We had the honor of presenting a check for $24,480 to First Things First to help in their efforts to improve Early Childhood Mental Health Consultations in both Graham and Greenlee Counties.
“Research shows that young children are being expelled/suspended from child care settings at an alarming rate. Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) is an innovative intervention that can reverse this trend by placing mental health consultants in child care settings to build the skills and knowledge of staff so that they can meet the social-emotional needs of children in their care. FTF seeks funding to expand ECMHC to 2 additional child care centers across Graham/Greenlee Counties. Healthy social-emotional development for young children provides a solid foundation for school readiness and other positive long-term outcomes. Most children successfully progress in their development becoming socially and emotionally competent. However, for children who experience trauma through adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), additional support is needed in managing behaviors, building healthy relationships, and regulating emotions. The National Survey of Children’s Health (2012) indicated Graham and Greenlee County as an ‘ACEs hot spot’ with 53% of the total population experiencing five or more exposures to adverse childhood experiences, the highest in the state.” -Shari Elkins
Keep up the great work guys!
