| What
is Early Childhood Mental Health?
As attention to early childhood mental health has increased,
some people question the use of the term “mental health”
in connection with young children, given the stigma still associated
with mental illness. Can infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers
even be mentally ill and, secondly, even if they can, why would
we want to attach such a label to a child that might stick with
him or her for a long time and negatively affect the way others
respond to the child? Why call it early childhood mental health?
To begin with, mental illness and mental health are not the same
thing, even though they are often closely connected because, for
example, agencies that treat mental illness often have the words
“mental health” in their names. But one term focuses
on a problem (illness), while the other focuses on something positive
(health). When we talk about “early childhood mental health,”
we are not primarily talking about bipolar disorder, major depression,
or even oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder, even
though it is possible that some of the young children served by
early childhood mental health initiatives will develop those illnesses.
Rather, we are referring to the positive results of intervening
early before problems develop into something more serious. Simply
put, early childhood mental health is the same as healthy social
and emotional development in young children, encompassing things
like learning to express and regulate emotions, forming close
and secure personal relationships, and exploring and learning
about their environment (paraphrased from the definition
developed by Zero to Three’s Infant Mental Health Task Force
and used by Pennsylvania’s Infant-Toddler Mental Health
Project.) So why don’t we call it “early childhood
social and emotional development?” Besides that being quite
a mouthful, the language of mental health is important not only
for its educational value in combating stigma against mental health
problems, but also for its implicit reminder that if we don’t
do our job with prevention with young children, their problems
may require more serious interventions later in life. We truly
do want them to develop good “mental health” in the
most positive sense of that term.
Early
Childhood Mental Health Initiatives in Pennsylvania, May
2008
This first
edition of a periodic update contains information about the
December 2007 Infant-Toddler Mental Health Symposium, as well
as brief summaries of a number of other ECMH-related initiatives.
It is designed to be printed and distributed to interested people
as appropriate.
- Briefing
Report from Pennsylvania’s Infant-Toddler Mental Health
Symposium, December 2007
Early Childhood Mental Health Advisory
Committee Meets for the First Time
On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, the newly-formed statewide Early Childhood
Mental Health Advisory Committee met for the first time in Harrisburg.
As a sign of the intense interest in early childhood mental health,
approximately 55 people attended the first meeting. Even more
individuals expressed interest in being part of the committee
but were unable to attend.
The meeting was planned and hosted by four program offices in
the Department of Public Welfare: Office of Child Development
and Early Learning, Office of Children, Youth and Families, Office
of Medical Assistance Programs, and Office of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services. These four offices also collaborated
in planning the Infant-Toddler Mental Health Symposium held in
December 2007, which motivated the development of this advisory
committee as a way to carry forward the momentum created by that
event . The planning committee also hopes to involve the Office
of Developmental Programs in the future.
Estelle Richman, Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare,
welcomed members to the new committee and highlighted the importance
of focused attention on the social and emotional needs of very
young children. OMHSAS Deputy Secretary Joan Erney also expressed
her support for the committee and its goal of “ensuring
that coordinated mental health services are available for young
children across the Commonwealth.”
In addition to receiving the charge for its work from Secretary
Richman and Deputy Secretary Erney, the committee chose three
topics in early childhood mental health as beginning priorities.
Committee members each chose a topic and worked together in small
groups to develop strategies for addressing these topics. The
three focus areas are prevention and intervention, workforce development,
and communication and collaboration. Infused into the work on
each of these priorities will be an emphasis on engaging parents
and family members, funding issues, program evaluation and diversity.
A nominating committee was also appointed to assist in selecting
the first co-chairs of the advisory committee. The next meeting
will be held in September 2008, beginning a regular quarterly
schedule of meetings.
Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood
Mental Health Consultation Project
The Office
of Child Development and Early Learning and the Office of
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services are partnering to promote
healthy social and emotional development in young children. The
two offices have combined resources to establish an Early Childhood
Mental Health Consultation Project to serve infants and toddlers
birth to age three in early care and learning centers. Originally
funded by grants and operating in three regions of the state,
the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Project has expanded
statewide during fiscal year 2007/08. There are Early Childhood
Mental Health consultants in each of the six
regional Keys that serve early learning programs in Pennsylvania.
The consultants help staff at early care and learning centers
by observing children and program practices, developing goals
and strategies to enhance the practitioners’ capacity to
encourage positive relationships, creating a learning environment
that promotes positive behaviors, and addressing the needs of
children who are experiencing behavioral challenges. As a resource
to the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants, a child psychiatrist
is available for clinical consultation. In addition, collaboration
between county children’s mental health systems and the
consultants is encouraged when young children need to be referred
to the mental health system.
Resources on Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
- Characteristics
of Effective Mental Health Consultation in Early Childhood Settings:
Multilevel Analysis of a National Survey, by B. Green, M. Everhart,
L. Gordon, and M. G. Gettman. Published in 2006 in Topics in Early
Childhood Special Education (Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 142-152).
- Early
Childhood Mental Health Consultation, by E. Cohen and R. Kaufmann.
Volume 1 of 2005 series on Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention
of Mental Health and Behavioral Disorders, published by the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- Early
Childhood Mental Health Consultation: A Developing Profession,
by M. Allen, E. Brennan, B. Green, K. Hepburn & R. Kaufmann.
Published in the Winter 2008 edition of Focal Point, a publication
of the Research and Training Center in Family Support and Children’s
Mental Health, Portland State University.
- Early
Childhood Mental Health Consultation: An Evaluation Tool Kit,
by K. Hepburn, et al. Published in 2007 by the National Technical
Assistance Center at Georgetown University, and the Research and
Training Center in Family Support and Children’s Mental
Health at Portland State University.
Additional Resources on Early Childhood Mental Health
- Child, Family and Community Core Competencies: Competencies
for Infant-Toddler and Early Childhood Mental Health Professionals,
by M. Hansen, C. Anderson, S. Peters, M. Lindblad-Goldberg &
D. Marsh. Published in 1999 by the former PA CASSP Training and
Technical Assistance Institute. Contact hsb5@psu.edu
for a copy.
- Helping
Young Children Succeed: Strategies to Promote Early Childhood
Social and Emotional Development, by J. Choen, N. Onunaku,
S. Clothier & J. Poppe. Published in 2005 by the National
Conference of State Legislators and Zero to Three.
- Improving
maternal and infant mental health: Focus on maternal depression,
by N. Onunaku. Published in 2005 by Zero to Three: National Center
for Infants, Toddlers and Families.
- Program-Wide
Positive Behavior Support: Supporting Young Children’s
Social-Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior,
by L. Fox, S. Jack & L. Broyles. Published in 2005 by the
University of South Florida’s Mental Health Institute.
- Promising
Practices in Early Childhood Mental Health, by J. Simpson,
P. Jivanjee, N. Koroloff & M. Garcia. Volume III in the 2001
Series on Promising Practices in Children’s Mental Health,
published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- Putting
It Together: Providing Mental Health Services in Early Intervention,
by S. Burns, V. Stagg, and B. Brennermon. Published in 1999 as
a CASSP Monograph.
- Reducing
maternal depression and its impact on children: Toward a responsive
early childhood policy framework, by J. Knitzer, S. Theberge,
S. & K. Johnson. Published in 2008 by the National Center
for Children in Poverty at Columbia University.
- The
Social and Emotional Development of Young Children, March
2008 edition of the PA?CASSP?Newsletter, published by the Office
of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Children’s
Behavioral Health Services.
- What
Is Infant Mental Health?
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