Implementing Integrated Early Childhood Mental Health Services in Primary Care: Relationships, Vision, and Sustainability.

The Massachusetts Multi-City Young Children's System of Care Project was a federally funded program to provide integrated early childhood mental health (ECMH) services in primary care for families of very young children (birth-six years old) with Serious Emotional Disturbances across three cities in Massachusetts, U.S.A. This study describes lessons learned from the implementation of this program and makes recommendations for best practices to improve the delivery and efficacy of ECMH services in primary care settings. Staff and leadership (n = 35) from 11 agencies (primary care practices, community service agencies, and local health departments) that co-implemented this program participated in focus groups and semi-structured key informant interviews. Thematic analysis was used to characterize specific facilitators and barriers to successfully implementing system-wide programming for ECMH. Four main themes were identified: (1) Strong multilevel working relationships are critical for integration, (2) Capacity-building activities can be leveraged to improve implementation, (3) Financial challenges are a primary barrier to building efficacious systems of care, and (4) Flexibility and resourcefulness can help overcome logistical challenges in integration. Implementation lessons learned may serve as guidance for other states and institutions in the U.S. seeking to improve the integration of ECMH services into primary care. They may also provide strategies to adapt and scale these interventions to improve the mental health and well-being of young children and their families.

Predictors of Service Utilization of Young Children and Families Enrolled in a Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Program.

Understanding early childhood mental health service utilization in community-based clinical settings is important. Project Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health (Project LAUNCH) provided mental health-related services for young children and families within pediatric medical homes. Using data from the Project LAUNCH evaluation (n = 106), we implemented negative binomial regression models to determine if baseline variables were associated with service utilization, defined as the number of encounters between the family and the team. Past-year homelessness emerged as a significant predictor of service utilization. Encounters for families with children who experienced homelessness within the last 12 months occurred at a rate 34.5% lower than those who had not experienced homelessness. Results highlight the importance of addressing homelessness as a barrier to mental health service utilization for families. Screening for recent housing insecurity and developing interventions that integrate housing support services into mental health programs may inform strategies to increase attendance for families with young children.

Engaging and Supporting Young Children and their Families in Early Childhood Mental Health Services: The Role of the Family Partner.

This study explores the role of family partners, peer professionals with lived experiences of raising a child with behavioral health needs, and their value in primary and community-care based mental health services for young children aged 0-8 years. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with staff, leadership, and caregiver participants (n = 38) from two early childhood mental health programs and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five interdependent themes emerged: (1) the centrality of lived experience to the family partner role; (2) the importance of the family partner in family engagement and relationship building; (3) the value added by the family partner in navigating systems; (4) the ability of the family partner to build skills and empower caregivers; (5) the role of the family partner in alleviating caregiver stress and other mental health concerns. Adapting and expanding the role of family partners will improve effective mental health care for children and their caregivers.