Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

CDD supports educators to handle challenging behaviors and to use strategies that teach children how to recognize and regulate emotions, problem solve, make friends, and find joy in their early learning years.

Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Brochure
Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Info Sheet

What is Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC)?

Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) is an intensive service aiming to build the capacity of Early Care and Education providers to support the development of young children’s social and emotional skills while preventing the use of suspension and expulsion. Increased social and emotional competencies provide children with essential skills needed to not only be successful in early care and education programs, but also in future academic settings and throughout life. 

The IECMHC program uses evidence and experience-based practices to center services around equity and inclusion with a strong focus on relationships. Working collaboratively with Early Care and Education staff, child care specialists, and community agencies, tiered levels of support are provided to meet the unique needs of each program, classroom, child, and their family.

Impacts of IECMHC

For the Child:

• Greater gains in social and emotional competencies
• Decreased challenging behaviors
• Maintain enrollment in child care program 

For the Educator:

• Confident and capable to address challenging behaviors
• Better understanding of social emotional development
• Lower levels of stress

For the Family:

• Improved family/educator communication
• Increased parenting skills
• Access to supporting mental health services and/or other referral services Program:
• Reduced staff turnover
• Improved program quality and classroom climate

What IECMHC Looks Like

Consultation is individualized to each program and its specific needs. Often during IECMHC, one or more of the following activities is used:

• Observation, screening, and assessment
• Resource sharing
• Coaching support
• Program policy and procedure support
• Training with implementation coaching
• Community referral assistance

Questions About IECMHC?

Request more information

Pyramid Model Work

Congratulations to Child Development Lab, Leap Academy, and University Houses Preschool for taking part in Wisconsin’s 19th cohort to launch the Pyramid Model program-wide implementation! Program–wide implementation of the Pyramid Model is a systemic effort within a program to strive for fidelity in programmatic and classroom practices that intentionally support the social and emotional development while supporting equitable outcomes for young children and their families.

Leadership teams guide the implementation process using data to make decisions, coaching to support adults to apply skills and strategies. We admire your dedication and commitment to this work and look forward to being your partner throughout the journey.