SAMHSA Toolbox

SAMHSA has launched a virtual toolbox to guide early childhood leaders in promoting the mental health and school readiness of young children.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Toolbox

Find tools that help states, tribes, and communities use IECMHC to promote the mental health and school readiness of young children.

The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Toolbox offers free interactive planning tools, guides, videos, and other resources to support IECMHC efforts in your state, tribe, or community.

Adults who work with young children can broadly support children’s healthy development, from infancy through the transition to school, by incorporating IECMHC and the resources in the Toolbox into all early childhood programs.

A first-of-its-kind resource for the field of IECMHC, the Toolbox comprises nearly 60 original resources, including PDFs, interactive products, and videos.

The Toolbox offers:

Information about the latest research and best practices for IECMHC in infant and early childhood settings where consultation occurs, such as home visiting, early care, and education
Resources and strategies on best practices to help fill the gap in areas where additional guidance is needed to advance the field of IECMHC

The contents of the Toolbox will be piloted in 14 states and tribal communities through intensive training and technical assistance provided by the Center of Excellence for IECMHC. The Center will leverage pilot sites’ successes, challenges, and innovations in the coming years to continue moving the field forward. Ultimately, the Center will use the Toolbox to develop products and webinars that share lessons learned and case examples.

Getting Started

Although it isn’t necessary to explore the Toolbox in a certain order, this section is a great place to start. Both veterans and those new to the IECMHC field can benefit from reviewing the clear definitions and distinctive mental health services for children and families in these documents and videos:

Development of the IECMHC Toolbox: Purpose, Process, and Contributors – 2017 (PDF | 372 KB) outlines the purpose of the Toolbox and its development, and acknowledges those who contributed to it.
Glossary and Definitions for IECMHC – 2017 (PDF | 928 KB) defines terms frequently used throughout the IECMHC Toolbox and in the IECMHC field.
Crosswalk of Early Childhood Mental Health Services – 2017 (PDF | 321 KB) aims to clarify the unique role that IECMHC plays among other services focused on young children’s mental health.
The video Setting Children Up for Success: Beginning with IECMHC and the Center of Excellence Toolbox (three minutes, 30 seconds)(link is external) explains how the Toolbox expands the reach of IECMHC and advances the field of IECMHC in the words of Center staff, SAMHSA staff, and IECMHC experts.
The video A Day in the Life of an Early Infant and Childhood Mental Health Consultant (two minutes)(link is external) illustrates the mental health consultation process.

Equity and Tribal Considerations

Promoting equity and working with tribal communities are central to the Center’s work. These efforts have shaped much of the content contained in the Toolbox and are also worth exploring at the outset.

Learn more about the importance of equity in IECMHC.

Find information about IECMHC in tribal communities.

Explore other sections of the IECMHC Toolbox for additional guidance: