Early Childhood
Mental Health
Consultation
Lessons Learned From
A Pilot Project in Arkansas
GOING BEYOND ECMH CONSULTATION
The consultant’s domain is centered within the child care center, and the focus is on the relationships between center staff and the children and families they serve. There are times when a consultant’s role is to look outside the center for resources for a particular child and family. Additionally, you may wish to develop your own skills in working with young children in other settings such as outpatient therapy. The following information may be useful to you as you explore learning opportunities and referral sources.
Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood, Revised (DC: 0-3R)
Published in 1994, ZERO TO THREE’s Diagnostic Classification of Mental
Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC:
0-3) was the first developmentally based system for diagnosing mental
health and developmental disorders in infants and toddlers. Its
diagnostic categories reflected the consensus of a multidisciplinary
group of experts in early childhood development and mental health.
The revised DC: 0-3 draws on empirical research and clinical practice
that have occurred worldwide since 1994. DC:0-3R is designed to help
mental health and other professionals:
• Recognize mental health and developmental challenges in young
children,
• Understand how relationships and environmental factors contribute to
mental health and developmental disorders,
• Use diagnostic criteria effectively for classification and
intervention,
• Work more effectively with parents and other professionals to develop
effective treatment plans.
Price: $32.95 from www.zerotothree.org (click on eStore)
Parent Management Training
PMT refers to programs that teach parents to better manage their children’s behavior at home and at school, and is one of the most extensively studied therapies for children, with promising results in decreasing oppositional and aggressive behavior. PMT programs include:
Helping the Noncompliant Child
Incredible Years
http://www.incredibleyears.com/
Triple P.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
From the Child Welfare Information Gateway, “Parent Child Interaction Therapy with At-Risk Families,” an information brief that includes a summary of the research indicating the effectiveness of PCIT:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_interactbulletin/f_interactbulletin.pdf
From the Clinical Child Psychology Library,
this book provides detailed, step-by-step instruction in PCIT:
Play Therapy
The “work” of childhood is play. We don’t expect young children to come to therapy and talk about their problems, but we may encourage them to express their feelings through play. In a therapy playroom, the young child has everything he needs to communicate desires and needs, re-enact and resolve trauma, and create safe boundaries.
The Association for Play Therapy http://www.a4pt.org/ps.index.cfm
is a national professional organization and you can search their website for registered play therapists in your area. The website also contains up-to-date information about play therapy trainings, including the Association’s annual conference and the Arkansas Chapter’s annual conference.
To learn more about the therapeutic power of play, Virginia Axline’s book is a classic:
And Garry Landreth followed in her footsteps:
Filial Therapy
Filial therapy was developed in the 1960s by Bernard and Louise Gurney. Typically, play therapy takes place between a therapist and a child, in the playroom. Filial therapy brings parents into the playroom for “special play time” with a focus on the parent-child relationship. By learning specific skills, the parent facilitates developmentally appropriate play and improved self-regulation in their child. As an additional benefit, filial therapy can help parents heal from their own childhood wounds.
For a detailed guide from Rise VanFleet, a leader in the field:
Filial Therapy: Strengthening Parent-Child Relationships Through Play, Second Edition
http://www.amazon.com/Filial-Therapy-Strengthening-Parent-Child-Relationships/dp/1568870906
For information about training with Rise VanFleet:
http://www.play-therapy.com/index.html
Garry Landreth is another leader in the field of play therapy and filial play therapy. His 10-session filial therapy model - Child Parent Relationship Therapy – is outlined in this treatment manual:
For training in Child-Parent Relationship Therapy through the
Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas:
http://cpt.unt.edu/training/cpt-annual-conferences/
For information about the effectiveness of play therapy and filial therapy: