PRiSM

Promoting Research-informed State IECMH Policies and Scaled Initiatives

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This project promotes efforts to achieve positive outcomes for infants and young children by highlighting research-informed infant-early childhood mental health (IECMH) state policies and scaled initiatives. In the table below you will find links to profiles of exemplary IECMH strategies used in state policies and scaled initiatives.

PRiSM content is continually updated: Policies and scaled initiatives are selected based on their use of research-informed strategies, strong implementation supports, and other features that promote effectiveness and sustainability (e.g., use of monitoring data, public funding). Please contact us about policies/initiatives to consider for PRiSM.

Click on a policy strategy to see a description of the IECMH strategy and links to profiles of states and localities using the strategy.

Click on a state or locality to learn about state policies and scaled initiatives that use one or more strategies.

Also find:

Links in table to summaries of evidence that summarize research supporting the use of each strategy

Additional Resources for assessing and strengthening IECMH policies.

Please contact us if you have questions or need technical assistance.

Policy StrategyState or Locality
Maternal Depression Screening and Response

Screening for maternal depression in pediatric and other settings, and on-site or referral to evaluation and treatment.

See summary of evidence








Louisiana: LAMHPP consultation to healthcare professionals

Massachusetts: Statewide MCPAP for Moms training and consultation to healthcare professionals

Michigan: Medicaid-funded screening and referral to MIHP home visiting

New York: HealthySteps screening and onsite referral and supports

North Carolina: Medicaid-funded screening and data-informed quality improvement

Child Social-Emotional Screening and Response

Child social-emotional screening in pediatric and other settings, and on-site or referral to evaluation and treatment.

See summary of evidence

See additional key resources on social-emotional screening and response


Alabama: Statewide Help Me Grow screening and follow-up coordination

Minnesota: Statewide task force guidance for screening and referrals in Medicaid, public health, kindergarten, and child welfare

New York: HealthySteps screening and onsite referral and supports


Risk Factor Screening and Response

Screening for family and related risk factors, and helping families secure benefits and services to meet needs.

See summary of evidence


Louisiana: LAMHPP consultation to healthcare professionals

New York: HealthySteps screening and onsite referral and supports




Effective Assessment and Diagnosis (DC:0-5)

Use of the DC:0-5 system in the assessment and diagnosis of infant-early childhood mental health conditions.

See additional key resources on DC:0-5

Colorado: Right Start for Colorado workforce development initiative

Minnesota: Medicaid-required use of DC:0-5 in diagnosis and state-funded training


Case-Management/Linking Families to Services

Case-management or linkage to appropriate services for families in which infants and young children have a diagnosis of a mental health condition or risks for a mental health condition.

See summary of evidence



Alabama: Statewide Help Me Grow screening and follow-up coordination

North Carolina: Medicaid-funded CC4C care coordination for at-risk children





IECMH Consultation in ECE programs

IECMH consultation in early care and education (ECE) settings provided by a mental health specialist who helps staff and parents gain skills and resources they can use to support children’s social-emotional growth and address behavior problems.

See summary of evidence

See additional key resources on IECMH consultation


Arizona: Smart Support consultation in home visiting and early care and education settings, including for family, friend, and neighbor providers, and year-long training for consultants

Arkansas: BehaviorHelp statewide system of tiered technical assistance and consultation supports, with a focus on children involved in child welfare

Illinois: Illinois Model for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation statewide cross-sector consultation training model


Social-Emotional Professional Development, Coaching, and Curricula in ECE Programs

Professional development, coaching, and curricula to promote children’s social-emotional competence.

See additional key resources on IECMH in ECE

Alabama: Statewide Conscious Discipline training

Wisconsin: Statewide implementation of the Pyramid Model





Dyadic Treatment

Dyadic treatment in which parents are guided by a clinician to engage in interactions with their infant or young child that promote a nurturing parent-child relationship, and positive parenting and child behavior.

See summary of evidence









Arkansas: Medicaid-funded CPP and PCIT treatment and state-funded training

Colorado: Right Start for Colorado workforce development initiative

Connecticut: Child First home visiting for vulnerable children, including CPP and extensive workforce training

Florida: Statewide Early Childhood Courts for child welfare-involved children, including CPP

New Mexico: CPP for child welfare-involved children and state-funded training

Oregon: Medicaid-funded PCIT and state-funded training

Parenting Programs

Parenting programs that help parents learn about and use positive, responsive parenting strategies that contribute to healthy social-emotional development and reduce behavioral problems.

See summary of evidence

Colorado: Right Start for Colorado workforce development initiative

Nebraska: Statewide COS-P and training cohorts

North Carolina: Statewide Triple P



IECMH in Part C Early Intervention Program (EI) Program

Policies and practices in the EI program that identify and address the social-emotional needs of infants and toddlers (e.g., includes IECMH mental health specialist on evaluation team, provides IECMH treatment).

See summary of evidence

See additional key resources on IECMH in Part C Early Intervention

Illinois: Social-emotional consultation for EI providers

Louisiana: Consultation to EI providers

Massachusetts: Statewide PIWI training for EI providers







IECMH in Home Visiting

Policies and practices that identify and address the social-emotional needs of infants and toddlers (e.g., screens for parent depression, refers family to IECMH treatment, consultation for home visitors).

See summary of evidence

See additional key resources on IECMH in home visiting







Arizona: Smart Support consultation in home visiting and early care and education settings, including for family, friend, and neighbor providers, and year-long training for consultants

Connecticut: Child First home visiting for vulnerable children, including CPP and extensive workforce training

Illinois: Illinois Model for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation statewide cross-sector consultation training model

Louisiana: Statewide home visiting consultation, including CPP for families

Michigan: Statewide Medicaid-funded home visiting including referral to infant mental health home visiting

IECMH in Pediatric Care

Policies and practices that identify and address the social-emotional needs of young children in pediatric settings (e.g., an IECMH specialist provides guidance and referrals when child has a positive social-emotional screen or parent needs evaluation for depression)

See additional key resources on IECMH in pediatric care


Louisiana: Consultation to pediatric providers

New York: HealthySteps screening and onsite referral and supports

Washington State: Promoting First Relationships in Pediatric Primary Care training




IECMH for Vulnerable Children

Policies and practices that identify and address the social-emotional needs of the most vulnerable infants and toddlers, including those in the child welfare system.







Arkansas: BehaviorHelp statewide system of tiered technical assistance and consultation supports, with a focus on children involved in child welfare

Connecticut: Child First home visiting for vulnerable children, including CPP and extensive workforce training

Florida: Statewide Early Childhood Courts for child welfare-involved children, including CPP

New Mexico: CPP for child welfare-involved children and state-funded training
Workforce Development

These states incorporate significant supports for workforce development into their IECMH policies and initiatives.





















Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Illinois

Massachusetts

Nebraska

New Mexico

Oregon

Washington State

Wisconsin
Additional Resources
IECMH Planning and Policy
Social-Emotional Screening and Response
Effective Assessment and Diagnosis (DC:0-5)
IECMH Consultation
IECMH in ECE
IECMH in Part C Early Intervention Program (EI) Program
IECMH in Home Visiting
IECMH in Pediatric Care

This project is generously supported by the Perigee Fund. The Irving Harris Foundation provided valuable support for the initial phase of PRiSM, which made its full development possible.

Special thanks to the project’s Advisory Group members for their guidance and input: Therese Ahlers (Zero to Three), Elisabeth Burak (Georgetown University), Donna Cohen Ross, Denise Castillo Dell Isola (Irving Harris Foundation), Marian Earls (Community Care of North Carolina), Nikki Edge (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences), Jill Filene (James Bell Associates), Neal Horen (Georgetown University), Kay Johnson (Johnson Group Consulting), Soledad Martinez (New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department), Carey McCann (BUILD Initiative), Kim Netter (Brazelton Touchpoints Center), Nina Williams-Mbengue (National Conference of State Legislatures), and Renée Wilson-Simmons (ACE Awareness Foundation).