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Appendix: Resources to Support Recommendations

The Appendix to ACF-OHS-IM-24-01 Strategies and Recommendations for Supporting Mental Health includes a variety of resources that support the promotion of mental health and well-being of children, families, and the child care workforce. Examples include different funding streams and supports from initiatives, programs, and agencies that support early childhood development and family well-being.

The Appendix is by no means exhaustive but includes examples of best and promising practices that are research- and/or evidence-based. Specific mention of organizations does not imply endorsement by ACF, HHS, or the U.S. government.

Mental Health Promotion

Strategy 1. A focus on social determinants of health, or the conditions in which individuals are born, grow, live, work and age, can lead to better mental health outcomes and prevent future mental illness. To promote social conditions that support family well-being, such as family safety, health, and economic stability, programs are encouraged to develop innovative two-generation approaches that leverage community partnerships and address prevalent needs of children and families (45 CFR §1302.50(a–b)).

  • Resources on [HeadStart.gov] to support programs in understanding and addressing broader social conditions and events that impact mental health include:
    • The Head Start Heals Campaign is a collection of resources describing how to support the mental health of children and families, particularly when children and families are exposed to traumatic events or situations that overwhelm their ability to cope.
    • Family Support and Well-being is a collection of resources for ensuring family members are safe, healthy, and have chances for educational advancement and economic mobility.
    • Building Partnerships with Families is a four-module learning series to enhance knowledge and practice about engaging families using strengths-based attitudes, relationship-based practices, and reflective practice. This professional development course accessible for free on the Individualized Professional Development Portfolio with continuing education units awarded for completion.
    • Check In and Partner with Families offers relationship-based competencies to support family engagement, recognizing that partnering with families supports child and family well-being.
    • Challenges and Benefits of Making Parent Connections provides strategies for connecting with parents.
  • Resources on [HeadStart.gov] to support partnerships with families around mental health include:
  • Other resources to support family relationships and partnerships include:
  • Potential partnership opportunities for Head Start programs include:
    • Healthy Start programs are Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) grant recipients situated in many communities and can work as partners with Head Start programs. Healthy Start programs seek to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy. Local Healthy Start programs match families with a care coordinator, who then develops personalized plans that can include prenatal and post-partum care, mental health and substance use screening, intimate partner violence screening, and linkages to other services such as assistance with transportation and housing. Every Healthy Start project also has a Healthy Start Community Action Network to increase awareness of and partnerships with a wide range of programs offering health, behavioral health, and social supports. As of 2023, there were 111 Healthy Start projects; some Healthy Start grant recipients already collaborate with Head Start programs.

Strategy 2. To promote family well-being, programs must collaborate with parents by providing mental health education support services, including opportunities for parents to learn about healthy pregnancy and postpartum care that encompasses mental health and substance use treatment options (45 CFR §1302.46(a)).

Strategy 3. To promote staff well-being, programs must make mental health and wellness information available to staff regarding issues that may affect their job performance and must provide staff with regularly scheduled opportunities to learn about mental health, wellness, and health education (45 CFR §1302.93(b)).

Strategy 4. A program must ensure staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers implement positive strategies to support children’s well-being and prevent and address challenging behavior (45 CFR §1302.90(c)(i)).

  • Resources on [HeadStart.gov] on positive strategies to support children’s behaviors include:
  • Resources on [HeadStart.gov] to help families understand child development include:
    • Introduction to Temperament is a resource providing an overview of what temperament is, including the nine common traits that can help to describe a child’s temperament and how they react to and experience the world. This form can be used by families to help understand where their child falls on the Temperament Continuum.
    • Positive Solution for Families: Routine Guide is a resource for families of children 2-5 years old. It offers suggestions and strategies to prevent, teach, and respond, to the challenging behavior a child may be having.
  • The National Center on Pyramid Model Innovation’s resource library includes several resources on positive behavior supports, such as:

Prevention Services and Supports

Strategy 5. To support children’s ongoing social and emotional development, programs must provide supports for effective classroom management and positive learning environments; supportive teacher practices; and strategies for supporting children with challenging behaviors and other social, emotional, and mental health concerns (45 CFR §1302.45(a)).

Strategy 6. Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) is a prevention-based approach. Mental health consultants work with Head Start leaders, staff, and families to support children’s healthy social and emotional development. Grant recipients have shared that it can be challenging to obtain mental health consultants, particularly in rural areas.

Strategy 7. To ensure mental health consultants engage in prevention-focused activities, programs must ensure the mental health consultant assists, at a minimum, with the requirements listed in 45 CFR §1302.45(b).

Access to Mental Health Treatment

Strategy 8. Programs must build community partnerships to facilitate access to additional mental health services as needed (45 CFR §§1302.45(a)(4), 1302.53(a)(2), 1302.80(c))

  • Resources on [HeadStart.gov] to support community engagement include:
  • Resources on [HeadStart.gov] that support access to mental health treatment information and referrals:
  • Other resources to support engagement with community mental health partners include:
    • Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are designed to ensure access to coordinated comprehensive behavioral health care. This SAMHSA resource outlines the history and background of CCBHCs, offers information about expansion grants and certification criteria, as well as technical assistance and resources. Visit the CCBHC locator page to view an interactive map and downloadable PDF list of CCBHCs by state.
    • The Find a HRSA Health Center tool provides information about where HRSA-supported health centers are located in each community. These centers provide comprehensive primary care services through permanent, fixed service delivery sites, temporary locations, mobile units, and service delivery sites located in or proximate to schools. Health center school-based service sites help to facilitate access to essential services for students, family members and other members of the community. Find a Health Center provides information about where health centers are located in each community. The Children’s Health and Education Mapping Tool from the School Based Health Alliance enables health, education, and other partners to identify each other at a local level and develop new partnerships.

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Mental Health