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EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORTS AND SERVICES. Tom Washington, Ph.D. Behavioral Healthcare Director Office of Mental Health Department of Health & Hospitals. December 7, 2004. EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORTS AND SERVICES.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORTS AND SERVICES Tom Washington, Ph.D. Behavioral Healthcare Director Office of Mental Health Department of Health & Hospitals December 7, 2004
EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORTS AND SERVICES • Designed to provide services and supports to young children ages 0-5 and their families who are at risk of developing cognitive, behavioral and relationship difficulties.
SIX PARISHES 2002-2004 • ST. TAMMANY PARISH • DESOTO PARISH • EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH • LAFAYETTE PARISH • OUACHITA PARISH • TERREBONNE PARISH St. Mary Parish expansion in 2004 - 2005
THREE NEW SITES IN 2004-2005 • DELTA PARISHES East Carroll Madison Richland West Carroll • ACADIANA PARISHES Iberia St. Martin • ORLEANS PARISH
Three Components of ECSS • ECSS Staffing • Emergency Funds • Infant Mental Health Program
Multidisciplinary, Multi-agency Collaboration Project • Stakeholders include over 400 agencies, not-for-profits, faith-based organizations and other groups committed to the wellbeing of young children and their families.
ECSS STAFFING • Network members refer to ECSS based on risk of child and family • Staffing is scheduled with family and Core Team • Core Team meets 2x/month to determine needs of family and to develop comprehensive plan of care
ECSS • Goals • Risk Assessments for 2004 – 2005 = 1876 • Multi-agency Service Plans = 641 • Infant Mental Health Referrals =320
TANF • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families • TANF Goals - Children live with parents or relatives - Promote job preparation, work, marriage - Reduce out of wedlock pregnancy - Promote formation and maintenance of two-parent families
TANF EMERGENCY FUNDS • Funds for non-recurrent, short-term intervention • Examples • Child Care • Housing • School Supplies • Utilities • Transportation • Clothes, Food, Furniture, etc.
INFANT MENTAL HEALTH • IMH TEAM • Child Psychiatrist • Psychologist • Clinicians • Case Managers • Children ages 0 through 5 and caretakers • Behavioral difficulties, tantrums, aggression, PTSD, enuresis, encopresis, sleeping, feeding difficulties
Summary • Agencies are successfully collaborating with each other to enhance the system of care resulting in families receiving services important to their increasing independence with corresponding less dependence on welfare. • The preliminary information is indicating positive results in the crucial area of parenting for the participating families. • Intervening with families in the early stages of parenting is likely to result in positive long-term outcomes.
Credits The Early Childhood Supports and Services program and its expansion would not have been possible without the commitment to the wellbeing of children and their families of: • The Children’s Cabinet • Elected Officials of the State of Louisiana • Department of Social Services • Division of Administration • Department of Health & Hospitals • Over 400 Individuals, Agencies and Organizations who comprise the local ECSS Networks