Valley Council proposes "community care hub" and warns Medicaid rule changes will affect thousands

Nancy Hampson, executive director of the Valley Council for Health and Human Services, told the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments board that the organization is expanding a regional referral system to connect residents to food, housing, transportation and other services.

"Health and well-being is more than health care," Hampson said, describing the Valley Council as a "connector and convener" of more than 50 organizations. She highlighted the group's 2025 Valley Community Index and said the council has built a coordinated referral line on the Unite Us platform to reduce repeated intake and link residents with multiple supports.

Hampson warned of pending state Medicaid changes that will affect low-income residents: "in the 7 towns that we serve, it's about 6,400 folks," she said, and added that across 19 towns the changes will affect roughly 24,000 people, with about 11,000 in Waterbury. She asked municipal leaders to help share coordinated messaging, offer public spaces for outreach events, and consider levels of partnership ranging from distributing flyers to hosting individualized assistance through partner agencies.

The presentation emphasized outreach and training to help residents meet new requirements (work, volunteer, training, or part‑time schooling plus renewal) and invited municipalities and agencies to join the Valley Council's Medicaid initiative and to use the organization's website for up-to-date resources.