Programs and Projects
Early Childhood Mental Health and Social-Emotional Development
Young children's social, emotional and mental health is critical to overall healthy child development. Children begin to develop social and emotional competencies early in life, which includes the ability to regulate emotions, take initiative and form healthy relationships. The best-practices approach to addressing early childhood mental health is based on the developmental needs of children and their families and not limited to traditional therapy in an office. Much of the work occurs in natural settings such as child care programs and the home. In addition, the focus of interventions is most often relationships, rather than the individual child because children develop in the context of relationships.Major Goals:
Colorado has been working on early childhood mental health programs and initiatives for over ten years and is home to some of the nation’s leading experts in early childhood mental health. JFK Partners has led significant efforts in the state towards development of Colorado’s Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Mental Health, and towards the following goals:
- Enhancing recognition of the importance of preventing mental health problems at an early age
- Increasing information on the status of Colorado’s young children’s social, emotional and behavioral health
- Changing the way professionals who work with young children view their role and potential to support children’s social, emotional and behavioral health
- Recognizing that the traditional mental health services do not adequately meet the needs of very young children and their families
- Developing a comprehensive system for early childhood that includes mental health as an essential domain
From 2002-2008, JFK Partners led Project BLOOM in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services. Project BLOOM was the nation’s first early childhood focused system-of-care initiative through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services Program. Several initiatives stemmed from the work of Project BLOOM, on which JFK Partners’ faculty has continued involvement and leadership:
- Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation to Early Care and Education: training, technical assistance and policy development
- Early childhood mental health competency and professional development
- Training in the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health & Developmental Disorders of Infancy & Early Childhood (DC:0-3R)
- State policy work related to infant and early childhood social, emotional, behavioral and mental health
- Linking and Aligning: care coordination for integration of behavioral and primary health care
Products resulting from this work:
ABC's of Young Children's Well-Being (English) (Spanish)
Colorado’s Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Mental Health
ECMH Consultation Resource and Sustainability Toolkit
Here I Am! - Baby's emotions
Social-Emotional Screening Executive Summary
Social-Emotional Screening Report
Social-Emotional Training Environmental Scan
Social-Emotional Training Table
Understanding Children's Mental Health
Training Mental Health Clinicians to Serve Young Children: Recommendations from a Training Needs Assessment
Funding Sources:
Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation (2008-2010)
Colorado Department of Human Services Division of Behavioral Health (2009-2010)
Contact Information:
Sarah Hoover, M.Ed.
JFK Partners
13121 E. 17th Ave., C234
Aurora, CO 80045
Sarah.hoover@ucdenver.edu
303-724-7635
JFK Faculty contributing to these initiatives:
Sarah Hoover, MEd
Cordelia Robinson, PhD, RN
Kelly Stainback-Tracy, MPH, PT
