Graphic: Zero to Three (2019) How to talk about infant and early childhood mental health. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/2674-how-to-talk-about-

infant-and-early-childhood-mental-health

What makes the Early Care & Learning Council’s (ECLC) project unique is an intentional focus on service to infants and toddlers, ages 0 to 36 months.

11

ECLC’s Infant & Toddler Mental Health (ITMH) Project

Infant & Toddler Mental Health Project in New York State

ECLC’s Project Vision: Long-term, sustainable improvement in the mental health of New York State’s infants and toddlers through mental health consultation: building the capacity of adults in children’s lives and equipping caregivers to facilitate children’s healthy growth and development.

“Early Childhood Mental Health is not the absence of mental illness, but rather the presence of a feeling of safety and emotional security, comfort in connecting with trusted others, confidence in one’s developmental trajectory, an

expectation that dependency needs will be met, and an assumption of one’s right to move, explore, and communicate.”

WestEd (2019). Program for Infant Toddler Care

Infant, and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is a partnership between a mental health professional and an early childhood professional or program that:

Is rooted in relationship-based practices

Aims to improve the child’s social,

emotional, and behavioral health and

development

Uses skill- and relationship-building efforts

with the adult(s) in the child’s life. 3,4

Most of the Mental Health Consultation programs in Early Childhood focus on the 3 to 5-year-old range.

ITMH Project Purpose: To create a cross-systems, state-wide model of quality infant toddler mental health consultation that will ensure a high level of positive impact that is both comprehensive and measurable, including: improvement in children’s social and emotional functioning; reduction of challenging behaviors; reduction of suspensions and expulsions of children of color.

With support from OCFS, and the Child Care Development Block Grant Funding, ECLC has:

Hired and Infant Toddler Mental Health Director (ITMH) Director, and a Director of Research and Evaluation to co-direct project activities.

Collaborated with the New York Association for Infant Mental Health to support Infant Toddler Specialist in initiating the process to obtain their Infant Family Associate Endorsement.

Established a collaboration with New York Center for Child Development and Docs for Tots for to support the implementation of the statewide CCR&R ITMH Project.

References, and For More Information: 1. Gilliam, W (2014). What could make less sense than expelling a preschooler? Retrieved from https://psychologybenefits.org/2014/12/13/preschool-expulsions/ ;2. The RAINE Group (2015). Early childhood mental health consultation: Protects and maximizes our national investment in early care and education. Retrieved from http://indigoculturalcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/RAINE-ecmhc_infographics_finalF_Proof5.pdf ; 3. Zero to Three (2017) The basics of infant and early childhood mental health: A briefing paper. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1951-the-basics-of-infant-and-early-childhood-mental-health-a-briefing-paper ; 4. Zero to Three (2017). Infant and early childhood mental health consultation: A briefing paper. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1952-infant-and-early-childhood-mental-health-consultation-a-briefing-paper

In 2020:

Up to 35 ITMHC will be hired, statewide, at CCR&R agencies.

The Infant Toddler Mental Health Consultants will: Collaborate with Infant Toddler Specialists

to promote healthy socio-emotional skills and practices

Work with providers, and early childhood teachers to better understand mental health risk factors, and enhance their skills to better support children and the classroom environment.

*Please note: Current available research explores mental health consultation at an early childhood-level, and utilizes the acronym “ECMHC” or “IECMHC” as a result, which you will see noted below. As our project focuses on services to infants and toddlers, we will use “ITMHC” once there is data to share*

Investing in Infant & Toddler Mental Health Changes Lives

Prevention of expulsion, including among young children of color 2

Reductions in children’s problem behavior and increases in their social skills 2

Families missed less work and had lower parenting stress after ECMHC improved parent-provider communication and collaboration 2

Improvements in teacher-child interactions lead to improved quality of classroom climate associated with ECMHC 2

Decreases in teachers’ stress and lower rates turnover associated with ECMHC 2

The positive impact of Infant, and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) on children and families, teachers and child care programs has been well established in large-scale evaluations, and includes:

www.earlycareandlearning.org

January 2020 Publication

“Recent research shows [early childhood mental health consultation] to be cost-effective for reducing the challenging behaviors that often lead to expulsions and suspensions while building teachers’ skills sets…If the supportive consultation

could be provided within the infant and toddler years – before preschool – that would be ideal.” 1

Dr. Walter Gilliam

Next Steps