Friday, May 3, 2024
5/3/2024
The Early Mental Health Program (EMHP) is a multicomponent treatment program providing comprehensive services to children ages 0-12 with, and at risk for, severe emotional disturbances (SED). In addition to screening, evaluation, and treatment services for children and their families, the EMHP provides prevention programming at our Chicago Loop clinic and at community partner agencies to decrease risk factors associated with SED. Professionals working with children at risk for SED are also provided with ongoing training and consultation on treatment issues and specific treatment modalities for children with SED. Treatment at the EMHP is founded in evidence-based screening, evaluation, and therapeutic interventions. Specifically, children from the metropolitan-Chicago area are screened for symptoms and risk factors associated with SED utilizing the SDQ, ASQ:SE, and Pediatric Intake Form and provided with comprehensive psychological and developmental evaluations with a multidisciplinary team. For children in need of treatment, Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC) is provided and supplemented with more intensive interventions for trauma, prenatal substance exposure, and disruptive disorders including Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Parents and Children Together (PACT) and Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Additionally, medication management is available as appropriate and family support and intensive case management is provided to all participants in the EMHP. The goals of the EMHP are to decrease risk factors in the parent-child relationship that contribute to early childhood SED, increase the number of at-risk children identified, increase the number of children with SED or at risk-for SED who are receiving treatment, increase professional awareness regarding issues related to SED, and increase the competency of clinicians providing services to children with SED while maintaining a high standard of care. During the course of the 5-year grant, it is anticipated that 125 parents will participate in prevention services, 1,500 children will be screened for SED, 500 children will receive diagnostic evaluations, and 375 children and their families will receive evidenced based treatment. Additionally, 550 professionals will be trained in issues related to early childhood SED and specific treatment modalities in addition to providing consultation at 10 community agencies working with children at-risk for SED. Standardized measures will monitor treatment progress and fidelity to the interventions.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
