Early Childhood Family Partners

Learning Objectives Understanding Early Childhood Mental Health Learn the difference between service delivery in early childhood vs. older children Impact of Family Partners on Parents of Young Children

Prevention & Early Intervention Mental Health Services Act of California …“To define serious mental illness among children, adults and seniors as a condition deserving priority attention, including prevention and early intervention services and medical and supportive care.”

Infant Mental Health The healthy social and emotional development of a child from birth to 3 years A growing field of research and practice devoted to the: Promotion of healthy social and emotional development Treatment of the mental health problems of very young children in the context of their families Prevention of mental health problems Infant mental health is defined as the healthy social and emotional development of a child from birth to 3 years; and a growing field of research and practice devoted to the: Promotion of healthy social and emotional development; Prevention of mental health problems; and Treatment of the mental health problems of very young children in the context of their families. www.zerotothree.org

Early Childhood Mental Health Support Social & Emotional Wellness Encourage good mental health Promotion Mental Health Consultation Parent Support Groups Prevention Child-Parent Psychotherapy Parent Child Interaction Therapy Treatment Promotion Promotion services encourage and support social-emotional wellness and good mental health. Promotion services are universal; they reach out to all parents of very young children. Examples of promotion programs include social marketing efforts that encourages parents to play with their children, or parent telephone “warmlines” that encourage calls from those with questions about typical child behaviors and development. Prevention Prevention programs reach out to families that are experiencing greater levels of stress that may increase their young children’s risk of developing social-emotional or mental health problems. These programs seek to prevent the development of early childhood mental health difficulties by providing needed support and information. Examples of prevention programs include home visiting for families with young children or self-help support groups for those who are concerned they could abuse or neglect their child. Treatment Treatment programs are designed to alleviate the distress and suffering of a young child’s mental health problem and support the return to healthy development and behavior. Public and private mental health treatment programs and early intervention programs assess, diagnose and treat mental health and developmental disorders. PCIT Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically-supported treatment for young children with emotional and behavioral disorders that places emphasis on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship and changing parent-child interaction patterns.

Early Childhood vs. Children’s Mental Health Young children cannot be treated without caregiver’s presence Typically treated in the home Older Children Children can be treated without caregiver’s presence Typically treated in office or school setting

Child Development Social Emotional Milestones Smiles at people—2months Plays with parents—6months Nervous with strangers—12months Copies others—2years Developmental milestones aren’t just about sitting up, crawling, walking and talking. They also include social and emotional milestones such as these. Parents should consult with their pediatrician if they have any concerns about their child’s development

Family Partner Roles Mentoring Parent Education Modeling Behaviors Emotional support FP’s are there for the whole family not just the identified child. Family Partners are not case managers. Family Partners = mentorship and support vs. clinical interventions and treatment

Challenges Providers understanding the need for Family Partners Defining Family Partners roles in Early Childhood Medi-Cal billing challenges Because clinicians work so closely with the parent/primary care-giver, it was difficult for them to understand the role and need for FP’s. Of course medical billing is always a challenge for FP’s.

Family Partner Billing Request technical assistance specifically for agencies with Family Partners Continued defining of Family Partners’ roles Writing treatment plans to include Family Voice and Family Partner services One of the ways we have addressed the billing issue by requesting more technical assistance from our county Quality Assurance people.

Key Considerations Family Partner billing vs. Clinician billing Advocacy for Family support services to meet medical necessity Because the majority of what Family Partners do doesn’t fit medical necessity, they should not be expected to bill at the same rate as a clinician. In Alameda County the magic number is 35% compared to the clinicians’ 65%. Many of the FP’s in Early Connections, are feeling that more effort should be put into creating a Family System of Care where family support services will meet medical necessity.

Thank You! Tanya McCullom: tmccullom@acbhcs.org