jan Schaefer to the Board of Finance and Thomas Brunner to the Ethics Board.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 787 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of January 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
NEW CANAAN — January 21, 2026 — Silver Hill Hospital officials told the Town Council on Wednesday that the town's contribution to a shared youth mental health crisis assessment program has fallen from $250,000 in its early years to $40,000 this budget cycle, even as demand from teenagers continues to drive the program's caseload.
The council also unanimously confirmed two appointments during its regular meeting: the reappointment of Jan Schaefer to the Board of Finance for a two-year term ending December 1, 2027, and the appointment of Thomas Brunner to the Ethics Board for a three-year term ending December 1, 2028.
The Full Story
Three Silver Hill Hospital representatives, Dr. Gerber, president and medical director; Jason Pillo, director of strategic partnerships; and Liz Moore, director of community relations, walked the council through five years of data on the hospital's rapid-access mental health assessment program, which serves New Canaan alongside Weston and Westport. New Canaan currently holds three and a half of the program's weekly appointment slots, compared with half a slot for Weston and one full slot for Westport. Pillo said the program, which began in 2022, saw a sharp rise in visits in September and October of 2024 that followed two tragic suicides in New Canaan.
Officials said the town's direct funding for the program has declined steadily: from roughly $250,000 in the program's first year, when it was largely underwritten by federal pandemic relief funds, to $50,000 for two subsequent years, and to $40,000 in the current budget cycle. The full annual cost of the program has ranged between $295,000 and $330,800, with Silver Hill Hospital absorbing the difference. Barb, chair of the town's Health and Human Services Commission, said the program began four years ago as a partnership between the town and the New Canaan Community Foundation. This year's $40,000 town contribution is split between $15,000 from the town's human services budget and $25,000 from state opioid settlement funds, according to Marcy, the town's director of human services.
Gerber said two-thirds to three-quarters of patients in the program are young people, and that depression and anxiety are the two most common presenting complaints, followed by mood dysregulation and, among younger children, behavioral dysregulation. Participation in insurance billing is voluntary, and Pillo said the hospital collects roughly $5,000 a year in insurance reimbursement for about 100 assessments, an average of about $50 per claim. Council member Kim Norton asked about the voluntary insurance policy; Gerber and Pillo said most families do opt to have insurance billed, citing figures of 43 of 49 patients in 2022 and 111 of roughly 120 patients in 2023.
Council members pressed the presenters on outreach, insurance access and coordination with police, EMS and schools. Moore said the program dropped the word "urgent" from its original name, the Urgent Assessment Program, to avoid discouraging families who are not in crisis from seeking help early, and said the most recent quarter saw an influx of 15-year-old boys, the largest single demographic group served. One council member suggested a public panel with the New Canaan Library, similar to a past volunteer open house, to raise awareness of the program.
"Those months followed two very tragic suicides here in the town of New Canaan." — Jason Pillo, director of strategic partnerships, Silver Hill Hospital
"The mental health needs, particularly of our young people, but of people of all ages, are rising rather than going down." — Dr. Gerber, president and medical director, Silver Hill Hospital
"We will be getting it until about 2039, and it's not a fixed amount." — Marcy, director of human services, on state opioid settlement funds
Why It Matters
New Canaan's financial commitment to the Silver Hill assessment program has dropped by $210,000 since the program launched, even as officials say need remains high among teenagers and young adults. The gap is currently covered by Silver Hill Hospital itself, Westport's addition as a funding partner, and opioid settlement money the town expects to receive in declining amounts through roughly 2039. As the council enters budget season, that funding structure, and whether the town's share should rise, is likely to resurface when the Health and Human Services Committee and Board of Finance subcommittee meet January 30.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Approval of minutes from the December 17, 2025 regular meeting Tally: Approved unanimously
- Vote: Reappointment of Jan Schaefer to the Board of Finance, two-year term ending December 1, 2027 Tally: Approved unanimously
- Vote: Appointment of Thomas Brunner to the Ethics Board, three-year term ending December 1, 2028 Tally: Approved unanimously
- Vote: Motion to adjourn Tally: Approved unanimously
Source
Town Of New Canaan: Town Council meeting, January 21, 2026