Equity is part of all our work

This collection holds the equity toolkit, our equity webinar seasons, and resources on bias and on Tribal Nations. Culturally responsive consultation is competent consultation.

What's in this collection

Equity is a central component of infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC). Every individual who is part of the IECMHC system has an important role to play in promoting fair, positive, and equitable learning experiences for all children and families.

Program planning

Program Planning and Reflection Tool (PPRT): An entire domain is devoted to equity and covers: developing a program-wide strategic plan; staff training; service population & service delivery; reflective supervision; and data collection.

Online trainings and webinars

Equity in IECMHC Webinar Series (2023 to 2024): This series of webinars introduces a set of resources to support infant and early childhood mental health consultants and supervisors to strengthen cultural responsiveness in IECMHC for children and families in Tribal, African American, Latin American, and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities (AANHPI).

Toolkits and resource collections

IECMHC Racial Equity Toolkit: The CoE’s IECMHC Racial Equity Toolkit is a collection of videos, tools, and resources that can help consultation systems leaders and all IECMHC practitioners build capacity in understanding race and systemic racism, bias, and culturally responsive practice and meaningfully embed equity in their programs and practice.

Resource briefs

Promoting Black Joy and Countering Bias through Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: This is a companion resource to the 2023 webinar, “Countering Bias and Promoting Black Joy in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation,” which is part of the CoE’s Equity in IECMHC Webinar series.

Assessments

Cultural and Linguistic Competence Self-Assessment Checklists: These tools are designed to assist managers and administrators in assessing the extent to which they demonstrate integration of cultural and linguistic competence into values, attitudes, communication styles, and the physical environment.

National reports and position statements

Diversity-Informed Tenets for Work with Infants, Children, and Families: The Diversity-Informed Tenets are guiding principles created to encourage the infant mental health field to intentionally and mindfully engage in standards of practice that promote and strive for a just and equitable society.

Working with Tribal communities and Nations

IECMHC Resources for Tribal Nations: This webpage provides a collection of resources to support programs, local governments and tribal nations in creating better services and systems for infants, toddlers and young children and their families through an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation program.

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105 resources

  • Webinars and events2022 CoE Conference: A Model to Prevent Suspension and Expulsion in Early Care and EducationThe presentation will provide an example of a public/private funded program model for county-wide IECMHC. This presentation is intended for county or state leaders to see one example of the intentional braiding of IECMHC and Pyramid Model and the steps taken to implement a county-wide program for Early Care and Education providers. The presentation will include discussions on the following: (1) the design of the program; (2) the logic model; (3) the evaluation plan; (4) the data system; (5) funding streams; and (6) outcomes from 2018-2021. The Start Well Program is founded on the principles of equity. Children should have access to adults who are responsive to their individual needs and deliver culturally responsive practices which promote social and emotional development, prevent challenging behaviors, and identify early mental health needs. We know that when children present with challenging behaviors, they are communicating an unmet need or needs. Start Well uses the IECMHC process and Pyramid Model practices to ensure the adults working with children are confident and competent in identifying and supporting the needs of each child in their care, which will eliminate suspensions and expulsions and lead to a positive trajectory for school and life.EquityConsultation Practice
  • Webinars and events2022 CoE Conference (Plenary Session): IECMHC Equity Chats Competency 8 Systems Wide OrientationThe CoE has hosted an eight-part series of Equity Chats that have unpacked the revised IECMH Consultant Competencies to examine the consultant’s role in supporting equity in IECMHC. This final session in this series will focus on the System-Wide Orientation competency and provide examples of ways IECMH consultants can address issues of equity to disrupt bias and disparities, and improve child outcomes.Equity
  • Webinars and events2022 CoE Conference (Plenary Session): Leading with Equity and Anti-Racism in IECMHC from a Consultant Point of ViewA panel of IECMHC consultants will offer their experiences and insights into providing equity, diversity, inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism centered IECMHC to providers, caregivers, and programs. The panelists will describe how they built their own self-awareness. They will also discuss how they help consultees examine the impact of DEI, power, and privilege on child and adult behavior, and how that awareness makes IECMHC more effective.Equity
  • Webinars and events2022 CoE Conference (Workshop Session): Enhancing the IECMHC’s Toolbox to Talk to Children About RaceIn the past two years, IECMHCs have had to expand their responsibilities to address the stressors of the COVID and racial pandemics. In particular, teachers and caregivers have had to have conversations with young children about the racial divide and race, which for some was something that they were unprepared or unsure of how to discuss with young children. Conversations about race should be a part of the IECMHC role and integrated under the foundational knowledge and culture competencies of the IECMHC. This presentation will incorporate an accumulation of lessons learned from serving as an IECMHC, teaching diversity classes, and reviewing current literature, to provide other IECMHCs with tools and resources on how to have developmentally appropriate conversations about race, with young children.EquityWorkforce
  • Webinars and events2022 CoE Conference (Workshop Session): Exploring the Impact of Racial Equity Support with AZ’s IECMHC WorkforceWe will present findings from a small evaluation conducted by Dr. Flora Farago in partnership with Indigo Cultural Center. The goal of this study was to explore the impact of a racial equity professional development training and support effort with the IECMHC program in Arizona, known as Smart Support. This racial equity training and support effort was led by Dr. Eva Marie Shivers, spanned 4 years, and included consultants, supervisors and senior leadership. The findings have implications for designing ongoing PD efforts focused on racial equity for consultants as well as supervisors. In addition, we will share results that compare the impact of a more consistent, deeper focus on racial equity versus annual all-staff exposure to racial equity. Panelists’ shared perspectives will include research/evaluation; reflective supervision; mental health consultation.Evidence & ResearchEquity

Watch the equity webinars

Equity in IECMHC | Center of Excellence for IECMHC