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Policy

Head Start of Lane County ensures that all classrooms and home visitors have access to regular mental health consultation (MHC).   The goal of MHC is to build the capacities of HSOLC staff and families to nurture and strengthen children’s social-emotional well-being, using a variety of strategies including, but not limited to, staff and family consultation, coaching, classroom observations and reflective groups.  MHC at HSOLC is supported by the HSOLC internal mental health consultant, contracted mental health providers, and contracted reflective consultants. 

Procedures for Mental Health Site Visits/Consultation

  1. The HSOLC internal mental health consultant will collaborate with community partners to develop a full range of support for staff, families and children. 
  2. Each site and home visitation team will be assigned a mental health consultant for the school year, either a contracted mental health provider, an endorsed reflective consultant or the HSOLC internal mental health consultant.  The internal HSOLC mental health consultant will provide coordination, training, and back-up support to contracted consultants to help serve the needs of each site.  
  3. Parent/guardians will be asked for consent for internal/HSOLC and contracted mental health consultation at their intake appointment, as this is part of the holistic services offered by every Head Start program. HSOLC will keep record of those who do not consent to consultation. 
  4. Mental health consultation information will be posted at each site, so that families and staff know who and how they can contact the mental health consultant. 
  5. Each site, classroom and home visitation team will have different needs, and MHC interactions could involve whole classroom observations, specific child observations, reflective staff support, parent consultation or help with connection to mental health supports.   
  6. Each site and home visitation team will have a MHC binder and access to a virtual resource, highlighting ideas for MHC, information about social-emotional development and community referral options.   
  7. The ECE coordinator will communicate with the MH consultant and schedule consultant interactions throughout the year, based on emerging needs of staff and families. Each site and home visitation team will have access to mental health consultation at least monthly, with interactions centered around emerging needs. When the site-based MH consultant is not available to meet the requested interaction, the internal/HSOLC mental health consultant can be available to support. 
  8. It is important that teaching and regional support teams take an active approach in choosing how the mental health consultant can support the team.  Background information needs to be provided to the consultant so that MHC can be relevant and helpful.  The EC Coordinator and consultant will schedule time for team debriefing after classroom observations.  These debriefings should involve as much as the relevant teaching team as possible.

Procedures for Individual Child Consultation

  1. Staff or parents can request an individual mental health observation for a child. 
  2. When a staff person (Head Teacher, Teacher, ECEC, RM, ARM) feels an individual child consultation would benefit the child, then an ISM will be scheduled to compile background information to provide to MH consultant.  
  3. HSOLC staff will check to see if the parent/guardian has consented to mental health consultation.  Prior to the observation and with found consent, HSOLC staff will communicate with the parent/guardian to share the purpose of the observation and to learn how the parent/guardian wants to be informed after observation(s).  
  4. The ECE coordinator will communicate with the MH consultant and schedule the observation based on best times for child and classroom.  
  5. The MH consultant will share written observations and any recommendations to the teaching and regional support team.  The ECE Coordinator will help coordinate communication with family, based on parent/guardian stated preference, as well as current classroom situation.  The meeting could include the MH consultant if family desires and the MH Consultant is available.  
  6. In consultation with parents, the teaching and regional support team will staff the recommendations made and decide next steps to support child and family. 

Documentation of Individual Observations/Interactions with MH Consultant

  1. The ECE Coordinator will document the observation request as a “staff consultation” transaction in the Mental Health Domain of Child Plus.
  2. After observation, The ECE Coordinator or Internal mental health consultant will document the information in the Observations tab of the Mental Health domain in Child Plus. 
  3. Follow up with family will be documented on the Transaction tab in the notes related to the staff consultation request.

Procedures for Staff Consultation

  1. HSOLC staff can connect with their mental health consultant if they would like short-term support around mental health issues or stressors connected to their work with children and families.   
  2. HSOLC Staff will talk to their ECE Coordinator or their supervisor to coordinate these 1:1 MH discussions. 
  3. MH consultants will refer HSOLC staff member to community mental health support, HSOLC's Employee Assistance Program, Human Resources or supervisory team when appropriate. 

Procedures for Mental Health Education Opportunities for Families

  1. Each teacher will have access to a binder or a virtual portfolio of information on social-emotional development and wellbeing, potential red flags, ideas on how to nurture positive relationships and community resources for mental health support. 
  2. HSOLC staff will provide opportunities for each family to discuss information related to their child's mental health including typical and atypical behavior and development.  
  3. Families will be given information and referrals for mental health services, training, and classes in the community as needed. 

Meets the following Performance Standards: 1302.40 (a)1302.45(a),(b), 1302.46 1a, b(iv), 2 (iv), 1302.93 (b), 1302.92 8 (ii)

Policy Council approved on September 12, 2006. September 8, 2009. August 21, 2012, August 2026 

REVIEWED: September 2024, August 2026 

Updated September 2008. June 2009. August 2009. July 2010. September 2010. August 2012. September 2024. August 2026