Cornerstone 3: Access to Mental Health Consultation & Support

The Bright Futures Roadmap is a community-wide strategy to support the health and well-being of our community’s youngest children and families. The Roadmap is organized around four cornerstones or key strategies. Partners have begun to identify opportunities for cross-cornerstone collaboration.

CORNERSTONE 3: Families, child care programs, providers have access to mental health consultation to fully support the social-emotional development of children and mental health of adults.

Cornerstone 3 has three primary strategies, which you can read more about on this page:

  1. Build public awareness of the importance and value of supporting the social-emotional health of young children and their families.
  2. Recruit, retain, and support qualified infant and early childhood mental health consultants.
  3. Assure the availability of mental health consultants for all types of child-serving settings.

Strategy 1

Build public awareness of the importance and value of supporting the social-emotional health of young children and their families.

2023-2024 Partner Activities

  • Triad Bright Futures communications strategic plan includes redesign and content refresh of website around social-emotional development.
  • Incredible Years parenting classes offered through Jefferson Center focus on healthy attachment.
  • Incredible Years classes (toddler and preschool) offered through Mountain Resource Center support our mountain community parents.
    • OPPORTUNITY: Collaborate with Cornerstone 1 on expanding preschool capacity.
  • Latinas Communities Collaborative Services is focusing on whole family health, supporting parents and anti-stigma efforts for mental health.
  • Nebula Consulting’s Nurturing Parenting Program offered in English, Spanish & Dari is identifying trends in at-risk parenting beliefs and creating culturally responsive ways to support families.

Strategy 2

Recruit, retain, and support qualified infant and early childhood mental health consultants.

2023-2024 Partner Activities

  • Jefferson Center is participating in the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) statewide hub through Healthy Child Care Colorado, helping to advance statewide ECMHC efforts. MHCs in Jefferson Center have joined the network hub advisory group.
  • Jefferson County mental health consultants are receiving reflective supervision through partnerships with Harris Fellowship and Georgetown Center of Excellence cohorts.
  • Jefferson Center has joined the World Association of Infant Mental Health Consulting for endorsement resources.
    • OPPORTUNITY: Collaborate with Cornerstone 1 & 2 on promoting endorsement.

Strategy 3

Assure the availability of mental health consultants for all types of child-serving settings.

2023-2024 Partner Activities

  • Healthy Development Quality Standards for UPK providers call out ECMHC and social-emotional screenings.
    • OPPORTUNITY: Collaborate with  Cornerstone 1 and 4 on screening efforts.
  • Ongoing Circle of Security groups for center directors and family child care homes are available through Jefferson Center.