8.1

Self-Awareness Activity: How Clear is My Vision?

As a program director, your vision for mental health services and consultation is important, although the ultimate vision for the program should be something created collaboratively. Knowing your own vision and being able to articulate it will help you to understand how their vision fits with program staff and families and where it may differ.

Leadership Role in Developing/Maintaining a Shared “Vision”

Head Start and Early Head Start program administrators play a key role in developing and maintaining a shared vision of a mental health approach. Program directors and other administrators who value early childhood mental health wellness create an early childhood environment that is informed by a mental health perspective and is responsive to the mental

Defining a “Mental Health Perspective”

teacher and child

Head Start administrators are encouraged to approach program development by incorporating a mental health perspective, in which the principles of mental health are infused across all aspects of the program, including services that support the positive mental health of children, families, and staff. Programs with a mental health perspective integrate mental health principles throughout the

What Does a Mental Health Vision Look Like?

A program-wide vision of mental health services provides a common understanding of the program’s definition of mental health, the general approach to mental health, the roles of staff, consultants, and administrators in implementing a mental health perspective, and the goals and desired outcomes of mental health services that is shared throughout the organization. A program-wide

Importance of a Vision for Program Mental Health Services

toddler on white surface

Research has suggested that Head Start/Early Head Start programs that have a “vision” that guides their mental health services and approach are likely to have more positive outcomes (Green et al., 2004). While the Head Start Performance Standards provide a foundation for the required components of mental health services, program directors are responsible for working

Module 1: Developing a Mental Health Vision

Team meeting

In this module you will learn about the importance of working with your program’s staff, families and community partners to develop a program-wide mental health vision. You will be introduced to the concept of a “mental health perspective” — a way of seeing mental health as part of everything that your program does. Learning Objectives

This product was developed [in part] under grant number 1H79SM082070-01 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.