Focused on the skill building, social emotional development, and well-being of individual children. The goal of child specific consultation is to expand upon children’s social emotional toolkit within their relationships with caregivers and peers. Examples of social emotional skills include the ability to identify and express feelings, develop self-control and age-appropriate play skills, learn and utilize problem solving skills.

You might be concerned about a child (birth through five-years-old) who:

• Has difficulty regulating their emotions and behaviors
• Has a hard time adjusting to changes or is struggling with daily routines
• Is struggling to make friends and get along with others
• Experienced the loss of or separation from a caregiver
• has difficulty forming secure relationships
• Feels sad, anxious or angry much of the time
• Is at risk of expulsion or suspension

Focused on the structure, routines, relationships, strengths, and challenges within an entire classroom, group, or caregiving team. The goal of classroom specific consultation is to increase the capacity of classroom staff to create a safe, healthy learning environment where children and caregivers can thrive

• Goal setting and planning with classroom teaching teams
• Classroom observation
• Classroom feedback and modeling sessions
• Teacher meetings focused on feedback and implementing strategies

Focused on creating systemic improvements within your program that positively impact staff and families in your community and improve the quality of care. The goal of programmatic consultation is to reflect on and adapt current practices using a trauma informed, relationship-based framework. This may include:

• Professional development and staff trainings, (see list of trainings)
• Team building activities,
• Supportive reflective group sessions
• Support/reflective sessions for leadership staff

The ECMH Consultation team offers trainings and workshops on many topics, you can find them here.

Resources for Parents – Circle of Security International is an eight-session reflective parenting series helping caregivers to understand their child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs and support their child’s ability to successfully manage emotions

COSC Approach: An Overview – Circle of Security International With a COSP Classroom facilitator, early care professionals complete the eight-chapter video-based series which provides a clear model of children’s attachment needs. The learning series also supports educators to look beyond behavioral approaches to seeing the ways attachment needs are communicated by behavior (and often misbehavior)