Lower Shore Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program
Lower Shore Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (LSECMHC) is a grant-funded program by the Maryland State Department of Education and hosted by SU’s Center for Healthy Communities.
The program is designed to serve young children, ages birth to five, who demonstrate behavioral concerns that could hinder their school readiness and academic success.
The LSECMHC team provides consultation that includes an assessment in the home or childcare setting, interventions and strategies, education, information and resources to community agencies for continued supportive services.
The typical consultation includes the following process, but we recognize that special circumstances may require additional contacts:
- Assessment Phase
- Observations in the child care setting
- Completion of screening/assessment tools
- A meeting with the childcare provider and caregiver(s) to review the results of the assessment and create a plan of action
- Teaching Phase
- One to two visits with the child care provider to teach new strategies
- One to two phone calls to support the implementation of the new strategies
- Evaluation Phase
- One follow-up observation in the child care setting to evaluate the use of the new strategies
- Completion of screening/assessment tools
Throughout the consultation process, community resource referrals are made as needed or requested by the childcare provider or family.