Domain 5 of 8
Child and Family-Focused Consultation
Key points
- Centers relationships: honoring families as the first and primary relationship, and building trust between staff and families.
- Works collaboratively to understand a child's behavior through a working hypothesis that weighs relational, cultural, family, medical, environmental, and developmental factors, and revises it as new information emerges.
- Supports culturally sensitive plans and appropriate referrals, coordinating with families, staff, and other providers.
Collaborates with families and/or program or other setting staff to understand and respond effectively to an infant’s, young child’s, or caregiver’s mental health needs, behavioral difficulties, and/or developmental challenges.
Partners respectfully with families and staff to understand the context and nature of a particular family’s life to enhance the infant’s or young child’s and family’s well-being.
5A Values and Promotes the Power of Relationships and the Importance of Relationship-Building
Core Skills
- 5A.1
- Demonstrates an ability to honor family strengths, perspectives, and expertise, and assists others in valuing and supporting family relationships as the first and primary relationships in an infant’s or young child’s life.
- 5A.2
- Supports program or other settings staff in developing trusted and respectful relationships with families.
- 5A.3
- Gathers (or supports staff in helping to gather) family- and infant- or young-child-related information in a manner that is nonthreatening, respectful, collaborative, and supportive.
- 5A.4
- Facilitates understanding, mutual respect, and direct communication between families and staff and among members of the early childhood community.
- 5A.5
- Engages warmly and flexibly with ECE/HV staff and families to consider the meaning of a particular behavior.
5B Works Collaboratively to Understand an Infant’s and Young Child’s Behavior
Core Skills
- 5B.1
- Collaborates with families and staff to develop a working hypothesis about the meaning of an infant’s or young child’s behavior, including social and emotional, relational, cultural, and family factors; physical and/or medical issues; environmental factors and events (such as a history of exposure to trauma); and/or developmental vulnerabilities that may play a role in that behavior. Recognizes the need to revise the hypothesis over time as new information emerges and in the face of conflicting and/or additional information.
- 5B.2
- Demonstrates an ability to pay close attention to relationships and interactions between staff, family members, and the infant or young child (and between that infant or young child and his or her peers) and to consider how those interactions may impact infant or young child and family well-being.
- 5B.3
- Considers and encourages others to consider information from families (including information about family history and culture), from staff and from observations and documentation (e.g., health records, anecdotal notes, assessments, reports).
- 5B.4
- Uses a variety of observation strategies, tools, and recording techniques to gain insight into an infant’s or young child’s behavior and the relational influences on their functioning.
- 5B.5
- Helps families and staff understand all influences on their view of the infant or young child (e.g., cultural, historical, and interpersonal factors; exposure of the infant, young child, or family to trauma; programmatic issues).
5C Supports and Facilitates Plan Development and Implementation
Core Skills
- 5C.1
- Integrates information and, considering both context and available resources, collaborates with staff and families to develop a plan that addresses infant or young child, family, and staff needs in a culturally sensitive manner.
- 5C.2
- Assists and supports families and staff so that collaboratively developed plans for infants or young children involve interventions that reflect best practice (i.e., are developmentally appropriate and, when possible, evidence-based).
- 5C.3
- Works in collaboration with other service providers to support families and staff (e.g., Part C, Early Intervention).
5D Supports and Facilitates Referrals, Service Provision, and Community Collaboration
Core Skills
- 5D.1
- Partners with staff and families to identify and facilitate appropriate referrals for specific infants or young children and families, for medical, developmental, mental health, and/or other needs.
- 5D.2
- Works to ensure that referrals meet the diverse needs of families, with particular consideration given to issues concerning resources, culture, and language.
- 5D.3
- Establishes and maintains positive relationships with other professionals and agencies within the community, tribe, or state, and collaborates (or helps program or other setting staff to collaborate) with all parties involved to facilitate referrals and coordinate services.
Source: Competency text is reproduced from Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Competencies, Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (2020 edition).
