Early childhood mental health consultation: Care providers' experiences of the consultative relationship.

This article presents findings from a qualitative research study exploring child care teachers' experiences receiving early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC). As an emerging intervention in early childhood education, ECMHC is already yielding promising results, namely in helping teachers better address challenging behaviors in their classroom and promote a more nurturing classroom environment. However, there remains a lack of personal testimony from teachers who receive this intervention. Considering that teachers are the primary focus of most ECMHC interventions, the purpose of this study was to examine child care teachers' personal experiences receiving consultation. Eight child care teachers were interviewed for this study. Results from this study illuminate key interpersonal processes in the development of the consultant-consultee relationship, indicate what teachers consider to be the most helpful components of consultation, and speak to the challenges that teachers experience in consultation. By examining the personal testimony of child care teachers who have received ECMHC services, consultants and researchers can consider ways to expand and improve future implementation of ECMHC.

Este artículo presenta resultados de un estudio de investigación cualitativa que explora experiencias de los maestros de guardería infantil que reciben la consulta de salud mental en la temprana niñez (ECMHC). Como una intervención que surge en el campo de la educación en la temprana niñez (ECE), la ECMHC está ya mostrando resultados prometedores, particularmente al ayudar a maestros a manejar mejor las conductas que son un desafío en la sala de clases y a promover un ambiente más acogedor dentro del aula. Sin embargo, se nota aún la falta de testimonios personales por parte de los maestros que reciben esta intervención. Considerando que los maestros son el enfoque principal de la mayoría de las intervenciones ECMHC, el propósito de este estudio fue examinar las experiencias de los maestros de guardería infantil que reciben esta consulta. Se entrevistaron ocho maestros de guardería infantil para este estudio. Los resultados de este estudio dan luz a procesos interpersonales claves en el desarrollo de la relación entre consulta y consultante, indican lo que los maestros consideran ser los componentes de la consulta que más ayudan, y hablan sobre los retos que los maestros experimentan en el proceso de consulta. Por medio de examinar el testimonio personal de maestros de guardería infantil que han recibido los servicios de ECMHC, los consultantes y los investigadores pueden considerar maneras de expandir y mejorar la futura implementación de ECMHC.

Cet article présente les résultats d'une étude de recherches qualitatives explorant les expériences des puéricultrices de crèches recevant une consultation de santé mentale précoce de l'enfance (abrégé en anglais ECMHC). En tant qu'intervention émergente dans l'éducation de la petite enfance, l'ECMHC offre déjà des résultats promettant, en particulier dans la manière dont elle aide les enseignants à mieux adresser des comportements difficiles dans leur classe et dont elle promeut un environnement éducatif plus chaleureux. Il reste cependant un manque de témoignages personnels d'enseignants ayant reçu cette intervention. Vu que les enseignants sont les premiers ciblés par la plupart des interventions ECMHC, le but de cette étude était d'examiner les expériences personnes des puéricultrices ou puériculteurs recevant l'intervention. Huit enseignants ont été interviewés pour cette étude. Les résultats de cette étude illuminent les processus interpersonnels clés dans le développement de la relation consultant-consulté, indiquent ce que les enseignants considèrent comme étant les composantes les plus importantes de la consultation, et montrent les défis dont les enseignants font l'expérience en consultation. En examinant le témoignage personnel de puéricultrices ou puériculteurs ayant reçu les services ECMHC, les consultants et les chercheurs peuvent considérer des manières d'étendre et d'améliorer la mise en place à venir de l'ECMHC.

EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION: AN EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY.

Little research has been done to evaluate the effectiveness of early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) in rural, applied settings. In this mixed-methods study, we evaluated an approach to ECMHC used in rural Southwest Kansas with individualized services for childcare providers. Twenty-nine home-based and center-based childcare providers completed measures on provider growth, perceptions of child outcomes, and satisfaction with sessions. In total, 162 data points were collected and analyzed using multilevel growth models. In addition, 16 providers participated in qualitative interviews. Both home-based and center-based providers reported very high satisfaction with consultation sessions which increased with time, although home-based providers showed significantly higher satisfaction than did center-based providers. Provider growth, encompassing personal well-being, scheduling and transitions, connections with parents, and positive discipline strategies increased significantly over time. Child outcomes, encompassing prosocial behavior, resilience, and overall well-being also improved significantly in providers' perception. ECMHC as conducted in Southwest Kansas appears to have a positive effect on childcare providers and the children in their care.