Infant & Early Childhood Systems
IDT Prevention/Early Intervention Workgroup
The Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) workgroup seeks to provide oversight to the System of Care strategic plan activities focused on promoting, preventing, and treating the social-emotional health of families in Georgia by expanding access to services that target children from birth to age four. Evidence suggests that this period of early development is critical for the long-term health of children, and that negative effects from challenges during this time can continue to have impacts into adulthood. Investing in services that support healthy development for children this age and their families leads to not only better health outcomes but reduced social costs as well. Our workgroup is identifying existing programs within Georgia and examining best practices from around the country to inform how to best build the infrastructure needed to provide families with a system of care.
The workgroup group includes diverse stakeholders from the following organizations and agencies: Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS), Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), Jesse Parker Williams Foundation, Amerigroup, Georgia Division of Family & Children’s Services (DFCS), United Way of Greater Atlanta, Georgia State University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, Department of Public Health, Center for Disease Control, WellCare, Caresource Inc. Arianne Weldon (Georgia Family Connection Partnership) and Callan Wells (GEEARS) are acting co-chairs along with Lisa McGarrie representing the Center of Excellence.
COE Convening
The COE recently launched its COE Convening event series with a virtual opportunity that discussed the importance of early childhood social-emotional well-being and early care and education. Future COE Convenings will address topics related to behavioral health throughout the lifespan. To view our October event, please visit the recording link: Zero to Five: Building Connections for Lifelong Impact
The COE has an ongoing series of policy briefs on developing systems to support Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH). These first two briefs will build on the COE convening, Zero to Five: Building Connections to Lifelong Impact, and help inform the new SOC State Plan’s added focus on IECMH. The briefs will cover topics on workforce development, financing, and innovations in increasing access to IECMH services. The COE provides highlights on current progress in the field in Georgia, promising practices from our southeastern neighbors, and innovations from across the country.
