Mental Health
Mental Health Consultant
Head Start has a Mental Health Consultant who makes classroom observations and may consult with teachers on general classroom mental health suggestions and reccomendations.
The Mental Health Consultant will do individual child observations only if parents have given permission for that to occur by signing a Release of Information (ROI).
The Mental Health Consultant is available to talk with parents concerning issues they are facing in their lives, the lives of their children or their family.
The Mental Health Consultant can support the referral process for treatment or therapy outside of Head Start.
Positive Behavior Guidance
The Positive Behavior Guidance Policy is used for parents/guardians and Head Start staff to work jointly together to support good social emotional development in all children within the program.
Staff use many positive researched-based child guidance techniques including making changes in the environment, routines, and/or expectations to meet the child’s individual needs.
Social Emotional Screener
After 30 days, the teacher will complete an individual social-emotional assessment tool designed for preschool children
The DECA is used. The DECA screener provides information regarding a child's areas of strength and areas for extra support and that are still developing.
Each child is given target areas for the teacher to support in lessons plans to enhance their social emotional development.
Behavior plans
Behavior plans are developed informally by the teaching staff for supporting each child’s needs or a more formal behavior plan is developed with parents for a child who needs a joint school and home plan.
Plans include: preventive techniques, teaching problem solving strategies and takes a pre-emptive look at solving potential problems.
Referral Agency
We support other agencies and provide information and support to the referral process.
Second Step Curriculum
Promotes good social-emotional development by teaching children to label and understand feelings, how to problem solve when problems arise and practice in everyday skills
This curriculum is worked into the weekly lesson plans
Talk About Touching Curriculum
An anti-abuse program includes lessons on individual safety and how to handle difficult situations a child may find themselves in.
This curriculum is worked into the weekly lesson plans
Contact Tami Prunick at 920.331.1729 for more information.