Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

On Promoting, Preventing, Treating & Re/Claiming: From identified problems to optimal health

2012-02-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

Here is an issue of Healthy Generations that focuses on early childhood mental heatlh, providing over 40 pages a comprehensive overview. -gw
+

http://www.scribd.com/doc/80811206/Early-Childhood-Mental-Health

On Early Intervention: Evidence of the benefits

2012-02-16T13:00:00.001-08:00

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/news/
+

And from Bill, these NYT items on toxic stress and effective intervention. -gw
+

One successful example of early intervention is home visitation by childcare experts, like those from the Nurse-Family Partnership. This organization sends nurses to visit poor, vulnerable women who are pregnant for the first time. The nurse warns against smoking and alcohol and drug abuse, and later encourages breast-feeding and good nutrition, while coaxing mothers to cuddle their children and read to them. This program continues until the child is 2.

+

At age 6, studies have found, these children are only one-third as likely to have behavioral or intellectual problems as others who weren’t enrolled. At age 15, the children are less than half as likely to have been arrested.

+
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/opinion/sunday/kristof-a-poverty-solution-that-starts-with-a-hug.html
+

Changing that social structure is going to require many kinds of changes, but the point of this latest research is that we have to start early. By the time a child reaches kindergarten, it’s not exactly too late. But it’s certainly harder.

+
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/investing-in-early-childhood/

On Poverty and Toxic Stress: One plus one equals negative two

2012-02-16T12:49:00.001-08:00

This article reinforces the importance of early childhood interventions

+
http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2012/01/04/student-achievement-poverty-and-toxic-stress/
+

Thanks for passing this on, Ellen! -gw
+

On Wondering Together: The virtue of reflective practices

2012-02-07T16:17:00.001-08:00

In their recent book, Mental Health Consultation in Child Care, Johnston and Brinamen (2006) capture the principles and practices of the consultative stance essential for the collaborative and capacity building elements of early childhood mental health consultation. They describe the consultative stance as a "way of being" that highlights the mutual responsibilities and "shared endeavor" of the consultant and the staff, caregivers, or family members. By "wondering together", the consultant assists caregivers in understanding a child’s behavior and participating in changes that may promote, prevent, or intervene in the social emotional development or challenging behavior of young children. The consultative stance helps those involved with the child to explore their understanding of the child and family and consider new information or ideas. Through patience, perspective, and reflective learning, consultants use their relationships with the caregivers to build the capacity of the caregivers so that they can become empathic and responsive to a child in new and effective ways.

Early Childhood Mental Health Consutation
+

I presented at the Head Start Conference at Fort Worden this year on "Case Consultation to Support Reflective Practice in Home Visitation" to an audience of mostly Early Head Start homevisitors. Reflective practice sounds so mysterious, but it really is "wondering together." In EHS there is a commitment to line staff having the benefit of reflective supervision. Interestingly, in my faith community we come together for Reflection Meetings every three months. Reflective practices are widespread outside of the EHS community and are widely practiced within the human community. How many societies gather aroud a fire to wonder together before coming to make collective decisions? Wonder together is what we do as well at the Pennisulas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation group meetings. -gw

On the Impact of the Father on Early Childhood Mental Health: Strategies for engagement

2012-02-07T15:11:00.001-08:00

My friend Jay-Dub and his daughter

What is the impact of the father on early childhood mental health?
+

At the end of his moving testimony, Chuck told the committee, “I attribute much of who I am to the Head Start program and my life mission to be the father to my children that I never had in part is a result of the life‐lessons I learned while in Head Start.”

+
http://my.nhsa.org:8080/wordpress/?p=126
+

There are wonderful "fatherhood strategies" incorporated in this comprehensive and fairly recent powerpoint. -gw
+

http://www.nciom.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ECMH-6-24-11_Carmody-Quinn.pdf

On a 35-fold Increase in Children with Severe Mental Illness: Why?

2011-12-06T09:44:00.001-08:00

Robert Whitaker raises a disturbing question, but not so uncomfortable that we won't be taking it up at upcoming consultations -gw
+

The number of children who receive a federal payment because of a severe mental illness rose from 16,200 in 1987 to 561,569 in 2007, a 35-fold increase.

+
I wrote Anatomy of an Epidemic to investigate this epidemic, and this pursuit necessarily raises a very uncomfortable question. Although we, as a society, believe that psychiatric medications have "revolutionized" the treatment of mental illness, the disability numbers suggest a very different possibility. Could our drug-based paradigm of care, for some unforeseen reason, be fueling this epidemic?

+
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-whitaker/anatomy-of-an-epidemic-co_b_555572.html

On a Parent Speaks: I was told by doctors that I didn't know what I was talking about

2011-12-06T09:21:00.001-08:00

Being told by doctors I didn't know what I was talking about

She was there constantly advocating for him and supporting me

A new professional in the field who is also the parent of two children with autism shared her experiences at our October meeting. -gw

I always credit Blues Clues for my son's speech

They've learned more from technology than flashcards

On Paternal Depression: Babies with depressed dads are at risk of developing behavioural and social problems by the time they start school

2011-12-06T08:51:00.001-08:00

http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/newdad-depression-hurts-child-20111206-1oh9e.html

You do home visits. One house is always dark, curtains pulled, hardly any light except that coming from a movie on an enormous screen TV that dominates the living room. Both parents are there, but only physically. They are both in the throes of depression. -gw

On Learning to Relax: Guided imagery online

2011-12-06T08:37:00.001-08:00

How do you get the parent of a young, challenging child to relax? How do you get anybody "who needs it" to relax?
+

When he ws 12, my middle son, high strung by nature, learned to relax by listening to nature tapes on his shoebox cassette player. It was his discovery. It became how he went to sleep.
+

At Kitsap Mental Health yoga is offered for employees during the noon hour twice a week. Our yoga instructor, Kathleen, starts each session with calming, soothing guided imagery. Yoga's original purpose, after all, was to prepare a person for meditation.
+

Lucy Berliner of the Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress recommended this YouTube video with "great audio (with clouds) for relaxation with kids." Guided imagery on demand as close as your computer. -gw
+

On How Low Can You Go: 4 years for ADHD meds or 2 years for time out

2011-11-28T09:53:00.001-08:00

The minimum age for treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children has been lowered to 4 years of age by the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to this item in the current issue of the Brown University Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacological Letter. Thanks Kellye, ARNP, for bringing this to our attention.
+

At what age to use particular interventions with children comes up frequently in consultations with parents. Consider the question of when to use time out. Therapists drawing on any of several discipline programs will often use two years of age as the earliest time out can be used. Yet some care providers consider that as highly inappropriate for children that young (or for children any age). Of course, there can be an enormous difference developmentally between a child at just two to a few months later when closer to three. Two children the same age can vary tremendously in terms of their development and readiness for certain experiences. There is always a judgement call to make and still controversy to be found.
+

To have pediatricians operating with a lower minimum age in mind for treating children with medication and hearing about it from parents will take some getting used to for some therapists. That controversy, too, is hardly resolved. -gw

On the Use of the iPad As an Assistive Technology For Children With Autism: Show and tell

2011-11-24T06:08:00.001-08:00

At our last meeting Catharine demonstrated the use of an iPad as an assitive technology for children with special needs in her classroom. The particular app was the Art of Glow. We were all mesmerized. -gw
+
Turn-taking was amazing

A child with down syndrome was skilled at matching

I show them the video of themselves being a good student

On Autism, ADHD & Disruptive Behavior: Triumvirate for services

2011-11-20T08:21:00.001-08:00

http://sunfieldcenter.com/
+

Are autism, ADHD, and disruptive behavior the Big Three concerns for child mental health these days? I was looking at the website for an Ann Arbor MI-based agency that markets itself by invoking these concerns. Certainly these have been topics we have been addressing consistently in our monthly consultations, too. By the way, I really like the description used on the Sunfield site for Parent Child Interaction Therapy. -gw
+

Parenting is not always easy, particularly when a child’s temperament negatively affects his or her ability to adapt to the demands of daily life. Parents of children with behavioral difficulties, often experience increased frustration and higher levels of depression, particularly mothers. Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically-supported treatment approach designed to help parents manage problem behaviors while building a stronger relationship with their child.

+
http://sunfieldcenter.com/for-families/blog/parent-child-interaction-therapy/

On ADD 200 Years From Now: You would never be called someone with a disorder.

2011-11-20T07:05:00.001-08:00

They do respond to context, and they do respond to medication, but the sad thing is they get labeled with a disorder instead of with a temperamental variation that doesn't match the absolutely sick environment we're having people grow [up] in. "You gotta go there, so you'll take this pill." That's what I tell people. Whenever I prescribe medication for ADD, I say, "Look, if you were 200 years from now, you would never be called someone with a disorder. You'd be mentored by somebody, and you'd be learning, you know, by example. And that would be all fine. You wouldn't be sitting in a classroom until you are 18 years of age, for God's sake, sitting on your butt. You just wouldn't. And no one would think you had a disorder."

+
I was only able to attend two hours of a webinar offered on campus at Kitsap Mental Health Services. Anita said I would enjoy every minute of it. She was right. Dan Siegel's presentation offered many insights as cutting to the quick as this one on Attention Deficit Disorder. It was in a section of the day-long training that addressed temperament, the biological differences -- the hard-wiring -- that we enter the world wtth. -gw

On Meeting Anita: The luxury of a month-long assesment of a child

2011-11-17T13:12:00.001-08:00

We do something a little unusual at our meetings. We do video as it relates generally to our work and post it on our blog. We're all on first name basis here. Meet Anita. -gw

I started to notice children's reactions when their parents came to pick them up

We had a whole month with the child

The rocking helped the body to calm down

On a Child Psychiatrist's Answer to the Question: Could We Treat These Kids Without Medication?

2011-10-13T19:02:00.001-07:00

Those who attended last month's exhilerating consultation will remember this discussion thread, which we intend to carry forward at our October meeting. Interested in the subject? Want to offer your 2 cents? Come on down. -gw

On the Power of the Internet to Magnify Discourse: From around the table to around the world

2011-10-13T18:46:00.001-07:00

This little blog based in not-exactly-backwater Bremerton WA had 73 pageview hits on Oct. 1st, it had 262 on Oct 2nd, 463 on Oct. 3rd, and 134 on Oct. 4th. Almost a 1000 pageviews in four days, a nice way to start the month. -gw

On Observations of a Behavioral Pediatrician: Facilitating children’s healthy emotional development

2011-10-13T18:20:00.001-07:00

What is infant mental health? A case of a hitting toddler http://t.co/Zv0Lx2wO via @BostonDotCom
about 12 hours ago
Keeping Your Child in Mind - A Book Review http://t.co/4ynY5ZIP
1 day ago
Experts debate proposed child mental health disorder diagnosis http://t.co/7VHQoedT
3 days ago
Pediatrician Claudia Gold urges parents to see world as kids do - Berkshire Eagle Online http://t.co/6yTVHfCJ via @BerkshireEagle
4 days ago

+
Claudia Gold's Twitter feed, from which the four items above are drawn, is an indication of her focus. Here is a paragraph from her blog describing her new practice.
+

There are two major problems with the term "infant mental health." First of all, it implies that there is such a thing as infant mental illness, which is, in my opinion, not the case. Second, when say that I am a pediatrician who treats behavior problems in children under age five, most people are puzzled. I tell them that I give parents space and time to reflect, and to be curious about the meaning of behavior, with the aim of getting development back on a healthy path. Still the blank look. I have found that the best way to explain it is through stories, as I do in my book Keeping Your Child in Mind.

+
Two items of note, the first, her statement that "there is no such a thing as infant mental illness." True? Second, the very fact of her starting a specialty practice of behavioral pediatrics. Is she one-of-a-kind or are there other behavioral pediatricians whose focus is strictly on young children? And then there is this from her blog header description.
+

I will show how contemporary research in child development can be applied to support parents in their efforts to facilitate their children’s healthy emotional development. I will address factors that converge to obstruct such support. These include limited access to quality mental health care, influences of a powerful health insurance industry and intensive marketing efforts by the pharmaceutical industry.

Her short list of" factors that ... obstruct" is interesting, citing, as she does, both the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries. The "medicated child" (see the previous post on this blog) is an agreed upon topic for discussion at our next meeting of the Peninsulas Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation group. -gw

On For Mom's With Postpartum Depression: Support and infant massage

2011-09-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

By valentinapowers

Kellye Campbell, ARNP at KMHS, passed on this information about a service available in Seattle but which has roots in the Olympic Peninsula. -gw

I want announce a new referral source for moms with postpartum depression/anxiety and their babies called BabyLink. Groups will start in Seattle this fall. This is a postpartum depression support/ infant massage group developed by Marian Birch, DMH. She and her partner have been running this group in Port Angeles, WA for the past five years. Last year, I observed and evaluated this group as part of my post-doctoral fellowship at the UW Center for Infant Mental Health.

We are really excited to be replicating this group as there are no groups like this in Seattle right now. The program not only helps decrease depression in moms but also has many benefits for babies. Importantly, it can also help improve the relationship between moms and babies.

There will be two groups offered, a pro-bono group and a fee group for moms who can afford to pay. The attached flyer gives more details both groups. They will be on Capital Hill at Cooper House (http://cooperhouse.org/index.html) and led by health care providers trained in infant mental health and infant massage.

Recap:

What: BabyLink: A Postpartum Distress Support Group and Infant Massage.

Who: For moms with postpartum distress and their babies. Babies must not be crawling (they are hard to engage with infant massage once they start to crawl).

When: Groups will start this fall when we have enough referrals.

If you have any referrals please have them contact Lisa Mennet at 206-402-3099. You can also contact me if you have any questions. If you would like to have flyers sent to your office/clinic, please let me know.

Thank you,Michele Kulbel, DNP, ARNP

www.michelekulbel.com

On Why We Come Together: To gain a perspective that is ultimately interdisciplinary

2011-09-15T16:05:00.001-07:00

The mission of MI-AIMH is to promote and support nurturing relationships for all infants.

MI-AIMH believes that each infant needs to be nurtured and protected by one or more consistent and stimulating caregivers who enjoy a permanent and special relationship with the baby. This relationship is essential for optimal social, emotional and cognitive growth.

MI-AIMH also believes that the failure to provide and maintain nurturing relationships, at least one, during infancy may result in significant damage to the individual and to society.

Therefore, MI-AIMH supports the following positions:
Early intervention is an essential social policy, important from both a fiscal and a moral point of view.
Early intervention can be effective for the individual infant only if offered in a manner that promotes and supports the infant-caregiver relationship as both the primary source of strength and growth.
Early intervention is effective only when a family's culture is respected and approached as a strength and support.
Support, training and advocacy for early intervention must become a cooperative venture that bridges traditional cultural, disciplinary, administrative and political boundaries.
Action Goals

Educate birth to three and family professionals in relationship-based practice that reflects the mission of MI-AIMH.

Diversify the infant mental health community, engaging professionals who represent many different ethnic groups, cultures and communities and who work in a variety of settings with or on behalf of infants, toddlers and families.

Advocate for the social, emotional and cognitive well being of all infants and toddlers within the context of their caregiving families.

Endorse the infant and family work force, using standards that reflect competency and best practice promoting infant mental health.

The mission statement of the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health
+

The action goals as stated in this mission statement consitute a nice description of what might be the goals of our modest and informal association of professionals that meets each month here in Washington State. To educate professionals -- including ourselves -- in relationship-based practice is fundamental to our efforts. "Diversify the infant mental health community," is the calling. What makes our consultation feel so rich, so unique, is precisely our diversity. Where else can you draw on such diverse backgrounds in reflecting on a case? School psychologist, social worker, disability specialist, Early Head Start supervisor, and mental health counselor, for example -- we come together to gain a perspective that we just can't find within our own specific workplace. We work for school districts, non-profit agencies, and in private practice. We serve military and civilian, native and non-native communities. Our focus is on education, early intervention, and behavioral health. To a man and woman, we are advocates for the well-being of young children, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. We endorse the highest standards, the greatest competencies, and the best practices of this infant and family work force of which we are a part. And there is so much work to do. -gw

On Looking for a Few Good Providers: And who take TRICARE

2011-09-07T14:58:00.001-07:00

The program Marilyn works for is looking for "providers who are GOOD at what they do, and take TRICARE." She believes that participants in our infant and early childhood mental health consultation group either fill the bill or know of someone who would. She invites you to provide the following and anything additional about these providers that you feel would be helpful.

1) Name

2) Degree and credentials

3) Specialties

4) Address

5) Phone Number

6) Email

7) Fax

Thanks George. See you at the next gathering.

Marilyn Larrabee

New Parent Support Home Visitor

Fleet and Family Support Program

Naval Base Kitsap

marilyn.larrabee.ctr@navy.mil

On the Medicated Child: Frontline concern

2011-08-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hey George,

Great consultation last week… Chris thought that I should forward this video on to you. It’s an entire hour long so we probably wouldn’t get a chance to watch it in our group but maybe you could share the link with the others… it is pretty interesting.

Hope you have a great week!

Tana

Program: FRONTLINE

Episode: The Medicated Child

Millions of U.S. children are taking psychiatric drugs, most never tested on kids. Good medicine - or an uncontrolled experiment?

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.

An issue of concern for a lot of clinicians, certainly. -gw

On New Directions in Infant Mental Health Practice Training: Containment, reciprocity & the stress/trauma continuum

2011-08-23T12:20:00.001-07:00

Subject: 14TH Biennial NCAST Institute - Don't miss this event in September! -gw
+

http://depts.washington.edu/chdd/ncast_broadcast/14th_Biennial_NCAST_Institute.pdf

On Infant Mental Health Treatment: In bullet points

2011-08-17T13:40:00.001-07:00

There is nothing like a powerpoint slideshow to provide a succinct overview of a topic. In this case, the topic is Infant Mental Health. The 74 slides here are from a 2007 presentation by Tomlin & Ryan. -gw

On Hands Are Not For Hitting: Activities designed around popular chldren's books

2011-04-13T15:58:00.001-07:00

Hi George and LaiWan,

To find the book nook- scroll down this page, on the right you will see the sun, click on www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/ When that page comes up click on the apple for teachers and caregivers. When that page comes up you will see the Book Nook, click on that for the books. Thanks for a great two hours yesterday. I admire everyone's skill, knowledge, insight and intuition.

Happy weekend! Linda

This was the note Linda sent after our last meeting. Linda really likes the Book Nook on the CSEFEL site. -gw

These easy-to-use guides were created especially for teachers/caregivers and parents to provide hands-on ways to embed social emotional skill building activities into everyday routines. Each book nook is comprised of ideas and activities designed around popular children’s books such as Big Al, Hands are Not for Hitting, On Monday When it Rained and My Many Colored Days. Examples of suggested activities include using rhymes to talk about being friends, making emotion masks to help children identify and talk about different feelings, playing games around what to do with hands instead of hitting and fun music and movement activities to express emotions.

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html

On You Saw It Here First: There is a lot of math in EHS activities ... and football

2011-04-13T15:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday as I observed an Early Head Start home-visitor do her magic with a parent and toddler, I heard her say that the activity she had brought taught concepts of physics and algebra. She had three golf balls in a cardboard box caroming off the walls, in the process making neat designs on a piece of paper in the bottom of the box to which she had added some drops of tempura paint. Boy, was I impressed with her reference to math and science! Kudos to her! I thought, of course, of Bill the Math Man and his presentation at our February meeting about teaching math to preschoolers.

On Introducing Math Concepts At a Very Early Age: Measuring with ribbons

You saw the post here first. It ran on these "pages" but, with some minor changes, was subsequently reposted (I had something to do with it) on two other blogs -- viewed 202 times on one blog and 558 times on the other. A very popular post.! Ah, the power of blogging. Our blog -- this one -- is at 2000 site views, BTW.
+

+On Introducing Math Concepts At a Very Early Age: There is a lot of math in football

http://myriadsocialspaces.posterous.com/on-introducing-math-concepts-at-a-very-early

It also ran here. -gw
+

http://bahaiviews.posterous.com/on-introducing-math-concepts-at-a-very-early

On High Tech in Kansas: Reaching moms through texting

2011-04-13T14:36:00.001-07:00

The way they do it in Kansas. Informing moms about what they need to know to care for their baby by texting. -gw

On Reflective Supervision: Space for providers to become aware of and attend to their own feelings

2011-04-13T13:07:00.001-07:00

The ultimate goal of reflective practice is to improve the quality of early childhood services through increasing organizational capacity and enhancing provider competency. Often providers are faced with trauma of the families they work with and this trauma can trigger their own pain and suffering. The experience the provider brings to the relationship can get in the way of working effectively with families unless there is a venue to explore, understand, and distill the negative or difficult emotions elicited from the work...The early years of development...are particularly critical...It is essential that providers have consistent space to become aware of and attend to their own feelings to avoid responses that can lead to unintended and negative consequences.

-- Rebecca Shamoon Shanok, 2009
+

http://multiplyingconnections.org/reflective-supervision
+

The above excerpt from a piece promoting an upcoming conference on the East Coast reminds us of why supervision is important, and what that supervision should look like. -gw
+

Learn More About Reflective Supervision

* Reflecting on Reflective Practice: http://www.multiplyingconnections.org/

* Zero to Three: http://www.zerotothree.org/

* Michigan Association of Infant Mental Health: http://www.mi-aimh.org/

On Who We Are: And what we talk about

2011-04-13T11:36:00.001-07:00

Here is a self-spoken profile of a Peninsula's Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Group participant.
+

What do we do at PECMHG meetings? We share insights and information about resources, as below a discussion about working with non-English-speaking families and the use of iPhone apps for language translation. -gw
+

On Introducing Math Concepts At a Very Early Age: Measuring with ribbons

2011-03-30T10:47:00.001-07:00

We hear a lot about the importance of reading, getting kids started early. We don't hear as much about getting kids started early with math. Here is Bill from our last Peninsula's Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Group describing the significance of introducing math concepts in preschool, giving an example of a strategy, measuring with ribbons, following up on the conversation he started the month previously. In many parts of the world, in many cultures, young children play math games with their parents as they kick or throw a ball . -gw

On Teaching Parents to Play in One Hour: What a concept!

2011-03-16T15:38:00.001-07:00

Children learn best by connecting and interacting through play- so let’s practice! Learn how important play is and how to effectively play with your children to promote developmental, language and social skills. Parents are introduced to Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) which places an emphasis on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship and changing parent-child interaction patterns.
Who is it for? Grown-ups and their infants/toddlers; grown-up participation required.
Is there a fee? Pretend City admission not required or included.
Anything else I should know? This activity is presented by Pretend City’s Child Development Initiative, Good To Go From Head To Toe! and facilitated by the Child Guidance Center.

http://pretendcity.org/event/connect-with-your-child-through-play-play-social-activities-3/

Pretend City, a children's museum, is not in our area. But what a service they are offering by teaching parents how to play incorporating the skill sets of Parent Child Interaction Therapy. Playing with children does not come automatically. Many parents almost never play with their child. Allowing a child to "have the lead" in play with their parent is the quickest way to bring warmth of a child-parent relationship. Knowing how to play and then doing it is key. -gw

On Early Childhood Mental Health on Facebook: Another way to keep up with resources

2011-03-16T15:16:00.001-07:00

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there is a Facebook page for TACSEI and the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, too. If you're on Facebook a lot, getting the status updates as part of your news feed sounds like a quick and painless way to keep up with what's new, although even our little blog has more postings per month than they do. Perusing the site I learned of a number of best practice tutorials, one of which containted these messages that are important to me for my work. -gw

Take Home Messages

Head Start program leaders play a key role in helping to develop, implement, and maintain a shared program vision for mental health services and mental health consultation. Leadership should strive to integrate a mental health perspective into all program components, inspiring staff to see mental health as part of everything they do.
Programs can strengthen their mental health services and consultation by working as a team to develop a mental health-specific strategic plan. The mental health strategic plan should be developed by a representative team, and include key program goals, activities, and timelines for improving mental health services and consultation. The mental health strategic plan should be a living document that is revisited and updated frequently.
Head Start program leaders can help ensure the success of early childhood mental health consultants by helping families and staff be "ready" to work with the consultant. Building staff readiness includes making sure staff understand their role in the consultative process, feeling comfortable accepting support from the consultant, and helping build positive relationships between staff and the consultant. Building family readiness includes making sure that families understand that the consultant's role is to help all families (non-stigmatizing), reframing the consultants work as supporting wellness, rather than "treatment" mental health problems, and building opportunities for the consultant to meet and get to know families.
Program leaders need to ensure that mental health consultants have good supervision and support for their work. Many program consultants receive clinical supervision outside the Head Start program, but they should also have an in-house supervisor to work with to provide support specifically around working with staff and families at this Head Start program. Helping consultants get to know other early childhood mental health consultants can also be important to supporting the consultant professionally.

http://www.ecmhc.org/tutorials/needs/messages.html

On Postpartum Dads: Study receives wide coverage

2011-03-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

Depressed Dads More Likely to Spank, Shortchange Kids: Study

Sad dads: depressed fathers spank more, read less

Depressed dads more likely to slap children

Health Buzz: Depressed Dads More Likely to Spank Kids

Dads' Dark Side: New Fathers with Depression Spank Their Babies More

The information provided in this study is probably not surprising to the members of our consultation group, but it's noteworthy that the news coverage of it has been so widespread. -gw

On the Emergence of Infant Mental Health for American Psychologists: Journal coverage

2011-03-15T14:00:00.001-07:00

The current issue (February-March 2011) of the American Psychologist is devoted to Infant Mental Health. I will bring a copy of the journal, thanks to KMH co-worker Martha Crownover, to our consultation meeting on Friday.

All the themes that are part and parcel of our discussions are reflected in these pages. Another social space, in this case professional psychologists, -- the same emerging discourse.

Psychologists, master's level mental health counselors, social workers, early childhood home visitors -- we all come together for purposes of advocacy.

A relationship-based clinical model is emerging front and center across multiple disciplines..

What is infant mental health?

Improving access to infant mental health services means "building a qualified infant mental heath workforce, and addressing payment policies." Don't we know it! -gw

On the Brain is Shaped By Experience: And the most powerful experiences are relationships

2011-02-28T08:33:00.001-08:00

I had lunch with Tony last week. Tony is a child psychiatrist who shares a passion with me for early childhood mental health. This is a succinct summary of the relationship between the brain and ... relationships. -gw

On Everybody Looks Forward to Fridays: Because they feel appreciated, taken care of, and important

2011-02-22T10:16:00.001-08:00

The elegant simplicity of the Early Head Start model continues to amaze me. As to "everyone looks forward to Fridays" -- that sounds like the impact our monthly 3rd Friday meeting of the Peninsulas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Group. We "feel appreciated, taken care of, and important" when each is over. -gw

When the Infant Mental Health (IMH) Specialist walks into the playroom, she sees Karina and her mother Karen. Six-month-old Karina sits in her infant seat on the table and Karen sits in a chair. They both face the door. Karen reads a magazine as Karina gazes at the side of her face. The IMH Specialist softly says, “Karina, is Karen the prettiest mommy you’ve ever seen?” Karen looks up and smiles at the IMH Specialist. The IMH Specialist then says, “Did you see how lovingly Karina was looking at you?” Karen laughs and tickles Karina’s belly, saying, “You’re such a silly baby!” Karina and her mother exchange sounds and giggles as the IMH Specialist looks on. The home visitors happily chat over the complimentary breakfast that the agency provides for their meeting every Friday morning. They are also getting ready for their meeting with the Mental Health Consultant (MHC). Every Friday the MHC meets with the home visitors as a group and then holds a reflective supervision session with the home visitor supervisor.The supervisor, in turn, conducts individual supervision sessions with the home visitors. Everyone looks forward to Fridays because they feel appreciated, taken care of, and important.

THESE SCENARIOS ARE TYPICAL of any infant/toddler program that provides mental health services. Mental health services forpregnant women, infants and toddlers, and their families can take many forms, depending on the program and the families (e.g., consulting with staff, consulting with children and fami-lies, providing direct mental health services, etc.). Regardless of how mental health services are delivered, the understanding of mental health is the same: prevention first, promotion always,and intervention when necessary.

On Preschool Psychopathology: Children's mental health has gone global

2011-02-16T10:12:00.001-08:00

Kellye, the KMH ARNP who covers the Youth Inpatient Unit, passed this article on to me. Thankse, Kellye.

Preschool psychopathology is a parent's concern in 23 societies. Children's mental health has gone global. -gw

On National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day: May 3, 2011

2011-02-16T09:58:00.001-08:00

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is May 3, 2011!

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is a key strategy of the Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Campaign (the Campaign), which is part of the Public Awareness and Support Strategic Initiative by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The Campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health and that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth. This year, the national theme will focus on building resilience in young children dealing with trauma.

Communities around the country will participate by holding their own Awareness Day events, focusing either on the national theme, or adapting the theme to the populations they serve. On Awareness Day 2010, more than 1,000 sites held Awareness Day events and nearly 11,000 children and youth participated.

As always, the release of the SAMHSA Short Report (PDF - 1.9MB) will coincide with Awareness Day. The 2011 Short Report will feature how systems of care can positively affect children who have experienced trauma.

Calls To Action for Awareness Day 2011 National Event

Integrate mental health and model resilience skills in every environment that has an impact on child development from birth.

Enhance resilience and nurture social and emotional skills in young children from birth.

Provide information to the public and teach them to recognize the signs of traumatic stress.

Raise awareness that treatment for trauma is critical to achieving the milestones of a child's social and emotional development from birth.

Promote trauma-informed services and supports in all child-serving settings.

The national event in Washington, DC, will open with an art exhibit sponsored by the American Art Therapy Association at the prestigious Shakespeare Theatre-Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, DC, (http://www.shakespearetheatre.org ) and continue with a tribute to youth who dealt with trauma in their childhood and who built on their resilience. A joint award from the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts will be presented to a celebrity who experienced trauma, who demonstrated resilience, and who used his or her celebrity as a platform to educate about trauma and resilience.

Click here to learn about the Benefits of Collaborating on Awareness Day Year-Round.

Thanks to Chris at Holly Ridge, Bremerton, for bringing this to my attention. -gw

On Fostering: Families and infants are beneficiaries of U of W's CIMHD research

2011-02-15T17:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.cimhd.org/index.html
+

The Fostering Families Project (FFP)

The Fostering Families Project (FFP) is a federally-funded, longitudinal, randomized controlled trial, involving over 200 toddlers in child welfare dependency and their caregivers. The project is a comparative effectiveness study of the Promoting First Relationships intervention (PFR) and the Early Education and Support (EES) intervention. Participant children are between 11 and 24 months of age who have recently experienced a change of care provider through actions of the child welfare/foster care system. PFR and EES interventionists work with foster, kin, and birth care providers. PFR focuses on understanding child's cues, attachment needs, and developmental level, with the goal of minimizing the impact that the experience of separations and caregiver transitions will have on developing attachment strategies and emotional regulation. EES provides caregiver resource and referral, education and support, but does not have an attachment focus.

+
This project is possible because of the strong support and collaboration of administrators and social workers at Washington State's Department of Social & Health Services Children's Administration. This project is unique in that we intervene as early as possible after a young child with a developed attachment relationship has experienced the loss of that caregiver, and try to follow the children and maintain the interventions even if children are moved from caregiver to caregiver several times over the course of the study. Our goal is to determine the impact that an attachment-focused intervention can have on this vulnerable population, during an extremely stressful time, and at a crucial period in development.

Stress Regulation in Foster Infants

+

This research looks at the development of the HPA axis, or “stress response system” in children who are child welfare dependency.

+
A sub-group of 50 children in the Fostering Families Project (FFP) described above will be enrolled in this study as well. We measure the children's production of cortisol, a by-product of the stress response, both pre-and post-intervention. Most infants develop a regulated stress response during their first year of life through predictable, soothing interactions with their caregivers. Normal stressors, like a diaper change or a doctor's visit, occur daily in the lives of infants and toddlers. When their stress response system is activated, interactions with their caregivers allow them to become calm and return to a normal baseline level of cortisol production. After the first year, their stress response system begins to achieve this response with less interaction, resulting in a regulated response to stressors. Extreme or repeated stress without the consistent support of a caregiver may leave a child with a stress response system that is either hyper-responsive or under-responsive. Our hypothesis is that an intervention that focuses on attachment will help the stress response of foster children to become better regulated, and that improved HPA functioning will be related to improved developmental, behavioral, and emotional outcomes.

+
http://www.cimhd.org/projects.html
+

Two projects described on the Center on Infant Mental Health and Development site. Promoting First Relationships is another project, one that I have been a beneficiary of. The materials form a basis for my present work with young children. CIMHD is associated with the University of Washington School of Nursing. So close at hand! -gw

On BLOCK Fest and Early Numeracy in Clallam County: Early childhood math education

2011-02-15T16:28:00.001-08:00

http://www.blockfest.org/

Reading some of the research on the Block Fest website (at www.blockfest.org), I came across an astounding finding: that math readiness for kindergarten is a better predictor of later reading proficiency than is reading readiness for kindergarten. I was to find similar findings as I read some of the research cited in the NRC book.

The most disturbing thing I read in the book, though, was that lower SES kids arrive in kindergarten significantly behind others and then fall further behind in succeeding grades. But then there was good news: playing a simple board game can help solve the problem. And playing with blocks helps, too. Following up on this, I came across a great website run by Gwen Dewar, one I wish it had been available to me when my children were young. I hope everyone interested in math and kids will look at www.parentingscience.com/preschool-board-game-math.html and at other pages on this site.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/mathinking/2009/09/06/early-childhood-math-education/

Ellen Fetchiet, who works for the Lower Elwa tribe, participates in our consultation group, coming all the way from Port Angeles to join us. Her spouse Bill Marsh posted the piece above on math and preschoolers on the Seattle PI blog. Bill is a mover and a shaker to promote BLOCK Fest in his county. He writes:

Clallam County's participation in BLOCK Fest and our other efforts in early numeracy, both our successes and our failuers, can help Washington plan for how toimplement Strategy #11 of our Early Learning Plan. Any work done here in early mathematics will help the children, families, and schools in the county with the worst graduation rates in the state. Maybe the last can be helped by being first in early math.

Excerpts from Strategy #11 of Washington's ten year Early Learning Plan, released Sept. 2, 2010, per Bill. -gw

A statewide awareness and value of early learning numeracy skills will be created. OSPI, DEL, and Thrive b Five Washington will take the lead in initiating programs that promote community-side awareness of the importance of early matahematics and numeracy skills to later school achievement. ...

A growing body of research ... supports the need to reach all parents and early learning providers so that they can understand and are able to support children's early mathematics and numeracy development. ... Early childhood teachers and providers are ofte uncomfortable teaching mathematics.

On ECMH: The movement here on the peninsulas

2011-02-15T15:26:00.001-08:00

We're not a collection of professionals, we're a movement. And we're at it again. Meeting this Friday, February 18th, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Kitsap Mental Heath Services, main campus, Bremerton. If you want to feel like you have your fingers on the pulse regarding ECMH services on the Kitsap/Olympic penninsulas, please join us at the table. Where else can you draw on the experiences of such a broad variety of ECMH-serving local professionals, get feedback on your cases, and network at the same time? Here are some video clips from our January consultation. -gw
+

On Our Duty to Care: The needs of very young children whose families are experiencing complicated deployments and reunifications

2011-02-09T09:21:00.001-08:00

From Linda, this heads up on a training in Spokane. -gw
+

February 2, 2011

FROM: Karen Walker, ESIT Program Administrator

Washington Early Support for Infants and Toddlers

SUBJECT: FYI: Zero to Three - Duty to Care Training

The Department of Early Learning/Early Support for Infants and Toddlers program is happy to share the following training opportunity information with our stakeholders.

Zero to Three is holding a Duty to Care Training on 15-16 March 2011. The training will be in Spokane. There are only 45 seats available for this event.

Zero to Three's Coming Together Around Military Families(r)(CTAMF) initiative works to strengthen the resilience of young children and families who are impacted by such deployment-related issues.

The Duty to Care (DTC) training series explores the helping professional's role and the needs of very young children whose families are experiencing complicated deployments and reunifications. This training is offered free of charge to helping professionals both within the military and civilian sectors.

Who should attend the Duty to Care training series?

You are invited to attend if:

* You received information from your local installation or State Point of Contact.

* You are a military child care, mental health, family support, or health professional working with active duty military families with very young children.

* You are a civilian child care, mental health, health, or family support professional working with active duty Service, National Guard, or Reserve families with very young children.

We hope that individuals from the following organizations will consider sending representation to this training as well:

* Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC)

* Thrive by Five Washington

* Washington State Child Care Resource & Referral Network

* Parent Trust

* WithinReach

* Council for Children & Families Washington

* Council for Exceptional Children Division of Early Childhood

* Department of Early Learning

* Washington State Family Policy Council

* Washington State Department of Health

If you can think of any key players I have missed please feel free to add them. This is the first time this training will be offered in Washington off an installation, so we hope to have a great turnout.

Thank you for your assistance.

Robbin Seeberger

State Youth Coordinator, Contractor

WA National Guard Family Programs

Bldg #3 Camp Murray, Tacoma, WA 98430

Office: (253)512-7985

BB: (253) 548-4942

Fax: (253)512-7623

Toll Free: 800-364-7492

E-mail: robbin.seeberger@us.army.mil

On Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy Works for Preschoolers: Treatment manual available

2011-01-14T10:38:00.001-08:00

http://www.infantinstitute.com/index.html
+

Lucy Berliner at UW/Harborview has noted exciting research results and a valuable website.
+

Structured brief trauma-focused CBT works just fine for preschoolers with very few adaptations needed. Kids who don't get specific treatment do not get better. Just do it! You can download from http://www.infantinstitute.com/.

+
The manual from the Tulane Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health is enormous and complete. -gw
+

This link will download the Preschool PTSD Treatment manual (PPT) as a .pdf file. The manual is a 12-session, manualized trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) protocol by Scheeringa, Cohen, and Amaya-Jackson (2002).

On Rebecca Perbix Mallos at Navos-Sponsored Training: Treatment considerations on attachment & trauma in children

2011-01-14T10:08:00.001-08:00

The Navos Consortium Training Advisory Board Presents:

Attachment & Trauma in Children -

Treatment Considerations

When: February 9, 2011 8:30—9:00 am registration

9:00—4:30 pm training

Where: The Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College

Cost: $99.00, LUNCH ON YOUR OWN 12:00 – 1:00

CEU’s: 6 CEU’s are available for LMSW’s, LMHC’s, and LMFT’s through the Washington Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Learning Objectives:

The successful participant will be able to:

ü Design a treatment plan specific to attachment disorders.

ü Integrate trauma treatment with attachment disorder treatment.

ü Work with children in a way which does not include play therapy.

ü Develop family therapy skills based on both adult and child attachment styles.

ü Learn differential diagnosis skills for Reactive Attachment Disorder, Mood Disorder, ADHD and PTSD.

About the Presenter: Rebecca Perbix Mallos, MSW, LCSW

Rebecca Perbix Mallos, has been working therapeutically with children and their families built through adoption for over 30 years. She specializes in treating children traumatized by early abuse, neglect and disrupted attachment. She is a well known presenter in the U.S. and Canada on topics such as Trauma and Attachment, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Adoption Built Families, and the Impact of Trauma on the Developing Child. She has appeared on numerous national television shows, written many articles and made over 300 presentations to parents and professionals on topics related to foster care and adoption. Rebecca is the past director of the Adoption Resource Center at Children’s Home Society of Washington, a former national board member of ATTACH, founding board member of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute in New York, and the former director of the Attachment Disorder Institute in Seattle. She is a Practicum Instructor for the University of Washington graduate school of Social Work, and is an Approved Clinical Supervisor for the Washington State Department of Health. More importantly, Rebecca is a parent by birth, adoption and fostering.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations must be received no later than February 4, 2011.

For More Information contact: Debbie Farrar, Training Coordinator, highlineconsortium@hotmail.com

Registration Accepted Via:

· Email: highlineconsortium@hotmail.com

· FAX: 206-933-7005

· Mail: Navos, Attn: Consortium Training, PO Box 69080, Seattle, WA 98168

On Infant and Toddler Mental Health: Convenient, affordable and relevant continuing education delivered via CD-ROM

2010-12-27T13:00:00.001-08:00

https://aceweb.uncw.edu/CourseStatus.awp?&course=11CEDU1530

Check this out. Instruction in infant and early childhood mental health for CEUs by CD-Rom. -gw

On the Effectiveness of PCIT for Families of Children on the Autism Spectrum: The role of shared positive affect

2010-12-24T08:35:00.001-08:00

J Autism Dev Disord. 2008 Oct;38(9):1767-76. Epub 2008 Apr 10.Solomon M , Ono M , Timmer S , Goodlin-Jones B .marjorie.solomon@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.

+
Abstract
We report the results of a pilot trial of an evidence-based treatment-Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT; Eyberg et al. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 31(1), 83-91, 1995) for boys aged 5-12 with high functioning autism spectrum disorders and clinically significant behavioral problems. The study also included an investigation of the role of shared positive affect during the course of therapy on child and parent outcomes. The intervention group showed reductions in parent perceptions of child problem behaviors and child atypicality, as well as an increase in child adaptability. Shared positive affect in parent child dyads and parent positive affect increased between the initial and final phases of the therapy. Parent positive affect after the first phase was related to perceptions of improvement in problem behaviors and adaptive functioning.
PMID: 18401693 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

More evidence of the effectiveness of PCIT. -gw

On the Incredible Years Parenting Program: Implementation in ECE, primary care settings, and informal child care

2010-12-19T07:43:00.001-08:00

Accomplishments & Outcomes. Our community has experienced great benefit from integrating social emotional work into the early learning and health domains, and was surprised to realize the importance of considering the multiple ways in which early childhood settings – and the variety of their approaches to promoting social emotional growth and development – can satisfy the goals laid out in the Early Childhood Colorado Framework. This resulted in better clarity of purpose at the community level, as well as opportunities to maximize local resources without compromising the unique nature of the many different types of early childhood service providers, including ECE, primary care settings, informal child care and others.
100% implementation of the Incredible Years in all Colorado Preschool Program and Head Start classrooms in the county – 2,600 children.
Implementation of the Incredible Years in 25 Kindergarten classrooms in three districts.
Six cohorts of the 14-week Incredible Years Parenting Series annually.
A combination of CSEFEL training and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation in all child care centers and family child care homes who, for infrastructure reasons, cannot implement the Incredible Years.

Building a Continuum of Early Childhood Social Emotional Programs, Services & Supports in Adams County
+

There is an Adams County, Washington, but that's not the Adams County of this excerpt. How other regions in other parts of the country address early childhood mental health needs can be instructive for us here in the Peninsulas. The excerpt reposted above comes from Colorado.
+

What stands out for me here is the place that The Incredible Years has in their early childhood-serving system. The Incredible Years Parenting Series was developed at the University of Washington and is an evidence-based practice. -gw
+

http://www.incredibleyears.com/

On We're Meeting in December: Can't wait until 2011

2010-12-14T14:39:00.001-08:00

It may be the Holiday Season, but the Peninsulas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Group is meeting this Friday, the third Friday of the month, as usual. There are just too many interesting cases to talk about and we don't want to wait until the new year. Come join us. -gw

On Parent Child Interaction Therapy as Effective for Post Traumatic Stress: Reduces child anxiety

2010-12-10T18:39:00.001-08:00

..when the parent-child relationship is enhanced and is less coercive/violent/rejecting, children's anxiety goes down (and remember, PTS [Post Traumatic Stress] is a type of anxiety) as well as their behavior improves. This suggests that when externalizing behavior problems, violence and/or serious parent/child relationship problems are present even though the child has clinical PTS, try triaging to start with PCIT [Parent Child Interaction Therapy] or AF-CBT [Alternatives for Families Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy] since this interventions will address more than just the PTS sx. If the child still has PTS after PCIT or AF-CBT, then TF [Trauma-Focused Cogntive Behavior Therapy] may be warranted.

+
A prescription for treatment from Lucy Berliner at Harborview, based on research from the University of California at Davis. -gw

From "Child Trauma and the Effectiveness of PCIT" --

Anthony Urquiza, Ph.D.

On Heal Thyself, Washington: Evidence-based help at heal-wa.org

2010-12-10T18:17:00.001-08:00

http://heal-wa.org/

Linda West brought this helpful website to our attention at our last consultation meeting. Note heal-wa-org is password-protected but accessible to the following professionals. -gw

Information about setting up your UW NetID and password

Some resources on HEAL-WA (indicated by a lock) are governed by license agreements that limit by whom these resources can be used.

Access to these resources is provided via a UW NetID and password, and is limited to members of the following groups of health care professionals who are licensed to practice in Washington State: Chiropractors, East Asian Medicine Practitioners, Massage Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, Naturopathic Physicians, Optometrists, Osteopathic Physicians and Osteopathic Physician Assistants, Physicians and Physician Assistants, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Registered Nurses, and Social Workers. ARNPs - your eligibility is through your RN license.

http://heal-wa.org/resources/getting-started

On U of W Website Calls Attention to the Power of Videotaping Homevisits: A vehicle for self-reflection

2010-12-06T15:11:00.001-08:00

One technique the infant mental health specialists learn is to videotape mothers and babies during home visits and review the playback side-by-side with the parent. They comment on positive moments and wonder with the parent about other moments that may not be going so well. What was going on when the infant grimaced and gurgled? When he was reaching for mom? Did she know he wanted her – only her, no one else in the room? “We ask questions about what’s going on, so parents can come to their own conclusions,” says Spieker. “It’s not, ‘Here’s what you did wrong’ or ‘Here’s what you should do.’ It’s a vehicle for self-reflection.”

The goal is to reframe parents’ ideas about child-rearing. “We help parents reflect on a baby’s needs, cues, and symbols, to help them see that: ‘This baby is in distress. He’s a little helpless baby and he really needs me. And this is how he lets me know,’ ” says Spieker.

Decades of research into infant attachment consistently show that babies thrive mentally, socially and emotionally in direct relation to a parent’s responsiveness and sensitivity. Low levels of parental sensitivity -- in particular lack of comfort for infants in distress -- are linked to insecurity and aggression in school-age children. Long-range studies suggest those aggressive tendencies can impact social functioning, academic achievement, and relationships with teachers and friends

http://www.washington.edu/news/earlychildhood/articles/the-first-relationship-parent-infant-attachment-is-key-to-child2019s-development

Some great early childhood resources can be found on this University of Washington site. -gw

Early Childhood Collaborative

About

Early Learning Articles

Early Learning Research

Videos

Events

Mission, Vision & Values

UW Early Childhood Services

E2C Topic Areas

On Changing Brains: Of babies and our own

2010-11-22T11:26:00.001-08:00

http://changingbrains.org

At our meeting last Friday Ellen, who came all the way from Port Angeles, suggested this website, Changing Brains, be added to our sidebar.

An incredibly wonderful meeting, by the way. Best participation yet. And I do believe that people didn't leave until 6:10. Like it's fun to be together and share the passion we have for our work. -gw

On Is It "Birth TO Five" or "Birth THROUGH Five"? Help for kids at the upper end of early childhood

2010-11-17T09:23:00.001-08:00

When does early childhood end? Does it end when a child turns five or six? Does it go just through preschool, or through kindergarten, as in the following degree program description?
+

Bachelor of Science in Education in Birth Through Five - The B.S.E. major in Birth Through Five (B-5) prepares teachers and other early care and education professionals to work in varied settings with young children and their families from infancy through Kindergarten age, including children who are typically developing and those with disabilities.

+
http://education.gsu.edu/ece/BirthThroughFive.htm
+

I have great interest in the upper end of early childhood, especially in children who still present with challenging behavior at the end of their time in preschool and are moving on to kindergarten. My impression is that there is more support for children with challenging behavior in preschool than there is for children with challenging behavior in kindergarten. How can that change?
+

It seems to me that the "go to" websites for addressing challenging behavior in preschool can also be of enormous help to kindergarten staff, both in the classroom and supporting. What struggling kindergarten teachers can benefit from, it seems to me, is Positive Behavior Support. -gw
+

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/

http://www.challengingbehavior.org/
+

The following six steps are essential to the process of PBS.

Building a Behavior Support Team-PBS begins by developing a team of the key stakeholders or individuals who are most involved in the child’s life. This team should include the family and early educator, but also may include friends, other family members, therapists, and other instructional or administrative personnel.

Person-Centered Planning-Person-centered planning provides a process for bringing the team together to discuss their vision and dreams for the child. Person-centered planning is a strength-based process that is a celebration of the child and a mechanism of establishing the commitment of the team members to supporting the child and family.

Functional Behavioral Assessment-Functional assessment is a process for determining the function of the child’s problem behavior. Functional Assessment or Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) involves the collection of data, observations, and information to develop a clear understanding of the relationship of events and circumstances that trigger and maintain problem behavior.

Hypothesis Development-The functional assessment process is completed with the development of a behavior hypothesis statement. The behavior hypothesis statements summarize what is known about triggers, behaviors, and maintaining consequences and offers an informed guess about the purpose of the problem behavior.

Behavior Support Plan Development-Once behavior hypotheses statements are developed to summarize the data gathered from the functional assessment process, the team can develop a behavior support plan. Essential components of the behavior support plan are prevention strategies, the instruction of replacement skills, new ways to respond to problem behavior, and lifestyle outcome goals.

Monitoring Outcomes-The effectiveness of the behavior support plan must be monitored. This monitoring includes measurement of changes in problem behavior and the achievement of new skills and lifestyle outcomes.

http://www.challengingbehavior.org/explore/pbs/process.htm
+

On Head Start Looks to the U of W To Help It Improve : To the tune of $40 million

2010-11-11T14:20:00.001-08:00

Big news for this region on Paul Nyhan's Thrive By Five blog.
+

The University of Washington landed a key role in the national effort to revamp Head Start, winning a $40-million grant to lead work to improve teaching and learning within the federal program.

+
http://birthtothrive.thrivebyfivewa.org/post/2010/11/10/University-of-Washington-Lands-the-Big-One-2440-Million-Grant-to-Improve-Head-Start.aspx
+

The Pyramid model
+

I note that Vanderbilt's Mary Louise Hemmeter is the national project's lead researcher, a name I recognize from several power points I have utilized regarding challenging behavior in young children. Here's a representative PPT to download by her from the Vanderbilt-based Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). -gw

Using the DC 0-3 with Donna Weston: 2nd installment

2010-11-11T13:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85934826@N00/sets/72157625318940718
+

Here is an even dozen additional 90-second video clips from Donna Weston's presentation on "Using the DC 0-3" for your study and reflection. Included are more presentation of cases and a discussion of an alternative way of viewing reactive attachment. Links to the previous posts on the conference are below. -gw

On Video Clips of Donna Weston's DC: 0-3 Presentation: Stay informed and in touch

On First Photos: Catching the flavor of Donna Weston's DC 0-3 training

On Practitioner Preparation to Use the DC: 0-3 R: Donna Weston to give 2-day training in September

On More Video Clips from Our Case Consult: In HD (but not 3-D)

2010-11-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

Two weeks from today is the next meeting of our Peninsulas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Group. If you've never been to one, you may wonder, what's it like? There is no better way of showing than through video -- and, wonder of wonders, in HD (thankfully, not in 3-D). -gw

On Keeping it Fresh: The complete set of "Babies, Brains & Relationships" photos & videos for periodic review

2010-11-05T12:27:00.001-07:00

Link to this post for future reference. Here is a complete set of photos and videos, interpersed in order, from Sheri Hill's recent presentation in our area on "Babies, Brains & Relationships." Reviewing the set from time to time is a great way to reflect on the fundamental themes of infant mental health today. Keep the principles fresh in your mind! -gw

On Current Job Openings for Therapists: Experience in infant mental health preferred

2010-11-05T09:40:00.001-07:00

Provides mental health services to children, adolescents, and families with serious developmental, emotional, and behavioral problems in a manner which results in improvements in the child and family's functioning in multiple life domains and is cost effective. Preference will go to Spanish speaking candidates as well as those with infant mental health experience.

http://jobview.monster.com/Mental-Health-Therapist-Outpatient-Job-Seattle-WA-US-91917919.aspx

This is from a current job opening posted by Seattle's Children's Hospital on Monster.com. Note that experience in infant mental health is preferred in an applicant. Infant mental health is coming of age. -gw

On Using the Internet to Keep Abreast: Staying alert and keeping up

2010-11-01T17:30:00.001-07:00

As part of my effort to stay abreast of my chosen field, and with this blog in mind, I have set-up Google Alerts (email updates of the latest relevant Google results [web, news, etc.] based on a query or topic) for "infant mental health," "early childhood mental health consultation," and "parent child interation therapy." Believe it or not, every day something new shows up in my Gmail in one, two, or all three of these categories.

Here is my find of the day, Paul Nyhan's blog for Thrive By Five called Birth to Thrive. Paul was a reporter for the Seattle PI, before setting out on his blogging adventure. I like his Early Learning News Week in Review. There are so many ways to keep up. -gw

http://birthtothrive.thrivebyfivewa.org/

Speaking of blogs, a few days I passed word on to my colleagues here at Kitsap Mental Health, many of whom are now trained in Parent Child Interaction Therapy, about this from PCIT International: http://pcitinternational.wordpress.com/. -gw

On But Is It Lasting: Long-term effectiveness of PCIT

2010-10-28T09:28:00.001-07:00

Do the skills taught parents during Parent Child Interaction Therapy stand up over time? Here's an answer. -gw

www.informaworld.com/.../content~db=all~content=a7837577...

On Infant Mental Health Issues in the News: Maternal depression and brain development

2010-10-25T10:09:00.001-07:00

There is a lot in the news about issues of interest to those who follow infant mental health. Note the coverage in just the last several days to the dangers of maternal depression (212 news articles) and the surprising impact of the birth of a child on the brain development of the mother (199 articles). -gw

On the Importance of Operating on Baby Time and Other Truths: From the literature of Infant Mental Health

2010-10-25T09:43:00.001-07:00

Here is just one brief video nugget of truth from Sheri Hill's presentation last Thursday, on the importance of honoring baby time. Where can we find more such truth nuggets? The library of books and materials that Sheri had on display during the training would be a good place to start. -gw

On Sheri Hill on "Babies, Brains and Relationships": Some take-away messages

2010-10-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

The Kitsap Interagency Coordinating Council arranged to have Sheri Hill, PhD, to come to yesterday's Kitasp Interagency Coordinating Council meeting for a 3-hour training entitled "Babies, Brains and Relationships. The turnout was great, and the presentation was compelling. Here are some of the take-away messages, as gleaned from her slides.

I have just half of the photos but none of the video clips uploaded yet. Here is the first installment, including the pics above. Watch for the rest of the slides and the video clips on this blog. -gw

On a Postpartum Depression Awareness Campaign Training: Speak up when you're down

2010-10-21T14:58:00.001-07:00

From: Council for Children & Families [mailto:ccf@ccf.wa.gov]
Subject: "Speak Up" & Join Us for a Training on Postpartum Depression

You may see it online.

**4.5 hours of CEU’s applied for MSW’s, LMFT’s, LMHC’s and Doulas**

Conference Objectives

To increase public awareness about pregnancy and postpartum mood disorders (PPMD), and their impact on the well-being of the entire family system

To educate professionals in current and effective treatments for PPMD

To establish for practitioners a standard of care for better screening and treatment of PPMD

To gain public perspective and insight on effective outreach activities to enhance our state's public awareness efforts to reach families with information on postpartum depression

Program Schedule:

7:30 - 8:30 Registration and Breakfast (provided)

8:30 – 10:30 Public Awareness Stakeholders Meeting to help guide the future direction of the "Speak Up When You’re Down" postpartum depression campaign; Facilitated by Patty Hayes, RN, MN (FREE: RSVP at info@ccf.wa.gov)

10:30 - 11:00 Break; continued registration for those not attending campaign meeting

11:00-11:30 Maternal Perinatal Depression: A Communicable, but Treatable Disorder by Nancy K. Grote, MSW, Ph.D, Research Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Social Work

11:30 - 12:30 Trauma in Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum & its impact on family mental health by Heidi B. Koss, MA, LMHCA, Exec. Director of PSI of WA

12:30-1:30 Lunch (provided) & Panel of Parents (in the last 40 min)

1:30-3:00 Infants in the NICU and Postpartum Mood Disorders: Their Impact on Family Attachments by Leslie Butterfield, PhD, Chairperson of PSI of WA

3:00 - 3:15 Break

3:15 - 4:45 Alternative Health Supports for Perinatal Mood Disorders by Katherine Martin, ND, Midwife, Adjunct Faculty, Bastyr University

4:45-5:00 Closing Remarks & Evaluations

Registration:
Campaign meeting to provide input on the future of postpartum depression awareness in WA: (free, but RSVP at info@ccf.wa.gov )

Fee is $60.00 for training from 11-5 ($50 for registered PSI of WA members) - Includes free copy of new Beyond the Birth Booklet to all registrants!

Questions?

Training: Contact Heidi Koss, PSI of WA Executive Director at heidibethkoss@gmail.com

Public Awareness Campaign Meeting: Contact Chris Jamieson, Council for Children & Families at info@ccf.wa.gov

More information, visit www.ppmdsupport.com or www.ccf.wa.gov

*Training and campaign meeting made possible in part by a grant through Washington's Mental Health Transformation Project.*

Sheri Hill mentioned this initiative during her presentation today on "Babies, Brains and Relationships" -gw

On Working With Children Zero to Three Is So Hopeful: Heart-felt comments

2010-10-21T08:51:00.001-07:00

We had an insightful and heart-felt consultation group meeting last Friday. Here are video clips of comments shared by one of the participants. Watch for more postings from the meeting. -gw

On Video Clips of Donna Weston's DC: 0-3 Presentation: Stay informed and in touch

2010-10-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

"Diagnosing Infants and Young Children Using the DC: 0-3R, multi-axial classification system."

These video clips of the beginning of Donna Weston's presentation on Day 2 at the Fort Worden Conference Center in Port Townsend WA in early September 2010 convey the energy of delivery and depth of knowledge you can expect from her. I will continue to post further excerpts from the day for the edification of readers of this blog.

There is now a handy subscription form on the sidebar you can use to receive email notifications of new blog posts as they appear. Subscribe now to stay in touch and informed. -gw

On First Photos: Catching the flavor of Donna Weston's DC 0-3 training

2010-09-23T07:12:00.001-07:00

Sadly, I wasn't able to attend the first day of Donna Weston's 2-day training at Fort Worden, kindly sponsored by the Regional Service Network and offered free to interested professionals. Here are some photos from the second day, both of the conference and of the unique environment of Fort Worden State Park, to convey the flavor. I have video clips of her presentation which I will be sharing in subsequent posts on this site. -gw

On My Two Cents: Drs continue to prescribe inappropriate medications to young children

2010-09-13T16:55:00.001-07:00

So here is my two cents... Did you read this article in the New York Times?

OPELOUSAS, La. — At 18 months, Kyle Warren started taking a daily antipsychotic drug on the orders of a pediatrician trying to quell the boy’s severe temper tantrums

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/business/02kids.html

Here is an educated response. -gw

It’s time to put a stop to this out-of-control prescription of atypical antipsychotics off-label. The American Academic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry apparently agrees:

Dr. Lawrence L. Greenhill, president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, concerned about the lack of research, has recommended a national registry to track preschoolers on antipsychotic drugs for the next 10 years. “Psychotherapy is the key to the treatment of preschool children with severe mental disorders, and antipsychotics are adjunctive therapy — not the other way around,” he said.

So why do doctors continue to prescribe clearly inappropriate medications to younger and younger children? Costs and time. Medication is cheaper than psychotherapy in most cases. And psychotherapeutic interventions require a time and commitment on the family’s part to embrace change. Changing the family dynamics, changing the nature and quality of the parenting relationships, and changing how a parent copes with stress and the behavior of their child. Many parents fear a therapist will also be more judgmental — telling them that their parenting styles may have led to the child’s current problematic behavior. Some parents just aren’t able to hear that (even if therapists are usually far more tactful than looking to place blame — therapy is about helping produce beneficial changes, not blame).

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/09/07/antipsychotics-are-not-appropriate-for-a-2-year-old/

On Mental Repair: Funny photo

2010-08-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

Adapted from You Can Beat Depression: A Guide to Prevention and Recovery (Fourth Edition),, by Dr. John Preston. Available at online and local bookstores or directly from Impact Publishers, Inc., PO Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016, http://www.bibliotherapy.com/

Part of my job as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor is to address "stinkin' thinkin'" -- destructive thoughts or cognitive distortions -- that people have, especially parents. My photographer friend Jamie (who is a REAL photographer, not like the rest of us wannabees on Flickr) thinks this shot should go on my business card. OK. -gw

This from my personal blog. -gw

On Come Consult With Us: Each 3rd Friday of the month

2010-08-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

Come join us...

Our next consultation group will be Friday August 20th from 4 to 6 p.m. Please join us if you can. It's in Room 105 in the Department of Child and Family at Kitsap Mental Health in Bremerton.

What's our consultation like? Here's a brief snippet from last month's consult bringing up a topic of concern.

What got our consult group going? A conference last March 26th. -gw

On Keeping Up With Resources: Zero to Three on Facebook

2010-08-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/ZerotoThreeJournal

If you are a heavy Facebook user, you may find it convenient to keep up with what's happening at Zero to Three through their Facebook page, as with the following note from the page. -gw

Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 11:15am

From the July 2010 issue of Zero to Three, "Home Visiting: Past, Present, and Future"
Order your issue now!

THIS ISSUE AND WHY IT MATTERS

Public interest in home visiting is on the rise due to the large increase in federal funding for high quality, evidence-based home visitation to be provided through the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law on March 23, 2010. With this legislation, the federal government is making an unprecedented investment in home visiting programs that provide services to young children and their families. The law established a 5-year, $1.5 billion federal grant program for programs serving high-risk children and families, such as those in low-income families, pregnant women less than 21 years old, families with histories of abuse and neglect or substance abuse, children with developmental delays, and families in the military.

The emphasis on evidence-based programs mirrors the push over the past decade for more rigorous program evaluation demonstrating home visiting’s effectiveness. In the 1990s, home visiting was not well understood or accepted as a valuable strategy for delivering services. Funding was in short supply and program evaluations showed mixed results. The contributors to this issue of Zero to Three describe how the landscape for home visiting has changed over the last decade, with greater collaboration among national home visiting models and more rigorous evaluation leading to a better understanding of the key factors that can make programs successful. Learning how the characteristics of home visits—such as the dosage (frequency and duration), the content, and the quality of the relationships between home visitors and families—have an impact on program outcomes is helping researchers and practitioners look more deeply into the complexity of home visitation services.

An existing challenge is how to coordinate home visiting with other child and family services to provide a continuum of care, beginning during pregnancy and throughout the earliest years of life. In addition, the expansion and integration of home visiting services calls for welldeveloped systems and tools for collecting and sharing information and for the rigorous evaluation efforts that will ultimately lead to improved services and maximum benefits for young children and their families. The articles in this issue of Zero to Three provide a rich and thoughtful examination of the growth of the field of home visiting and the potential for the years to come.

Stefanie Powers, Editor
spowers@zerotothree.org

On Repairing the Effects of Trauma: Relationship-based treatment

2010-08-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Alicia Lieberman is one of the most well-recognized names in the ECMH field. This looks like it would be a great resource for the practitioner. -gw

Order Now

On a Job Opening: Infant Toddler Director position to be filled

2010-08-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

Infant Toddler Program Director

Holly Ridge Center is currently recruiting a Director for our Infant Toddler Program. This position is to provide the leadership to a team of health care and educational professionals who deliver family centered, interdisciplinary, early intervention services to children birth to three years of age. This is a Full Time position. To learn more about us, visit our Web Site: http://www.hollyridge.org/.

Job Requirements: Minimum of a BA or BS in a related field; Masters preferred. Knowledge of early intervention preferred. Strong supervisory, leadership and interdisciplinary team management skills required. Candidates should be experienced working with infants and young children; and have knowledge of IDEA/Part B and C regulations. Wage is depended on level of experience and education.

HRC application required.

Holly Ridge Center,

5112 NW Taylor Rd.,

Bremerton, WA 98312

mailto:hrchr@hollyridge.org

EOE/AA

On Practitioner Preparation to Use the DC: 0-3 R: Donna Weston to give 2-day training in September

2010-08-09T14:54:00.001-07:00

Ft Worden in September

This should help practitioners to jump into providing services to young children with both feet. -gw

The Peninsula Regional Support Network presents….

Assessment of Infants and Toddlers within a Family Context: Practitioner Preparation to Use the DC: 0-3 R™

DC: 0-3 is published by ZERO TO THREE.

Dates: Day 1 Monday, September 21, 2010 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

AND

Day 2 Tuesday, September 22, 2010 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

(Sign in/Hospitality: Begins 8:00 a.m. on each day.)

Location: Fort Worden-John F. Kennedy Hall—Port Towsend

Audience: Mental health clinicians and supervisors, infant mental health specialists, social workers, psychologists, therapists, pediatricians, nurses, and other professionals interested in the use of the DC: 0-3 R™.

Content: DC: 0-3 R™ responds to the needs for a diagnostic system that accounts for the unique developmental and relational needs of infants/toddlers in the context of their families. This 2 day intensive workshop for mental health clinicians, supervisors and other therapists addresses: the axes and diagnostic classifications used in DC: 0-3 R™; assessment, evaluation and diagnosis of very young children; and use of crosswalks between ZERO TO THREE’s DC: 0-3 R™ and DSM-IV and ICD-9 or 10. This in-depth training will use lecture, video, case presentation and discussion. Participants will discuss the unique developmental needs of very young children and apply clinical reasoning in developing diagnoses using clinical videotaping or printed case examples.

Presenter: Donna R. Weston, Ph.D., Developmental Psychologist, Licensed Psychologist, and infant mental health clinician with over 25 years of experience, and a member of ZERO TO THREE’s DC: 0-3 Task Force and Training Task Force. Dr. Weston is also in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and has a private practice in Seattle, Washington.

Contact: For registration complete attached form and return ASAP as space is limited questions please contact Linda Ward lward@co.kitsap.wa.us 360-337-4604 phone 360-337-5721 fax

On Meeting and Blogging to Promote ECMH in the Peninsulas: Thinking creatively

2010-07-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Our next consultation group meeting is this Friday, July 16th, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Room 105 at Kitsap Mental Health, off the lower parking lot, on the main campus in Bremerton. Please join us.

Our group and this blog are attempts to creatively expand awareness of the importance of the work of early childhood mental health consultation.

Give us the benefit of your knowledge and experience. Come share your stories. Bring your cases. Let us consult together so we can be more effective in our work. And spread the word.

On the Story of the Kitsap Infant Mental Health Coalition: A predecessor

2010-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Above is the beginnings of my personal timeline of how I came to this field. Below is a collective history of the "early days" of the arrival an awareness of early childhood mental health in Kitsap County. What are the milestones along the way for you? Tell us your story. We would love to repost it here on this blog. -gw

On Babies, Brains and Relationships: Sheri Hill is coming to the Peninsulas

2010-07-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

This training is right up our alley, a perfect follow-up to the day-long conference on early childhood mental health we had in the spring at the OESD. -gw

On Summer Reading: Zero to Three has some suggestions

2010-07-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families 2000 M St. NW Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036 (800) 899-4301 (703) 661-1500

Email customer service: 0to3@presswarehouse.com

It was Khadija Johnston (See Mental Health Consultaton in Child Care) who came to Kitsap County back in the 1990's that got the ball rolling for infant mental health locally. -gwd

On a New Blog Is Born: Promoting early childhood mental health consultation

2010-06-22T11:43:00.001-07:00

It all started with this conference...

and these goals and strategies...

A new blog is launched dedicated to the experience of providing early childhood mental health consultation, from the perspective of providers on the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas of Washington State. Here is a photographic retrospective of some of the activities of the group and its members since the launching of the initiative. -gwd

Our Peninsulas ECMC Consultation Group

The Peninsulas' Early Childhood Mental Health Conference Photos

Naomi Perry on Parent Child Interacton Therapy

Charlie Huffine on Diagnostic Coding

Christy Kimpo on Infant Mental Health Classifications

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy Conference

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Plus Conference

The Peninsulas' Early Childhood Mental Health Conference Presentatons

The view from my office

Posted via email from The Peninsulas Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Group