Promoting Research-informed State IECMH Policies and Scaled Initiatives
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 Strategy | State 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 | 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. | 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. Key resource on state IECMH Consultation programs: The Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation | Arizona: Smart Support consultation in home visiting 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 |
| Professional Development/Coaching in ECE Programs Professional development and coaching to help early care and education teachers develop their ability to promote children’s social-emotional competence. | 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 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 | 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 | 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). | Arizona: Smart Support consultation in home visiting 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 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) | Louisiana: Consultation to pediatric providers New York: HealthySteps screening and onsite referral and supports |
| 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. | Arizona Arkansas Connecticut Florida Massachusetts Nebraska New Mexico Oregon Wisconsin |
Additional Resources
- Advancing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: The Integration of DC:0-5 into State Policy and Systems (Zero to Three)
- Building a Comprehensive State Policy Strategy to Prevent Expulsion from Early Learning Settings (U.S. Office of Child Care)
- DC:0-5 Crosswalk: A Briefing Paper (Zero to Three)
- Developing an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Professional Development System in Maryland: A Gap Analysis and Strategic Plan (Maryland State Department of Education)
- Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Policies and Practices to Foster the Social-Emotional Development of Young Children (Zero to Three)
- Embedding Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation in Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs (U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau)
- Expanding Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Supports and Services: A Planning Tool for States and Communities (Zero to Three)
- Fostering Social and Emotional Health through Pediatric Primary Care: Common Threads to Transform Everyday Practice and Systems (Center for the Study of Social Policy)
- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: A Briefing Paper (Zero to Three)
- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Policy Series (Zero to Three)
- Infants and Toddlers in the Policy Picture: A Self-Assessment Toolkit for States (Zero to Three)
- Links to State IECMH Plans (National Center for Children in Poverty)
- Maine Policy Template for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Designed to Promote Young Children’s Social-Emotional Development (National Center for Children in Poverty)
- Meeting the Social-Emotional Development Needs of Infants and Toddlers: Guidance for Early Intervention Program Providers and Other Early Childhood Professionals (New York State Department of Health Early Intervention Program)
- Preparing the Path: A Needs Assessment of Colorado’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Workforce (Right Start for Colorado & Colorado Health Institute)
- Risk, Reach, and Resources: An Analysis of Colorado’s Early Childhood Mental Health Investments (Colorado Health Institute)
- Supporting Social-Emotional and Mental Health Needs of Young Children Through Part C Early Intervention: Results of a 50-State Survey [Report] (National Center for Children in Poverty & Georgetown University Center for Children and Families)
- Supporting Social-Emotional and Mental Health Needs of Young Children Through Part C Early Intervention: Results of a 50-State Survey [Webinar] (National Center for Children in Poverty, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, & ECTA Center)
- Using Medicaid to Ensure the Healthy Social and Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers (Georgetown University Center for Children and Families)
- What Policymakers in Georgia Need to Know About Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Health (Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students & National Center for Children in Poverty)
- Working Towards a System that Supports Early Childhood, Infant, and Family Mental Health: An Assessment of New Hampshire’s Early Childhood and Family Mental Health Workforce (New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation)
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).