Mental Health Consultation To Support Child Care Centers and Enhance Quality Care

What is mental health consultation to a child care center?
Mental health consultation to child care programs is an innovative approach to supporting the healthy development of young children and is an essential quality support component for child care centers working to maximize the quality of their services. The consultation is designed to be a resource for child care centers to support teachers in developing and sustaining classroom environments that promote optimal social emotional development. Furthermore, child care centers that have incorporated mental health consultants into their programs have found a decrease in staff turnover rates, a decrease in reports of staff stress and feelings of burnout, and an increase in job satisfaction.

Why is having a Mental Health Consultant important?
A Mental Health Consultant is critical because preschool children who develop appropriate social and emotional skills are more likely to be prepared for elementary school and to succeed throughout the school years. Having a mental health consultant allows for the early identification of problem behaviors and gives the child care professionals the ability to address children's challenging behavior before serious problems occur.

What will the Mental Health Consultant actually do?
The duties of the Mental Health Consultant are tailored to meet the needs of the child care center staff, including assisting caregivers in promoting healthy development, helping centers establish linkages with other agencies as well as referral sources for children with special needs, and providing proactive coaching on techniques designed to prevent the development of problematic behavior. It should be noted that the Mental Health Consultant will not provide direct clinical service to individual children.

Will the Mental Health Consultant provide any training to the child care staff?
An important component of mental health consultation involves education and training of child care professionals in the knowledge and application of developmentally appropriate practices in classroom settings. The Mental Health Consultant can provide continuing education training to center staff and directors to meet state licensing requirements and are available to conduct seminars for parents who may be interested in enhancing their parenting knowledge and skills.

Is the mental health consultation program for all children, or just those children with difficult behavior?
Mental health consultation is designed to assist all children, not only the children who are exhibiting behavior problems, with the overall goal of achieving healthy behavioral, social, and emotional development. Children's relationships with their child care providers play an important role in developing a positive sense of self. The increased overall quality of care that can be supported through a mental health consultation program is an optimal tool for enhancing the child care environment and overall child development.

How do I get a Mental Health Consultant for my child care center?
If you are interested in learning more about the mental health consultation program, or how you can have a Mental Health Consultant work with your center, please send an e-mail by clicking here, or call Marylynn Gagnon at (504) 988-7387.