TMC MIGRANT SEASONAL HEAD START MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT PROCEDURE Procedure No. MH-100-A Effective Date of Procedure: 11/13/99 Program Area: Mental Health Services Revised 02/11 STATEMENT OF PROCEDURE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS: TMC will ensure that Licensed/Certified Mental Health Professional Consultants are qualified with experience in working with young children and their families. They must be culturally and linguistically sensitive to the needs of migrant children and families. 1. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES To ensure that Mental Health Consultants are licensed or certified and have experience and/or qualifications in serving young children, they must be selected through relevant criteria. For purpose of evaluating applicants, a committee shall be established with representation from various stakeholders including the Regional Administrator (RA), Disabilities/Mental Health Director (D/MHD), Regional Disabilities/Mental Health Coordinator (D/MHC) and Regional Early Intervention Prevention Coordinator (EIPC). When selecting community partners in the area of mental health, the following criteria will be considered and scored on a scale of 1-5 with one (1) rating the lowest and five (5) being the highest rated score. Applicants receiving the highest scores will be considered and recommended for contracting of services. Licensed or Certified Mental Health Professionals and Support Staff required Number of Staff available to provide services Experience working with Head Start children and families Experience working with culturally sensitive populations Linguistically sensitive (Fluent in English/Spanish) Adequate resources for timely and effective identifications and services Professional Liability Insurance Coverage required Proof of freedom from contagious TB statement - required Criminal and Fingerprint Background Check required Office site proximity to centers served Cost effectiveness of fees for services Non-federal match (in-kind) being provided Page 1 of 5
Child Development and Crisis Intervention Expertise Ability to develop and monitor positive behavior support plans The Mental Health Consultant selection process will follow the agency s procurement policies and procedures with the above criteria taken into consideration. 2. MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT SELECTION CRITERIA NARRATIVES The following provides a brief definition of the above criterion named. A. SERVICES MUST BE SECURED FROM LICENSED OR CERTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND SUPPORT STAFF: Mental Health services, other than Parent Education Groups, must be provided by a licensed or certified mental health professional. All appropriate licensure and certification must be provided. With written approval by the D/MHD, some services may be provided by a mental health intern practicing under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional. Parent Education Groups may be conducted by unlicensed mental health providers with the background, skills, and interests that can support program goals. Written approval by the D/MHD is required. B. NUMBER OF AVAILABLE STAFF PROVIDING SERVICES The number of staff is considered based on the need for Mental Health Consultants to provide timely and effective intervention and identification of needed Mental Health services. C. EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH HEAD START CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES Prior experience working with Head Start children and families will be given preference. The consultant must have demonstrated the ability of working with Head Start families in a supportive manner throughout the diagnostic and referral process. Consultants must have experience in writing, implementing, and modifying positive behavior support plans in addition to providing play therapy or individual, group, and family psychotherapy. D. EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH CULTURALLY SENSITIVE POPULATIONS To establish an atmosphere of respect for the beliefs and practices of others, consultants and their staff become familiar with the traditions, beliefs, and cultural institutions in the communities served by the program. It is also important to consider the consultant's sensitivity to the challenges facing migrant and seasonal head start families. E. LINGUISTICALLY SENSITIVE To meet the needs of children and families, consultants & their staff must be able to effectively communicate with families in their own language, to the extent possible. F. ADEQUATE RESOURCES FOR TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE IDENTIFICATION AND SERVICES The Mental Health Consultant must be able to provide timely and effective identification and intervention of family and/or staff concerns regarding a child s or family s mental health. Information, consultation, and any needed treatment or services must be Page 2 of 5
provided in a timely fashion. This includes serving the necessary areas where centers are located. G. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE Appropriate insurance as required by Federal, State and local laws must be retained for professional staff providing services to TMC. H. FREEDOM FROM CONTAGIOUS TB A statement verifying that the consultant and all his staff that will work with TMC has had a negative TB test and is free from contagious TB must be presented by the consultant. I. CRIMINAL AND FINGERPRINT BACKGROUND CHECK A Criminal and Fingerprint Background Check must be completed by the consultant and all his staff that will work with TMC on the form required by the state in which the consultant resides. The consultant must provide evidence that the checks have been completed and verified and has no criminal background that would prevent him/her from working with children. D/MHC must also check the national caregiver registry to ensure that the consultant has no violations listed. An affidavit must be signed. J. PROXIMITY TO CENTERS SERVED Office sites and locations in close proximity to the centers being served will be taken into consideration in order to expedite services and accommodate children and their families. K. COST EFFECTIVENESS OF FEES FOR SERVICES The cost effectiveness of the services provided by the Mental Health Professionals will be considered to ensure the best services are provided in a cost-effective manner. L. NON-FEDERAL MATCH TMC will recognize non-federal match special rate being provided for services. Discounted rate for the services provided will be considered the provider's in-kind contribution. M. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CRISIS INTERVENTION EXPERTISE Knowledge of treatment strategies in the areas of child behavior management and family crisis intervention is considered. N. POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT PLANS The Mental Health Consultant must be able to ensure that developmentally appropriate intervention strategies are implemented for children with atypical behavior or development. Positive behavior support plans will be developed with the Mental Health Consultant, parents, and coordinating team input. 3. COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS TMC will secure access to a broad range of services through partnering with many different types of mental health service organizations and will develop collaborative agreements. Page 3 of 5
Collaboration Process Prior to initiating the program phase operations, mental health collaborative agreements will be secured with local community mental health agencies or community health departments offering public mental health services. Center Core Team will assist the Regional D/MHC in locating Mental Health community resources. Each Regional D/MHC will be responsible for using the agency collaborative agreement format when renewing the agreement at the end of each program phase to prepare for the upcoming phase of services. This agreement will be placed in the center contracts binder. 4. MENTAL HEALTH CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS TMC will secure services of mental health professionals on a schedule of sufficient frequency to enable timely and effective identification and intervention of family and/or staff concerns regarding a child's mental health. In order to ensure the day-to-day program practices promote mental wellness, TMC will engage in assessing classroom environments, to include classroom management and teachers/child interaction through Mental Health Classroom Observations. Observation Process A. The Mental Health Consultant will conduct Mental Health classroom general observations no less than twice per program phase. The Child Development Advocate (CDA) will be responsible for orienting center staff (include all involved staff, Family Service Worker- FSA, Health Aids-HA s, and teaching staff) regarding the purpose of the Mental health consultant observations. Informed consents for Mental Health Observations must be obtained before observations are conducted. Children whose parents have not consented for services will be removed from the classroom and provided with an alternative activity while observations are being conducted. Such activities must be developmentally appropriate and adhere to the agency s best practices. B. Parent notices regarding Mental Health Observations and purpose, must be provided before observations are conducted. A schedule of the Mental Health Consultant's visits is posted to give parents and staff an opportunity to speak with consultants informally when needed. Parent notices regarding the completion of Mental Health Observations must be provided. Both forms are placed in the family file, Mental Health section, for record keeping purposes. C. While Mental Health Observations are conducted, the CDA must be accessible to facilitate the consultant's visit. D. During visit, the Mental Health Consultant must allow sufficient time to provide information, suggestions, consultation, and assistance in identifying situations that may require treatment. Step 1: The consultant will communicate with CDA prior to conducting any classroom observations. Purpose of the meeting is to discuss concerns regarding child or classroom environments. Participation of the classroom teacher is strongly recommended. Step 2: The consultant will conduct the classroom observations and document Page 4 of 5
recommendations emphasizing following primary areas: Classroom/Center Environment Teacher/Child/Staff Interaction Classroom Management Skills Daily Schedule Activities and Experiences Approval No. 9911-MH100A Step 3: Debriefing process will following observations as consultant, teacher and other appropriate staff discuss classroom strengths, potential areas of concern, intervention strategies, and other relevant recommendations. Issues or concerns posing a safety or health hazard must be addressed immediately. Appropriate health and safety protocol should be followed. CDA should obtain a preliminary copy of the consultant s observation and file it under lock and key in a separate folder for mental health general observations. Step 4: Mental Health Consultant will submit a Formal Observation report (which is attached to preliminary copy) with recommendations to the Regional D/MHC at the regional office within two (2) weeks from the observation date. Report will include strategies that foster mentally healthy development for children. Child Development Coordinator (CDC) will also receive a copy for review. A copy of all classroom observations will be forwarded to center CDA. Observation reports with other program area findings will also be forwarded to the perspective regional coordinators for follow-up with those centers by the Regional D/MHC. DOCUMENTATION INSTRUMENTS Contract Narrative Notes General Observation Reports General Observation Notification to Parents General Observation Status Report Page 5 of 5