Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut Announces new Chief Executive Officer
NEW LONDON, Conn. (February 22, 2023) – Child and Family Agency of Southeastern CT, Inc. (CFA), a leading social service provider in southern and eastern CT, today announced a new Chief Executive Officer effective April 1, 2023.
Lisa Otto, LCSW, will replace Dr. Allison Blake, CFA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2019.
Dr. Blake has played an integral role in providing steadfast leadership, catalyzing and managing change to modernize, strengthen, and grow CFA and its impact on the Connecticut community.
In 2021, Dr. Blake led CFA in launching three new programs, Healthy Futures, CFA’s new medical service, the Community Bridge Clinic, and the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Initiative. In 2022, she helped CFA further expand the Agency’s behavioral health services by introducing a new Community Navigator at the Public Library of New London, increasing CFA’s presence in New London and Groton Public Schools, launching new mental health services at Ledyard Gallop Hill School in Ledyard, CT, and introducing mental health services for children and youth in Colchester, CT. In 2023, she oversaw the Agency’s Urgent Crisis Center contract, making CFA the first provider in southern Connecticut to offer 24/7 crisis intervention, diagnostics, treatment planning, and service linkage to support long-term stabilization to children and youth.
Dr. Blake’s leadership further allowed CFA to expand the Agency’s service area and access to our programming by relocating CFA’s Essex Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic to Westbrook, CT, and establishing a fourth outpatient behavioral health clinic in Pawcatuck, CT.
The staff and Board of CFA thank Dr. Allison Blake for her passion, commitment, and courageous leadership.
Lisa Otto and Dr. Blake have worked closely together to prepare for this transition.
Otto steps into this new role as CEO after twenty years with the Agency, most recently serving CFA as Chief Operating Officer (COO). As COO, Otto oversees all of CFA’s extensive behavioral health, medical, child welfare, early education, and family resource programming, in addition to leading the grant writing team for regional, state, and federal grants, resulting in significant program expansion for CFA. She implemented numerous evidence-based practices, including Functional Family Therapy (FFT), Multi-dimensional Family Therapy, and Visit Coaching. As a National Consultant for FFT, she has provided training, consultation, and fidelity oversight for dozens of agencies across the US and Canada.
CFA’s Board of Directors is excited to welcome Lisa Otto as the new CEO, confident she will enthusiastically engage the staff, Board, and community in achieving great successes for CFA and its clients. Terry Burbank, Board Chair of CFA, says, “I am delighted that Lisa will be our new CEO. Her passion and experience, as well as the respect she has earned internally and externally, position CFA for great success under her leadership. She is adept at helping others understand the positive impact of the services CFA provides and will be an exceptional advocate and leader for CFA.”
For more information, please contact Ellie Lambert at (860) 437-4550 x 1406 or [email protected]