Engaging High Need Families

2017-2020 DDS MHSA Funded Project

Engaging High Need Families to Effectively Support Their Child’s Social Emotional Needs

In January of 2018, SCLARC was awarded a three-year grant for $467,685 from the Department of Developmental Services through Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding. SCLARC partnered with Eastern Los Angeles Family Resource Library to implement the project.

This project trained Early Start partners to provide evidence-based, prevention and early intervention services to families and their children, including adult consumers with children at risk. The project also worked to improve identification of social and emotional delays, increase referrals, and implement evidence-based supports and services to enhance family relationships and improve social and emotional development. Project activities included:

  • Establishment of a multidisciplinary Task Force to increase partnerships of agencies working in Early Intervention and Infant Mental Health, recommend changes to systems that serve infants and toddlers with social emotional and mental health concerns, and identify best practices in serving children and families.
    • The Task Force worked collaboratively to identify a new service model for Early Childhood Infant Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) services to children with mild to moderate social and emotional challenges with support options that reflect the principles embedded in Early Childhood mental health and Early Intervention services.
  • Professional development trainings for service providers and partners in Early Intervention using materials and resources developed through SSIP efforts throughout the state.
  • Trainings to increase the capacity of Family Resource Centers and Service Providers involved in Early Start to provide Evidence-Based PEI support to families and their children with mild to moderate social and emotional challenges.
Project Documents

Grant Outcomes
  • Family Resource Library established a multidisciplinary workgroup comprised of more than 20 early childhood professionals from Regional Centers, Project ABC, the University of Southern California University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Regional Center Early Start vendor programs, local mental health programs, Early Start parents, Regional Center adult consumer parents, and local Early Start Family Resource Centers.
  • Family Resource Library held focus groups with Early Start parents at SCLARC and ELARC to inform the project’s goals of establishing an evidenced based practice intervention for families caring for a young child experiencing social and emotional challenges. Focus Group Summary Findings.
  • SCLARC hired a Social Emotional Coordinator Specialist, tasked with identifying and supporting Early Start children with social and emotional challenges.
  • SCLARC updated its web-based client charting system to identify and track Early Start children with social and emotional concerns, and added features to the system to begin the Early Start program to show entrance and exit social and emotional scores.
    • Sample report identifying Early Start children with social and emotional delays of 50% or more.
    • Sample report showing outcomes for cases supported by Social Emotional Coordinator Specialist.
    • Sample report showing Early Start children entrance and exit social and emotional scores.
  • SCLARC updated its web-based client charting system to identify children of adults served by the Regional Center, who should be referred to Early Start services.

South Central Los Angeles Regional Center (SCLARC) provides education, assessment, training and services in the communities of South Los Angeles, Watts, Leimert Park, Florence/Firestone, West Adams, and the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Compton, Cudahy, Downey, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Maywood, Vernon, South Gate, North Carson, Gardena, and Paramount.