Our program is committed to providing an environment where young children and families have the supports necessary to succeed. We promote positive mental health, emotional well-being, social competence, building on strengths and assets, and resilience through positive relationships built with our children and families. These relationships help shape children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development that is the foundation for school-readiness and future academic success. The program, in partnership with families, fosters mental wellness by offering a system that provides for the early identification and prevention of social-emotional issues that may interfere with future development.
The system includes regular social-emotional screenings for all children by the teaching staff. The Mental Health Program Specialist also provides periodic classroom observation and consultations. A multi-disciplinary team approach that includes staff and parents, other Program Specialists, and community service providers is used on case-by-case basis. We offer community referrals to therapists for children and families. The Mental Health Program Specialist also offers behavioral management services in the classroom setting and home environment. It is the policy of our program to create an environment that is supportive to the growth of children expressing their feelings and coping with stressors in a constructive way.
With the help of families, we utilize a positive behavior support system of family input and guidance, on-going classroom observation, and documentation to encourage progress. If needed, we provide resources to outside support services. Early Childhood Positive Behavior Implementation and Support (ECPBIS) strategies are implemented in our classrooms to support the development of healthy social skills. When challenging behaviors occur, ECPBIS strategies are utilized to help understand the behaviors and replace with them with more acceptable behaviors. Consultation for behavior management is provided to assist staff and caregivers as behavioral concerns arise for individual children as well as group needs. ECPBIS strategies can also be utilized in the home environment.