Bridging Policy, Practice, and Research for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Early childhood (EC) staff stress, suboptimal environments, and expulsion can undermine child mental health. Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is a prevention-based approach designed to support EC providers’ relationships with children, families, and one another; promote positive social-emotional environments in EC settings; and help staff develop more appropriate strategies to manage challenging behaviors. IECMHC was highlighted as an important resource for staff in a recent Illinois law banning expulsions in EC programs. While previous research has demonstrated positive effects for staff and children, it is not yet known whether IECMHC leads to reductions in disparities, as theorized.

This symposium will provide a policy-relevant discussion of three IECMHC-focused papers. The first presentation will summarize the results of a systematic review of IECMHC research, cross-referenced with a theory of change, and indicate areas of strength and future directions. The second presentation will share findings and discuss policy and practice implications from a mixed-methods, matched comparison group evaluation of a new IECMHC model designed for a wide range of EC settings. The evaluation found positive effects of this IECMHC model, which included strengthening staff’s reflective capacity and improving classroom climate. The third presentation will include findings from an ongoing longitudinal implementation process evaluation of the Illinois preschool expulsion ban law, focusing on accessibility and equity of consultant engagement, and whether use of consultation is associated with rates of expulsion over time. Together this symposium will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of IECMHC and the related policy and practice implications.

Sub Unit

• Social Policy

Chair

• Deborah Perry, Georgetown University

Discussant

• Ghislaine Toussaint-Green, DC Department of Behavioral Health

Individual Presentations

• Moving from Whether Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Works to Why, How and For Whom - Presenting Author: Annie Davis Schoch, Georgetown University; Non-Presenting Author: Deborah Perry, Georgetown University; Non-Presenting Author: Kaela Tidus, University of Virginia - Charlottesville

• “More Support, Understanding, and Listening”: An Evaluation of a New Model of Mental Health Consultation - Presenting Author: Julie Spielberger, Chapin Hall; Non-Presenting Author: Tiffany Burkhardt, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; Non-Presenting Author: Carolyn Winje, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; Non-Presenting Author: Anna Herriott, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

• Longitudinal Assessment of Illinois Legislation Promoting Mental Health Consultation to Prevent Early Childhood Expulsion - Presenting Author: Kate Zinsser, University of Illinois at Chicago; Non-Presenting Author: Callie Silver, Stanford University; Non-Presenting Author: Allison Lowe-Fotos, Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida; Non-Presenting Author: Maria Estlund, Illinois Action for Children; Non-Presenting Author: Lori Orr, Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development