1. Early Childhood Mental Health: A Report for Durham County
- Author
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Steber, Kate
- Abstract
Background: Research shows that mental health problems that interfere with daily functioning impact ten to fourteen percent of young children (ages zero to five) nationwide.1,2 Locally, this translates to approximately 91,000 children across North Carolina,1 and more than 2,000 children in Durham county alone. Methods: I researched early childhood mental health (ECMH) and planned, convened, and facilitated a county-wide stakeholder meeting on the topic to inform my practicum site, Durham's Partnership for Children. Results: 45 stakeholders from eighteen agencies across Durham attended the meeting to share their experiences working in ECMH. We learned that ECMH are vast and varied, including developmental delays, impacts of trauma, two-generational care, and issues with attachment. We learned that there are many barriers that hinder families from accessing ECMH services for their young children, including transportation challenges, mental health stigma, long waiting lists for services, and language barriers (among many others). Lastly, the group discussed next steps to improve ECMH services in Durham, including creating a listserv for ECMH providers, creating a working group, and holding networking events. As a final product, I created a resource guide of ECMH services in Durham and a summary report of what was learned from my research and from the meeting. Conclusions: My summary report included concrete short and longer-term recommendations for how DPfC can continue this work. As a result, a monthly working group has been established that will work through some of these recommendations to improve ECMH services across the county. References 1. North Carolina Institute of Medicine. Growing up well: Supporting young children's social-emotional development and mental health in North Carolina. Morrisville, NC: North Carolina Institute of Medicine; 2012. 2. Cooper JL, Aratani Y, Knitzer J, et al. Unclaimed children revisited: The status of children's mental health policy in the united states. 2008 (November).
- Published
- 2015
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