项目启动 Upper Valley: Promoting a 健康y start for young children and their caregivers
This project aims to increase our community’s ability to identify, engage and serve at-risk and trauma-affected families with evidence-based early intervention services, with an eventual goal of influencing early childhood policy and practice in Vermont and New Hampshire. We will achieve this goal through the practice of “meeting young children and families where they are,” whether it be the pediatrician’s office, 学校, 幼儿中心, or a caregiver’s place of work. The target population is children 0 to 8 and their caregivers in Grafton and Sullivan Counties in New Hampshire and Windsor County in Vermont, 集体, “上游河谷”."
Many towns suffer from higher than average poverty and unemployment levels, and the targeted counties are in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, with some of the highest rates in the country of infants born opiate-exposed. Numerous service sectors have observed an unprecedented increase in early childhood neglect and trauma and subsequent 行为健康 needs of young children. 例如, the number of children in out of home care has risen more than 50% since 2012, mostly accounted for by young children. 健康, 教育 and service providers are overwhelmed by the influx of needs in this population, and are unfamiliar with how to identify, triage and meet the 行为健康 needs of young children.
项目启动 Upper Valley will focus activities at four tiered levels:
- 一级: We will raise public awareness and decrease stigma for young children’s 行为健康 needs via local businesses, 电台广告, and social media campaigns (broadest, 全社区的级别).
- 层2: Screening of children 0 to 8 and their caregivers in six 初级护理 clinics, and providing trauma-informed care training to the workforce (for example, 早期教育和护理, 健康, BH).
- 3级: Provide targeted supports to enhance engagement and increase access to care, and provide expert BH consultation for our professional workforce that serves young children and their caregivers.
- 层4: Delivery of two evidence-based parenting interventions: Circle of Security and Helping the Noncompliant Child (most intensive tier).
Goals and measurable objectives
Our goal is to increase identification and access to care for at-risk and trauma-affected families and promote 健康y development of children 0 to 8 by meeting in naturalistic settings (for example, 初级护理, 早期照顾和教育, and caregiver workplace) through a tiered approach.
Our primary objectives are to:
- Reach our community at large through a public awareness campaign with distribution of flyers, 电台广告 and social media posts; provide trauma-informed training to 300+ professionals and staff from 健康, 行为健康, 教育, 以及商业部门
- 加强检查, 链接, and referral systems across 6 初级护理 clinics (reaching ~8500 children; ~1000 Year 1)
- Provide 600 + 行为健康 consultations
- Deliver Circle of Security and Helping the Non-Compliant Child to caregivers (235 for Circle of Security and 335 for Helping the Non-Compliant Child); and create a Young Child Wellness Council
参观 项目启动Facebook 页面.