Project SUCCEED Supporting Colorado Children's Early Emotional Development Logo

 

Project SUCCEED: Supporting Colorado Children’s Early Emotional Development is a Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Project SUCCEED is intended to help increase our state’s capacity to address the unmet mental health needs of Colorado’s children. 

For a variety of reasons, including a lack of awareness of age-appropriate norms and expectations, as well as stigma, mental health problems in young children (0 to 8 years) are often unrecognized or misunderstood and therefore go untreated. This is true for children who are typically developing as well as for children with developmental disabilities. This is unfortunate, since sound mental health provides the foundation for all aspects of a child’s development, and early treatment increases the likelihood of positive outcomes. 

Our project aims to address this critically important public health issue by offering training to a diverse group of individuals in Colorado who touch the lives of young children—including, among others, professionals, paraprofessionals, first responders, parents, and other family members alike. This training includes but is not limited to, recognizing mental health challenges experienced by young children who are typically developing or have developmental disabilities, learning effective ways to respond to tantrums, meltdowns, or other challenging or aggressive behaviors, understanding when a referral to a mental health professional may be warranted, and knowing how to connect with referral resources in the state.

Wednesdays, October 18 to December 13, 2023
10:30 am to 12:00 pm (Mountain Time)

DateTopic
10/18/23 Setting the Stage for Shared Meaning of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
10/25/23Cultural Sensitivity and Diversity Considerations
11/01/23Caregiving Relationships and Early Brain Development
11/08/23Child and Family Development
11/15/23Early Adversity and Toxic Stress
11/22/23No meeting - Thanksgiving Holiday
11/29/23Signs and Symptoms of Development Going Awry (Neurodiversity Lens)
12/06/23Strategies for Managing Mental Health Symptoms
12/13/23Resources and Referrals

 

 

Training will be delivered using the ECHO™ Model. This is an all teach-all learn tele-mentoring model that uses case-based learning and a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing approach. Expert teams (master Trainers) use videoconferencing to conduct learning sessions with participants throughout the state. The goal is to reduce health disparities, especially in traditionally underserved areas, by closing gaps in access and increasing workforce capacity to provide the application of best practices and needed services (hsc.unm.edu/echo). The principles of this model are: (a) amplification, using technology to leverage scarce resources, (b) best practices to reduce disparity, (c) case-based learning to master complex issues, and (d) data to monitor outcomes (hsc.unm.edu/echo). 


Lorraine F. Kubicek, PhD, IMH-E®, Project Director, JFK Partners, CU-AMC

Patrice Brown, EdD, Executive Director, Colorado Association for Infant Mental Health

Kristina Hightshoe, MSPH, Project Coordinator, JFK Partners, CU-AMC

Judy Reaven, PhD, Clinical Advisor, JFK Partners, CU-AMC

Cortney Pfeaster, CSPH Graduate Assistant