Transforming the continuum

Our old children’s mental health system left too many families feeling like they “fell through the cracks”. Foundations for Success is creating a better system for families and professionals by organizing all of our community’s resources into a single, coordinated, and comprehensive continuum.

A new framework

After taking an inventory of the resources available in our community, we examined ways to be more effective and efficient for families. What we came up with was a new framework that creates an easy-to-navigate and fluid network of services:

Prevention services

Prevention services are available for all young children in Ramsey County, regardless of whether they have mental health concerns or not. The focus of prevention is on screening and assessment. It is important to remember that these are two different services:

All young children should get a variety of different screenings at their well-child and other routine early childhood appointments. A mental health screening is a special type of screening that is very parent-driven. During a mental health screening, a parent fills out a simple survey (called the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional). The survey is a good chance for parents to bring up any concerns or questions that they might have about their child’s development in a risk-free environment.

The screening survey is scored, and if the score falls in a certain range, then the parent is offered an opportunity to receive a full assessment. A screening result does not mean that the child receives a diagnosis–only a full assessment can lead to a diagnosis. The parent must choose to have an assessment completed. Like the screening, the assessment also is built around the parent being the primary source of information.

Early intervention services

Early intervention services are targeted for children who might be showing some behavioral concerns, though not severe enough to result in a diagnosis. The focus of early intervention is to prevent their early concerns from developing into bigger ones later in life.

An example of an early intevention service is The Incredible Years Curriculum. Incredible Years is a nationally recognized and fully researched approach to teaching young children social skills such as handling stress and controlling emotions. The curriculum is woven into early-childhood settings like preschools and delivered in large-group activites. Incredible Years also features a therapeutic parenting group.

Intervention services

Intervention services are provided to children who have received a mental health diagnosis. Children accessing intervention services typically can continue to function in their regular settings with appropriate supports.

One type of intervention service is therapeutic play groups, such as Project KEEP. These play groups usually are provided in childcare, Head Start, schools, and other early-childhood centers. The groups focus on teaching children through imaginative play with puppets, costumes, and dolls. The program also trains the children’s teachers on how to structure their classrooms and activities to best support children.

Another type of intervention service is home visiting programs, such as Beginnings. In this program, a mental health professional comes into a family’s home to observe the parent and child interact. The home visitor then gives the family suggestions and excercises designed to improve the child’s emotional and behavioral skills.

Intensive intervention services

Intensive intervention services are designed for children who have severe needs. Children qualifying for intensive intervention services often are having difficululties functioning in their regular settings, and they might have been removed from one or more programs already due to violent or challenging behavior.

One intensive intervention service is preschool day treatment. Day treatment is delivered in a small classroom setting and features a mix of one-on-one and small-group activities. Each child in day treatment receives a specific treatment plan that is implemented by a team of mental health professionals. Children attend day treatment for half the day, and their treatment is extended beyond the classroom through work with their parents and other caregivers outside of those hours.