Mental Health Consultation Process
Improving Capacity Among Early Care & Education Providers
When the adults who care for infants and young children in early care and education settings have the support they need to address behaviors that they find challenging, they are better equipped to create healthy learning and growing environments for everyone. Using the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation model of support, we can work together to improve the lives and futures of Wisconsin’s infants and children.
Our team of dedicated, expert consultants are on hand to:
- Provide training and support to build your skills
- Help you develop new approaches to support infants and young children
- Build strategies to help alleviate stress when you feel overwhelmed by challenging behaviors or situations
What is an Infant and Early Childhood
Mental Health Consultation?
The Healthy Minds Healthy Children (HMHC) program is a prevention-based consultation approach that pairs mental health consultants with adults who provide care to infants and young children in settings like childcare, home visiting, and early intervention. The consultation we provide is not about “fixing kids,” and it isn’t therapy. Instead, our program is designed to equip caregivers like you to facilitate children’s healthy social and emotional development.
Our clinically-trained mental health specialists will work closely with you, providing support and training that empower you to promote the healthy social and emotional development of the children in your care while also helping you effectively respond to behavior in children that adults find challenging.
How it Works
- You have identified a need for HMHC Consultation Services
- Complete the HMHC Referral Form
- Our Referral Specialist will receive an email notification of your request and will follow up with you within two business days according to your preferred method of communication.
- Consultant Assigned: Program Staff will determine the consultant who can best meet your needs
- Initial Contact: Your HMHC Consultant will reach out to set up an initial meeting with you or your program leadership
- Initial Meeting: You and your HMHC mental health consultant will meet to discuss program services and complete a site agreement. This meeting can include anyone involved from your team
- Our consultant will work with you and your team to complete a site self-assessment to identify strengths and opportunities for mental health consultation
- Using the Program Planning Tool, the HMHC Consultant and Site will co-develop an initial Consultation Action Plan to include all services as applicable
- Consultation Services initiated: On average, the HMHC Consultant will provide approximately 10-12 hours of consultation services per month, for a duration of approximately 12-24 months. This may change depending on the needs identified during the Site Self-Assessment Process
- Conclusion of services: HMHC Consultant closes the episode of care and completes the plan summary and other documentation
- If additional HMHC services are recommended or identified during the initial planning, the HMHC Consultants continues working with the program and a new Action Plan is created.
Supporting Healthy Growth and
Development at All Levels
Our mental health consultants can provide support for everything from individual child needs all the way to community support
Our four levels of support are available:
On an individual child & family level in responding to a specific child’s needs or behaviors
On a classroom or home level to improve learning environments that support healthy growth and development
On a programmatic level to help improve uptake, capacity, and outcomes by supporting leadership and staff in strategy and program development
On a community level to help with outreach, resource engagement, and programs while celebrating all cultures
Stay Connected with Healthy Minds Healthy Children
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