Key Principles in Providing Integrated Behavioral Health Services for Young Children and Their Families: The Starting Early Starting Smart Experience

• NCJ Number: 190560
• Author(s): Lori Hanson Ph.D.; David Deere M.S.W; Carol Amundson Lee M.A.; Amy Lewin Psy.D; Carolyn Seval R.N.
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 58 pages
• Grant Number(s): 5 UIH SP07974-8047
• Sponsoring Agency: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin (SAMHSA); Casey Family Programs
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin (SAMHSA); Casey Family Programs
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: See NCJ-190561 for companion document, "Assessing Costs and Benefits of Early Childhood Intervention Programs"

Annotation

This report offered policymakers and program administrators assistance in replicating the Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS) approach in its description of its essential philosophical principles and structural components.

Abstract

There is a growing awareness of the importance of targeting positive interventions to very young children. The infant and preschool years are seen as laying a critical foundation for later growth and development. Successful interventions for very young children must meet the multiple behavioral health, physical health, and educational needs of entire families. This report presented an overview of the Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS) intervention framework that was developed in response to these needs. It is presented as a guide to the process of program development. SESS is an early intervention program developed in the context of the national, multi-site program and evaluation funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Casey Family Programs. SESS focuses on the integration of behavioral health services into easily accessible and non-threatening settings. Its major goal is to increase access and utilization of needed behavioral health services by families with young children, in turn improving child and family outcomes and resiliency. SESS programs advocate a relationship-oriented approach at all system levels, including parent-child, family-staff, staff-agency, and agency-agency interactions. In addition to the SESS philosophy, a general overview of its implementation and planning processes is presented, including the importance of a comprehensive community assessment capturing information regarding the resources and needs of both the target population and service providers of the community; approaches to facilitate family involvement and participatory planning; the development of a SESS collaborative; the importance of providing staff support, training, and supervision; approaches to recruitment and retention of SESS participants in intervention services; and the need about program sustainability. This report put forth some general guiding principles and valid options and choices enabling communities to begin the process of developing a tailored SESS approach. References and appendices