Structure the service
Here you'll find program design documents, logic models, and our program manual. They show how consultation is structured inside a program.
What's in this collection
Program structure: the nuts and bolts of IECMHC service delivery and IECMHC program infrastructure, what you provide, to whom, where, and how, and how to pull it all together.
Laying the groundwork: community context
As programs and practitioners develop IECMHC services, it is important to explore community needs and strengths, including the cultural and systemic context, and apply findings strategically to the consultation approach.
Sample Needs Assessment: Conducting a needs assessment with stakeholders is a crucial first step in designing an IECMHC program.
Program design
Program Planning & Reflection Tool (PPRT): The PPRT is a comprehensive program design tool, and a good starting point for program design efforts.
Design element 1: mission, vision, and values
Program design should be grounded in a well-articulated vision that reflects program values and aligns with program goals. To organize concepts for both program development and evaluation purposes, theories of change and logic models serve as “roadmaps” that graphically depict the connections between the community context, the actions to be undertaken, and the desired outcomes.
Design element 2: service settings and eligibility
An essential component of service design is specifying where and to whom services will be provided.
Designing an IECMHC Program: Four Essential Building Blocks: This brief reviews four key areas of program design, including eligibility determination, and offers examples of how they have been implemented in a range of IECMHC programs.
Design element 3: service array and intensity
Clearly delineating the services that your program does, and does not, provide, as well as the “dosage” of consultation offered is critical.
The Essential Activities of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: The CoE conducted a consensus-building research study to distill the essential activities of IECMHC.
Design element 4: consultation phases
The sequencing of consultation services is another important design element. The Center of Excellence has identified three major phases of IECMHC work: Initiation, Service Delivery (encompassing plan development, implementation, and revision), and Service Conclusion.
A Day in the Life of an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant: This resource contains a series of real-life vignettes that describe the different phases of the work that a MHC may encounter in the course of an average day.
Design guidance from the field
Program Manual Planning Document: The Program Manual Planning Document was created to help programs with the complex task of creating a program manual. Each of the eight sections has recommendations, sample language and links to resources.
IECMHC and the Pyramid Model: different yet complementary
Understanding Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and the Pyramid Model: Many programs have both IECMH consultants and Pyramid coaches working together or in parallel. This brief provides information on how consultation and coaches fit together and highlights important differences.
Program sustainability
Sustainability Modules: Initiating and ultimately sustaining infant and early childhood mental health consultation activities involves more than just having a great program.
Infrastructure and administrative tools
Sample program manuals, memoranda of understanding, and contracts are in the library below.
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GuideHead Start Performance Standards w/ Mental Health Focus ReportHolding Hope (Washington) IECMHC Formative Evaluation Final Report TemplateIECMHC Logic Model TemplateUse this template to map your IECMHC program's inputs, activities, and outcomes. Two filled-in samples show it for early childhood education and home visiting. TemplateIllinois Model of IECMHC: Theory of Change GuideInfant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Workforce Development Plan OverviewThis resource outlines key considerations for building a skilled workforce of Mental Health Consultants. In addition to providing a summary of recommended MHC qualifications and competencies, this resource presents guidance on five domains for workforce development: orientation, service delivery, skill building, ongoing training, and reflective supervision. TemplateLogic Model GuideMaryland Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Support Services Program: Practice Standards & Recommendations BriefMaryland’s Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Fiscal Year 2021 Brief TemplateMemorandum of Understanding Between Mission Head Start Program And Instituto Familiar de la Raza, Inc.Sample MOU between Instituto Familiar de la Raza (IFR) an IECMHC consultation program in San Francisco, CA and a local Head Start program. ReportMental Health Consultation Evaluation: Summary of Interviews with Home Visitors, Supervisors, & Mental Health Consultants GuideOverview of the IECMHC Approach within the Early Childhood System ReportPennsylvania Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Project External Evaluation ReportIn 2016, the Pennsylvania ECMH Consultation Project contracted with Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development to conduct an external review geared towards situating their program in a national perspective. By analyzing Pennsylvania’s program based on the insights from the national “What Works” (2009) study, the authors identified the strengths of the program as well as areas for continued growth, which were then pursued by program leadership.Executive Summary