About The Early Childhood Mental Health Virginia (ECMHVA) Initiative

The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University, and Stakeholders from multiple agencies across the Commonwealth, works to advance the Mental Health of young Children birth to six through promotion, prevention, and intervention. Service delivery in Virginia is inclusive of children birth to six with disabilities, and children and families from historically underserved communities. ECMHVA is a statewide initiative focused on the development, implementation and sustainability of a comprehensive early childhood system of care for infant and early childhood mental health. The Early Childhood Mental initiative collaborates with early childhood agencies and representation across the Commonwealth to identify opportunities to increase access to resources and services by researching and securing funding for a continuum of quality in promotion, prevention, and intervention through evidenced-based services that support the child in the context of the family and community.  Virginia is committed to supporting the following values as part of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health initiative:

• Engages parents as partners
• Provides high quality supports and services to children and families
• Includes child and family centered practices rooted in policy & cultural competence
• Service delivery is relationship based
• Services are delivered in the child’s natural environment
• Services rendered are trauma informed and evidence based
• Services are linked to community court systems including(family, substance abuse and domestic violence)
• Includes workforce development supporting providers in Education, Early Intervention, Childcare, Health, Mental Health, and Home visiting systems
• Promotes comprehensive mental health services for infants and children in Virginia’s foster care system and  families facing homelessness across the Commonwealth
• The Virginia’s IECMH Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the IECMHVA initiative including the development of and the implementation of the  IECMHVA strategic plan, facilitating regularly scheduled meetings for IECMH stakeholders and  Advisory Board, and working collaboratively with the Endorsement Coordinator and the Workforce Development Director

 

*The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Advisory Board and the Virginia Infant Mental Health Board is comprised of  representatives from infant and early childhood systems both on the state and local level whose programming focuses on children from birth to five, their families, and practitioners.

* Funding for the IECMH Virginia initiative is currently made available through our largest funder Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia and The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Sustaining partners include; Virginia Department of Education, Early Childhood Special Education and the Head Start State Collaboration office, Virginia Department of Health, and the Virginia Department of Social Services.