WHAT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH? 

 

ECMH is not about turning the behaviors of normal developmental stages into diagnoses or “mental health issues.”  It’s more about looking at healthy social and emotional development, and figuring out what helps children achieve it.  

 

ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that has been a leader in the area of ECMH.  Their mission is to provide information, training and support to parents, professionals and policymakers working in the realm of early childhood, and their website contains a wealth of valuable information:

http://www.zerotothree.org

 

According to the ZERO TO THREE Infant Mental Health Task Force,“Infant mental health” is defined as the healthy social and emotional development of a child from birth to 3 years; and a growing field of research and practice devoted to the: 
promotion of healthy social and emotional development; prevention of mental health problems; and treatment of the mental health problems of very young children in the context of their families.

http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=key_mental

 

To put it another way, the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health provides this definition:

Early Childhood Mental Health is the social, emotional, and behavioral well-being of children birth through five and their families, including the developing capacity to:

o       Experience, regulate, and express emotion;

o       Form close, secure relationships; and

o       Explore the environment and learn.

http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/ta_center/topics/early_childhood.html

 

As a EMCH consultant, you will likely be the mental health expert in your work setting, and you will need to get thoroughly grounded in the principles of healthy social/emotional growth. This website was designed to point you toward resources that will help you get that knowledge.