Federal Agencies' Initiatives

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) grants

• The Center for Evidence Based Practices: Young Children with Challenging Behavior has the mission of promoting the use of evidence-based practice to meet the needs of young children who have, or are at risk for, problem behavior. The Center has engaged in a process to identify and describe the current state of knowledge pertaining to evidence-based practices for young children with challenging behavior. Resources on their Web Site include synthesis documents of what is known about effective practices.
• The Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice supports and promotes a reoriented national preparedness to foster the development and the adjustment of children with or at risk of developing serious emotional disturbance. Their Web Site includes monographs on promising practices in children's mental health.
• The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports has the following goals: (1) to identify and enhance knowledge about, and practical demonstration of, school-wide PBS practices, systems and outcomes; and (2) to develop, conduct and evaluate technical assistance and dissemination efforts that allow evidence-based practices to be implemented.
• The NECTAC Early Childhood Discretionary Projects Finder includes more than 60 projects funded by the Office of Special Education Programs with a focus on Behavioral/Social Emotional Disorders.

Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF)

• Early Promotion and Intervention Research Consortium (E-PIRC)
  The Head Start Bureau and the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation announced the award of five cooperative agreements in September 2002 as part of the Early Promotion and Intervention Research Consortium (E-PIRC). These four-year grants fund partnerships between academic researchers and Early Head Start programs designed to develop and test approaches to supporting the mental health of infants and toddlers and their families within the Early Head Start program.
• Head Start Mental Health Information Center
  Provides links to resources, training materials, state contacts, curriculum and family information.
• Infant Mental Health Initiative of the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHS NRC) - This interagency task force focuses on knowledge development, practice development and policy development. Resources on their Web Site include Pathways to Prevention: A comprehensive guide for supporting infant and toddler mental health (PDF: 3,190kb)
• Center for Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a national center focused on strengthening the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children. The Center is developing and disseminating evidence-based, user-friendly information to help early childhood educators meet the needs of the growing number of children with challenging behaviors and mental health challenges in childcare settings. These include a series of "What Works" Briefs.
• National Child Care Information Center ( NCCIC)
  The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance center linking parents, providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information. This site provides and overview of resources (publications and organizations) available on line from a variety of sources and links to other organizations with focus on mental health. The Child Care Bulletin Spring 2002 issue called "Promoting Mental Health through Child Care and Mental Health Linkages" is available on line.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Campaign
  The campaign helps families, educators, health care providers, and young people recognize mental health problems and to seek or recommend appropriate services.
• Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health
  The Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health (TA Partnership) operates under contract with the federal Center for Mental Health Services to provide technical assistance to system of care communities funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Families Program. TA Consultants are available to help communities build systems of care including schools, community mental health centers, psychiatric treatment programs, social service organizations, juvenile justice programs, and primary health care organizations so that services can effectively address the needs of these children while allowing them to remain in their communities.
• National Mental Health Information Center- Center for Mental Health Services provides practical information for families, providers and administrators of mental health services for all ages. Children's Mental Health Issues provides information on state programs, training opportunities and public awareness information for families and providers. An excellent series of three monographs for system of care includes information on financing services and establishing comprehensive systems of care for young children.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NIMH provides descriptions of mental health conditions and disorders affecting children and youth, provides treatment options including medications and provides information on current research studies including medical studies for treatment of mental health conditions.

Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
Several of the most significant programs impacting young children with mental health/social and emotional developmental concerns within the Maternal and Child Health Bureau include:

• Title V-Maternal and Child Health Block Grant (MCHBG)
  Title V of the Social Security Act is one of the largest Federal block grant programs. It leads the nation in ensuring the health of all mothers, infants, children, adolescents, and children with special health care needs including children who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions. For more details explaining all Title V programs in CSHCN see Understanding Title V. (PDF: 1,501kb)
• Early Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment Services ( EPSDT) provides an array of behavioral health services to which children enrolled in Medicaid are entitled. These services include a comprehensive health and developmental history including a developmental assessment of physical and "mental health" among other requirements.
• Bright Futures
  The Bright Futures initiative is a collaboration between MCHB with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Bright Futures Guidelines seeks to improve health promotion and preventive services including those for children with social emotional problems. "Bright Futures in Practice: Mental Health (2002)" is a two-volume set considering the mental health of children in a developmental context, presenting information on early recognition and intervention for specific mental health problems and mental disorders, and providing a tool kit with hands-on tools for health professionals and families for use in screening, care management, and health education.
• Maternal and Child Health Library provides accurate and timely information on a broad range of topics, including a Knowledge Path: Mental Health in Children and Adolescents.