Mental Health

Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Children and Families

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Screening /  Observation/Consultation / Collaboration / Referral

The mental health team works closely with staff and parents to meet the mental health needs of children and families.

For young children, good mental health means being able to develop secure, trusting relationships, expressing emotions appropriately and interacting with others. Head Start employs a mental health professional who supports classrooms and families. Scheduled classroom visits are posted at the site so that families can access services and meet with the mental health professional if desired.

All children have a social/emotional screening to identify any possible need for services (skill-building, emotional identification, behavior support, counseling services). Head Start contracts with mental health providers in the community to provide services for families. Your Family Service Staff or Teacher can assist you to do this.

The following services are available:

Screening

An ASQ-SE (social-emotional screening tool) is completed for each child within 45 days of enrollment.

Observation/Consultation

With parental/guardian permission, individual child observations are done by a Head Start employed mental health professional when there are mental health concerns. Consultation is available to parents, teachers, family advocates, and any other staff working with children.

The mental health team also does classroom-wide observation and consultation. This provides additional screening and identification of children with mental health needs. Additionally, teachers receive support on how to address individual and classroom-wide mental health issues.

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Collaboration

The collaboration team regularly staffs children with mental health and/or behavioral issues. The team includes specialists/consultants in the areas of mental health, education, disabilities, and early intervention. Teaching staff and/or managers attend to discuss specific children.

Referral

The mental health team provides referrals to children and families in need of counseling. Our collaborating agencies have experience with the mental health needs of young children and their families.