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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Webinars and eventsInfusing a DEIB Lens: Growth Edges and Celebrations"Infusing a DEIB Lens: Growth Edges and Celebrations" In the recent evolution of Caregiver Connections' Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) program, we have begun trying to infuse a DEIB Lens in each area of the work we do as a program. In this presentation we will be focusing on the work that we have done, and the lessons we have learned to strengthen and build our infrastructure. In order to understand where we are and where we want to go, we also need to understand where we’ve been. This presentation walks you through our process, including what we did well and where we have to grow. We hope telling our story this way helps other mental health consultation programs evaluate their own process and structure and strengthen their DEIB practices. TemplateJOB DESCRIPTION: Early Intervention Program Mental Health Specialist GuideKey IECMHC Resources for Tribal CommunitiesThis resource provides resources for tribal, state, and community leaders seeking to implement IECMHC within tribal communities. GuideKey Resources for Promoting Equity and Reducing DisparitiesThis compendium of Web-based equity-focused resources provides support for state, tribal, and community leaders who are engaged in conversations about disproportionate data on preschool expulsions and for awareness building. Webinars and eventsLeading An Equitable IECMH TeamA brief narrative session talking about how managers in the IECMH field can improve efficiency and increase equity within their teams. Strategies and Observations are shared from the experience of A Disability Director in a large Urban & Rural Head Start Program. Webinars and eventsMaryland’s Equity Mapping ProjectIn the IECMHC field, it is well known that Black boys in early childhood settings are suspended or expelled at much higher rates than their White counterparts, and IECMHC is linked with reduced suspension and expulsion rates. However, less attention is paid to where IECMHC services are provided, who is included, and who is left out. To ensure the gap between Black and White children’s suspension and expulsion rates does not further widen, the Parent, Infant, Early Childhood (PIEC) team completed an equity mapping research project for Maryland’s IECMHC programs. The aim of this work was to identify where IECMHC services were delivered across Maryland in the context of where child care programs are located and historically underserved children, including Black and Latinx children and children in poverty lived, from July 2017 through December 2020. During the presentation, we will explore both the static maps that overlay where IECMH consultation services were provided in the context of the socio-demographic and childcare data for the state. We will also share the reflective questions programs use when reviewing the maps. These reflective questions are aimed to help participants explore trends in the distribution of services; discuss root causes for existing inequities; and think of recommendations at the programmatic and systems level. Our target audiences are IECMH consultants, IECMH program directors, researchers, policymakers, funders, and any others who are interested in IECMH and equity in IECMH services. ReportMaryland’s infant and early childhood mental health consultation equity efforts Webinars and eventsMeeting Colorado Families and Early Childhood Professionals where they areColorado offers ECMH Consultation services anywhere children age birth to 6 years learn and grow, including elementary schools, home visitation, child welfare, public health, health care, home settings, and more. This presentation will discuss how consultation has been expanded and successfully implemented in settings outside childcare. Two settings with established programs will discuss how the need for early childhood mental health consultation was determined and what programming resulted from those needs. Featured programs include Enhanced Home Visiting and Warm Connections which offers mental health consultation at Woman, Infants and Children (WIC) clinics. The demographics of the families and professionals served will be highlighted along with how each program has incorporated practices and policies that are culturally and linguistically responsive. Programs will also address the workforce providing the consultation: how they were recruited and trained. Programs will also discuss their components, barriers, and opportunities. Finally, evaluation results and learnings will be shared which highlight program future directions. Webinars and eventsNew Mexico’s Process of Developing a Statewide IECMHC ProgramDuring this informative session, you will learn about New Mexico's process of developing a statewide IECMHC Program. You will hear from NM Early Childhood Education and Care Departments Cabinet Secretary, and her vision to bring an IECMHC program to New Mexico. In addition, the early consideration in developing an extensive and sustainable IECMHC Program. The IECMHC Program Coordinator will also discuss the implementation of NM IECMHC Program. There will be an opportunity for questions at the end of the session. Webinars and eventsOne Child At a Time: The Path to Equity in FloridaSpeakers of this session will share the experiences of a grass roots approach to fund the only infant and early childhood mental health consultation programing in their community. The presentation is targeted to professionals who do not have funding or support for consultation services in their state or community, are launching new programs, or those who are looking at how other programs are advancing equity in their agencies. As Florida legislators have failed to recognize the IECMHC model as a viable funding option and direct dollars elsewhere, it is up to service delivery professionals to take action locally and find ways to educate, promote and fund services. This session will share the steps taken to increase equity and decrease disparities through the consultation model in preschool homes and centers, despite the major hurdles to success. Presenters will share their steps to building a workforce, creating local acceptance of the concept and potential outcomes, and finally accessing major funding to start two new consultation programs. Participants can expect to hear about potential new ways to educate their community on the benefits and outcomes of the IECMHC model, identify ways to infuse equity into IECMHC programming, and how to promote the model as a major contributor to equity changes and initiatives in their own communities. Webinars and eventsOpportunities to Expand IECMH Consultation through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) BriefOverview of IECMHC within Tribal CommunitiesThis resource outlines general and specific considerations for IECMHC within tribal communities.