In 1977, a group of psychiatrists and social workers from the Massachusetts Mental Health Center and Harvard Medical School decided that they needed to help people with psychiatric conditions, many of whom in those days lived in hospitals, learn to live as members of the community. They founded Vinfen as a nonprofit company and established one of the first group homes to help people transition to community living. Vinfen began with a mission of helping people with mental health conditions live healthy, satisfying, productive, and valued lives as full members of their community. Today that mission is the same, although we have expanded the populations we serve, our geography, and have continuously adopted advancing science-based clinical and rehabilitation technology to provide better services. 

In 1999, Vinfen was approached by the Connecticut Department of Developmental Disabilities and asked to submit a proposal for providing services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The proposal was accepted; and early in 2000, Vinfen Connecticut began providing services to eight individuals in three community living arrangements. 

Within the first year, Vinfen Connecticut developed a reputation for providing high-quality, person-centered services to help people live valued, productive lives in their communities. This led to an expansion in our services to provide day and employment services. We also began providing specialized, culturally sensitive services to Hispanic and Latino individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We created service-enriched housing options that felt like family homes. 

In 2006, Vinfen Connecticut broadened our scope of services to create programs for adolescents and adults with mental health conditions as a partner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.