Early Childhood Mental Health - Stark County Family Council

Stark County Childhood Resiliency Project Description

For several years, parents, childcare providers, mental health providers, and Early Childhood Collaborative partners in Stark County have identified a need for mental/behavioral health supportive services for young children. Many infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers are identified as having social/emotional challenges, and there have been insufficient resources to address those needs. Deficits in early social and emotional competencies often create barriers to learning, and prevent young children from being fully prepared to enter school. Research demonstrates that basic social, emotional and behavioral skills are equally important to cognitive skills in determining future success in school and in life. The Early Childhood Collaborative, a committee of the Stark County Family Council, the Stark County Community Mental Health Board, childcare providers, mental health providers and others joined together to launch the Stark County Early Childhood Resiliency program in 2003. The Stark County Childhood Resiliency Project is an early childhood consultation and social and emotional skills promotion program for young children, ages 2 to 6, their families, and childcare providers.

To be most effective mental health strategies for young children should be provided where children are, which typically is either in their homes, in childcare centers, or in family childcare homes. The Stark County Childhood Resiliency Project is serving 12 early childhood programs in 2005 - 2006, reaching over 60 classrooms, 135 early childhood staff, and 1000 children. Participating early childhood programs are located in Canton, North Canton, Massillon and Alliance. Trained Resiliency Coaches provided by Child & Adolescent Service Center and Community Services, Inc. consult with early childhood programs weekly. Consultation activities at the sites include teacher training and classroom support, parent consultation and education, and child interventions.

The Resiliency program is universal, which means all children in participating programs are eligible to receive services. It is also strength-based, which means the focus is on developing positive social and emotional growth and fostering resiliency, not only on diagnosing and addressing problems. All children receive the following research-based programming:

The DECA - Devereux Early Childhood Assessment, which focuses on the acquisition of resiliency skills (www.devereuxearlychildhood.org)
The Incredible Years - a parent, teacher and child training series, which has proven effective for reducing children’s aggression and behavioral problems, and enhancing parenting skills and satisfaction, (www.incredibleyears.com), and
I Can Problem Solve - a parent, teacher and child training series, which fosters interpersonal problem solving.

The Childhood Resiliency Project offers consultation and training to early childhood and mental health organizations, and sponsors an Incredible Years Consultation Group monthly. Funding for the Project has been provided by the Stark County Community Mental Health Board, the Ohio Department of Mental Health, United Way of Greater Stark County, Aultman Foundation, Hoover Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation, and Stark County Department of Job and Family Services.

Project Strengths:

Developmental sequence of strength-and evidence-based programming
On-site services in early childcare programs
Staff training, quality program improvements, and family support
Addresses classroom problem behaviors which do not warrant mental health diagnosis
Coordination with mental health agencies serving children so that consultation and therapeutic services target the children with the greatest need
Assisting Center Directors in the development of plans which attend to resiliency, and to social, emotional and behavioral development of young children
Behavioral training and curriculum across early childhood programs and throughout the county

Incredible Years Parenting Groups are offered throughout the year in community locations. To join or sponsor a group, please use the contact information listed below.

For more information contact Susan Lowery at the Stark County Family Council - (330) 455-1225 ext. 312 or Susan_L@starkfamilycouncil.org.