< Back Strengthening Oklahoma’s IEMCH Workforce Submission Type : Practice-Based Final Rating: Best Practice Focus Area : Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Focus Population : Other Date Submitted : Fall 2024 Contact Information : Sunbeam Family Services grants@SunbeamFamilyServices.org Sunbeam Family Services, Inc. 1100 NW 14th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 Goals and Outcomes : The overall goal of this project is to expand the IECMH Workforce in Oklahoma. The project categorizes the workforce into three main groups: high school students, college students, and current practitioners. High School Students • Awareness and Interest: Increase awareness about careers in IECMH and the importance of early childhood mental health. • Educational Pathways: Provide information on educational pathways and necessary qualifications for careers in IECMH. • Skill Development: Offer introductory information on basic mental health concepts and child development. • Mentorship Opportunity: Establish relationships that connect high school students with professionals in various community-based settings. • Increase IECMH Practitioners: Increase the number of students enrolling in undergraduate degrees related to the IECMH field. College Students • Hands on Experience: Create opportunities for hands-on IECMH experience in various communitybased settings. • Specialized Training/Onboarding: Develop and offer specialized training in IECMH with relevant degree programs (early education, psychology, social work, etc.). • Increase knowledge: Increase knowledge of best practices in the integration of mental health services into early childhood settings among undergraduate and graduate students. • Expand Endorsed Practitioners: Increase the number of Infant and Early Childhood Family Specialist Endorsed practitioners in Oklahoma. Mental Health Practitioners • Expand Endorsed Practitioners: Increase number of individuals pursuing clinical endorsement in IEMCH in Oklahoma. • Increase Reflective Practice: Promote Reflective Supervision and peer support groups to ensure continuous professional development and evolution of practice. • Enhanced Therapeutic Skills: Equip practitioners with Internal Family Systems training to have a framework for working with families with young children. Brief/Executive summary of program : This project will serve individuals currently pursuing or interested in pursuing mental health certifications with a focus on IECMH. It is designed to strengthen the continuum of practitioners able to provide infant mental health support and consultation in community-based settings. To build a strong and diverse workforce, the project will offer various opportunities, including paid internships, financial assistance for endorsements, reflective supervision, and Internal Family Systems training, to a wide range of individuals—from high school students to clinical practitioners. The initiative is aligned with Oklahoma’s Preschool Development Grant (PDG) goals and the values of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR), aiming to improve access to high-quality mental health services for children and families. Homepage | Sunbeam Previous Next

< Back Growing Like a Read Date Submitted: 04/2022 Contact Information: Librarian/Selector Meghan Hollingsworth 405-801-4580 mhollingsworth@pioneerlibrarysystem.org Pioneer Library System, 300 Norman Center Ct. Norman, Oklahoma 73072 Rating Category: Best Practice Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Goals and Outcomes: The Pioneer Library System’s GLAR project has reached approximately 10,000 families since it began in 2009. Currently, families receive a pre-literacy kit at library story times or when PLS partners with local health departments, WIC programs, and Head Start programs. Materials in the kit are available in English or Spanish, with each kit costing approximately $15. With financial support, the program could be extended even further beyond the walls of the libraries to childcare providers in low-income areas of the PLS three-county service area. There are opportunities to connect with home childcare places and underserved locations. By utilizing the PLS data analysis tools and metrics, PLS could strategically identify at-risk populations such as households below the poverty level and areas with children ages 0-9 years. For example, the Blanchard area has a high number of children ages 0-9 years, meaning there are opportunities for growth and community partnerships in this area for early literacy support. Norman and Shawnee communities have the highest percentage of households below the poverty level and therefore have a high need for early childhood development resources. With additional funding, PLS could also reach out to expecting families in birth classes offered through the health department to inform families about the importance of family engagement in language and literacy development at all stages of a child’s development. Brief Summary: Pioneer Library System, founded in 1958, is a multi-county system in Oklahoma serving Cleveland, Pottawatomie, and McClain counties. The system includes 12 full-service library branches as well as several information stations and community collections throughout surrounding communities. The Pioneer library system has a mobile STEAM education lab called the Maker Mobile that visits communities throughout the PLS service area to provide science, technology, engineering, art, and math programs for all ages. The mission of the library system is to inspire innovation, engagement, and learning in the communities PLS serves. The Pioneer Library System (PLS) has developed the Growing Like a Read (GLAR) project to promote language and literacy development and support caregiver education and engagement. Children and caregivers who participate in PLS story times or attend an event with a community partner may receive a pre-literacy kit which includes: a library bag, a stand-up book with age appropriate songs and rhymes, activity logs to reinforce literacy skills at home and on the go, and a board book for reading together. PLS staff model the six pre-reading skills identified by GLAR in story times and programs and provide tips to incorporate these in daily activities. The six pre-reading skills are letter knowledge, narrative skills, phonological awareness, print awareness, print motivation, and vocabulary. These six skills connect to the American Library Association’s five practices for Every Child Ready to Read: reading, singing, talking, playing, and writing. PLS recognizes the parent or caregiver as a child’s first teacher and seeks to provide tools for continued learning and caregiver engagement. The outcome of providing these resources to families is increased literacy practices in homes and an increased awareness of the impact of early literacy on child development and success in school and beyond. Growing Like a Read | Pioneer Library System Previous Next

Conscious Discipline’s adult-first, child-second approach equips educators with the mindset and skillsets needed to internalize and dramatically upgrade their own social and emotional aptitudes. < Back Conscious Discipline Date Submitted: 09/07/2021 Contact Information: Sarah England Grants Director 405-609-8994 SEngland@SunbeamFamilyServices.org Sunbeam Family Services, Inc. 1100 NW 14th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 Rating Category: Well-Supported by Research Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Goals and Outcomes: Conscious Discipline is an evidence-based, trauma-responsive, adult-first approach to self-regulation. It integrates social and emotional learning, equitable school culture, theory and application, and research and brain-based discipline practices in a single methodology, providing a pathway to resiliency and creating systemic and sustainable change. For more than 25 years as an SEL leader, our company’s vision has been to create “an interconnected world of conscious adults capable of responding instead of reacting to conflict, creating safe homes, safe schools and a safe planet.” Conscious Discipline affects this change by requiring adults to examine their social-emotional aptitudes and mental models so they can address or acquire missing, ineffective or weak skillsets. With this upgraded SEL toolbox, adults are then able to teach healthy SEL skills to the children in their care through both lessons and day-to-day interactions. Conscious Discipline’s adult-first, child-second approach equips educators with the mindset and skillsets needed to internalize and dramatically upgrade their own social and emotional aptitudes. They then infuse SEL into all aspects of classroom management, instructional practices and school culture, and utilize everyday life and conflicts as their core SEL curriculum rather than relying on separate lessons. The social world of the school becomes the core curriculum. In most schools, the socialization process is unconscious— a “Do as I say, not as I do” approach. A common example of this is a school that verbally promotes inclusion while simultaneously relying on reward and punishment systems that inherently support an exclusionary, better than/less than culture. Another common example would be teaching a boxed lesson about respecting others while using a “green to red” card system that relies on fear and humiliation as a discipline strategy. The goal of Conscious Discipline is to make the cultural socialization of the school conscious, healthy, and in alignment with the vision and mission of the school’s stakeholders. In short, Conscious Discipline empowers teachers to create a conscious “Do as I do” environment in which children can experience the physical, social and emotional safety and connection necessary for them to learn, explore and grow to reach their fullest potential. Brief Summary of target population and issues/challenges: Throughout its 25 years as an SEL leader, Conscious Discipline has been rooted in neuroscience, trauma-responsive interventions and an inclusive culture of learning. It utilizes a hierarchical brain state model to increase understanding; is built on the metaphor of a healthy family instead of a factory; and creates an equitable lens and systems that ensure the optimal development and achievement of all. Conscious Discipline serves infant through elementary aged children. It is suited to any agency or individual that wants to create transformational change by integrating the following initiatives into one comprehensive program: Social and emotional learning (adults and children) Equitable school culture (adults and children) Brain-based discipline strategies embedded in neuroscience Trauma informed and trauma responsive care (adults and children) The goal of Conscious Discipline is for adults and children to become disciplined enough to set and achieve goals, conscious enough to know when they’re off track, and willing enough to return to a path of highest potential for themselves and others. To achieve this goal, adults must learn to regulate our thoughts, feelings and behaviors in order to model and teach this process for children. Most of us spend more time thinking about others’ thoughts, feels and actions than our own. We expend more energy trying to control others than we do regulating ourselves. By working with adults first and children second, the above four initiatives merge into one sustainable whole as we learn the fundamental skills and growth mindsets needed to create and maintain healthy relationships. One of the greatest challenges educators face is how to create healthy relationships with relationship-resistant or reluctant learners. Without a felt sense of safety and belonging, children will act out their inner pain on themselves or others. Disruptive and dangerous behaviors are common, while learning is impossible for them and impeded for others. The human brain is a social brain. Adults’ and children’s brain are always unconsciously asking, “Am I safe?” and/or “Am I loved (do I belong)?” Once we create a learning environment in which all members can answer “yes” to these questions, then and only then, can the brain consciously ask, “What can I learn?” Visit ConsciousDiscipline.com to learn more or to bring Conscious Discipline to your school or agency. 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< Back Community Based Doula Expansion Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Best Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2025 Focus Area: Healthy Environments and Relationships Focus Population: Children, Medical Providers, Parents Contact Information: Omare Jimmerson Executive Director (918) 633-2867 omare@tulsabei.org Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative 7030 S Yale, Tulsa, OK 74136 Goals and Outcomes: Planned approach: This proposed project will allow OKBEI to accomplish its goals using a multi-pronged strategy: • Create the demand for CBDs in the target population through partnerships, communication, awareness, and education. • Fill the demand by preparing well-trained CBDs that serve the target population. As a result, more OK women in the target population have access to no/low cost, high-quality CBD services, which are shown to improve maternal health outcomes. Another intended outcome will be the meaningful employment and workforce development for the women in rural Oklahoma. An innovative community approach that has been successfully implemented in Tulsa using the hub-andspoke model has been successfully implemented for CBDs in other states. OKBEI proposes a unique model by partnering with community organizations and Career Tech campuses across the state to disseminate information on CBD training in their course catalog and provide instructional facilities for both OKBEI and independent Community-Based Doula Trainers (CBDTs) supported by OKBEI (this is the model that has been successful in Tulsa). Overarching Goal: OKBEI will facilitate a replicable high-quality CBD training, continuing education program and certification support in two rural OK counties, focusing on the most vulnerable populations in maternal health desserts, who will, in turn, provide community-based doula supports, resulting in maternal health outcomes that exceed state averages for those served. Overarching Outcome: As a result of the increase in maternal health support services, OK’s maternal health outcomes, specifically related to Healthy People 2030 targets, will show improvement for the target population. Objective 1: Increase the demand for highly qualified CBDs to serve the target population by: building partnerships in two OK communities; listening to and learning from the target population; providing medical education for providers in the communities; and completing a comprehensive outreach and awareness campaign. Outcome 1.1: Hold at least two listening sessions in each of 2 OK rural communities, gathering information from the target population that can be used in creating an implementation strategy for the project, and engaging them to join OKBEI in the project goal. Outcome 1.2: Conduct outreach and awareness campaigns in two OK rural communities, leveraging 200,000 reaches each year. Outcome 1.3: Engage with at least 40 medical providers and healthcare staff in 2 OK rural communities, providing medical education on maternal health and the role of CBDs, resulting in at least 85% of participants showing increased knowledge in pre- and post-tests. Objective 2: Fill the demand for highly qualified CBDs to serve the target population by supporting the training of at least 60 CBDs that can serve at least 1250 women in the target population. Outcome 2.1: OKBEI will aim to identify and train at least 10 CBD Trainers (CBDTs) in 2 rural communities across OK, resulting in 80% of CBDTs reporting they have the skills and resources to train at least 30 new CBDs annually who can serve the target population. Outcome 2.2: Provide additional support for 4 CBD trainings across 2 rural communities, to ensure CBDTs can train at least 30 CBDs in the target population annually. Outcome 2.3: Create an online peer mentor network for OK CBDs, resulting in at least 432 CBDs participating and 90% reporting their CBD career has been positively impacted by the network (this includes those trained in Tulsa area). Outcome 2.4: At least 80% of trained doulas will receive certification and at least 90% of certified doulas will recertify annually (this includes those trained in Tulsa area). Outcome 2.5: Offer at least 12 hours of high-quality continuing education credits (CECs) resulting in 95% of attendees showing increased knowledge after completing the CEC (this includes those trained in Tulsa area). Brief Summary: The Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative (OKBEI) works to equip families to have healthy births with dignity through a comprehensive, community-centered program that addresses the stark disparities in birth outcomes among marginalized populations in Oklahoma. Our initiative recognizes that birth equity is fundamental to achieving overall health equity and aims to dismantle systemic barriers that perpetuate inequities in maternal and infant health. Healthcare access for Black and Brown pregnant people is one of OKBEI's founding values, rooted in our commitment to reducing infant and maternal death rates. OKBEI seeks support from the Oklahoma Clearinghouse to further our mission of improving birth outcomes and promoting maternal health among underserved communities within maternal health deserts across Oklahoma. OKBEI is looking to expand our doula training to create doula access to women in these areas, while simultaneously creating a doula workforce able to bill Medicaid for services. The Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative (OKBEI) proposes to serve pregnant and postpartum individuals in the state of Oklahoma (OK) through this project, which will expand culturally competent community-based doula (CBD) training and services in key areas across the state. Maternal health deserts contribute to the high mortality rates in OK. In 2022, the March of Dimes reported that 57% of OK counties lack hospitals with obstetric care, birth centers, and OB/GYNs. This forces pregnant rural citizens to travel (often for hours) to receive prenatal care, increasing their costs for care and jeopardizing their income and employment, as they must accrue significant leave from work just to pursue basic prenatal care. The Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative represents a collaborative effort to address the root causes of maternal and infant health disparities and create a more equitable and just healthcare system for all Oklahoma residents. By centering the voices and experiences of marginalized communities, we aim to achieve lasting improvements in birth outcomes and maternal health outcomes, ultimately advancing health equity for generations to come. We recognize and seek to eliminate the racial disparities in Oklahoma's birth outcomes. Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative | Home Previous Next

The C.A.P. Train the Trainer Program is designed to train teachers, childcare professionals, foster care professionals, and lead parents in communities throughout Oklahoma, who will then disseminate the training to their peers and those they serve. < Back Calm Waters Infant Mental Health Grief Support Program Submission Type : Innovative Idea Final Rating : Innovative Idea Date Submitted : Fall 2024 Focus Area : Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Focus Population : Children, Caregivers, and Parents Contact Information : Abby Dimond abby@calmwaters.org 405-841-4800 Calm Waters Center for Children and Families 501 N Walker Ave Suite 140, OKC, OK 73102 Goals and Outcomes : The over-arching intended outcome of this training is make the C.A.P. Train the Trainer program available throughout Oklahoma. This resource will provide teachers, parents, caregivers, and children with a life- long 'tool box' of practices that can improve personal awareness, self-regulation, relationships, focus, quality of life, vital choices, health, and well-being. A primary goal is to develop and establish a cadre of C.A.P. trainers in several Oklahoma counties- with emphasis on providing training in rural counties with limited resources. This would establish a foundation of trainers and knowledge with the ability to perpetuate continued training through schools, early childhood, and daycare settings. This training will have application for years to come. The developer and selected trainers will provide on-going community support by facilitating monthly 1-hour virtual Zoom meetings to address questions, share answers, and promote collaboration of all individuals trained in the C.A.P. program. The timeline for community support will be determined by the training schedule and needs. The C.A.P. practices taught are 'ageless' and can be applied in most any setting. There is no special equipment required, other than self-awareness and a willingness to apply the techniques taught. Mindfulness practices have long been used and documented to provide mind/body health benefits. Both Trainers and those attending local trainings are encouraged to find and use techniques that best meet their personal and professional preference and situations. A separate C.A.P. Parent and Caregiver Handbook has been written and will be available to Trained Trainers for use in facilitating 1 1/2 hour Parent Training Sessions through PTO's or community organizations. This training is most effective when offered 'in person' due to the 'embodiment' qualities of the practices (learn, practice, see it, feel it). An on-line training course may be an option at some point with some modification to the content. Brief/Executive summary of program: The C.A.P. Train the Trainer Program is designed to train teachers, childcare professionals, foster care professionals, and lead parents in communities throughout Oklahoma, who will then disseminate the training to their peers and those they serve. The training allows for customization of focus and discussion on the stressors that each focus population faces and the impact of their stress responses on the children they are raising and serving. Modifications in the practices of Calm, Aware, and Present are easily modified for teaching children, depending on the age range served. Because young children are keen observers and imitators of the words, behaviors, and actions of their parents, caregivers, and teachers, the practices are easily picked up through exposure to a healthy, and calm environment. The trainings are most effective when introduced in the daycare, head start, pre-K, and kindergarten settings, and to the parents of those children. Specific examples and training in C.A.P. practices can be tailored to all age ranges- birth to early childhood. A detailed 55 page training manual is provided to trained trainers, while an abbreviated training format with a 20 page "Parent and Caregiver Handbook" is provided to parents, caregivers and guardians for easy review and reference. In schools, the training can be formatted to meet Professional Development needs with immediate application of C.A.P. practices for personal stress management, classroom management and effectiveness. The C.A.P. Train the Trainer Program is designed to be delivered in a 1 1/2 day training session regionally throughout Oklahoma, with with participant's demonstration of effective teaching and training of C.A.P. practices and successful completion of a Trainer Competency Assessment. The separate C.A.P. Parent and Caregiver Handbook has been written and can be licensed and available to Trained Trainers and/or their affiliated organizations for use in facilitating the 1 1/2 hour Parent Training Sessions through school PTO's or community organizations. Home - Calm Waters Previous Next

This submission seeks funding for a series of workshops titled "Respectful Caregiving.” In these workshops, our instructors will introduce caregivers to the principles of respectful caregiving, an essential philosophy and approach that fosters secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. < Back OKAEYC – Respectful Caregiving Submission Type: Innovative Ideas Final Rating: Innovative Idea Date Submitted: Fall 2023 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Guardians, Parents Contact Information: Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children (okaeyc) (405) 949-1495 admin@okaeyc.org 605 Centennial Blvd., Edmond, OK 73013 Goals and Outcomes: Our primary objective is to promote secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. Our workshops aim to empower caregivers with the necessary tools to establish a strong foundation for children’s future success. The anticipated outcomes of our program include increased caregiving confidence and a sense of security in their ability to nurture children’s natural abilities and development. We project our reach to encompass twenty participants per round, with two rounds planned, ultimately reaching a total of forty caregivers. Childcare providers will receive formal training credit for hours spent in workshops. To measure the impact of our workshops, we will employ a survey-based approach, conducting both pre- and postworkshop surveys to assess participants' understanding and confidence. Brief Summary: This submission seeks funding for a series of workshops titled "Respectful Caregiving.” In these workshops, our instructors will introduce caregivers to the principles of respectful caregiving, an essential philosophy and approach that fosters secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. Built on the foundations of connection, communication, and environment, these workshops empower caregivers to trust themselves and harness children’s innate potential for well-being and development. Our workshops will draw from the teachings of Magda Gerber, the founder of Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE). The RIE Principles are the starting point for establishing a healthy and supportive relationship with children from birth. RIE empowers parents and caregivers with the tools and perspective to understand each child, their unique relationship, and find balance in the individual situation or setting. RIE isn’t a list of prescribed rules to which one must adhere without fail. Rather, it is a framework for understanding a child, their needs, and competencies, assessing one’s own values and needs, and putting those together in an intentional way. These one-hour workshops will be conducted both in-person and at designated training locations as well as virtually, with recordings available within forty-eight hours for those unable to attend live. Additionally, oneon-one coaching will be offered to participating caregivers, using SMART goal centered action planning based on RIE principals. Our goal is to reach forty participants in one year through two rounds of six-monthly training sessions, with a total of twenty participants in each round. All sessions will be held monthly at a designated training site, targeting caregivers with children from zero to eight years old. The course will be inclusive of all demographics and ethnicities. OKAEYC Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children |605 Centennial Blvd. Edmond OK, 73013 Previous Next

The proposed workshop series, a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children and certified trainers, seeks to empower caregivers with vital insights into the paramount significance of this early phase. < Back Respectful Caregiving - OKAEYC Date Submitted: Fall 2023 Contact information: Susan Tabor, okaeyc@gmail.com Focus population: Children, Teachers, Guardians, and Parents Goals and outcomes: This program was not implemented by the Clearinghouse Brief/executive summary of program: Our primary objective is to promote secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. Our workshops aim to empower caregivers with the necessary tools to establish a strong foundation for children’s future success. The anticipated outcomes of our program include increased caregiving confidence and a sense of security in their ability to nurture children’s natural abilities and development. To measure the impact of our workshops, we will employ a survey-based approach, conducting both pre- and postworkshop surveys to assess participants' understanding and confidence. The proposed workshop series, a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children and certified trainers, seeks to empower caregivers with vital insights into the paramount significance of this early phase. This approach serves as a cornerstone for establishing trust and respect between caregivers and infants, fostering an environment where children can pursue their interests and develop at their own unique pace. Previous Next

< Back Play is essential! Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Tracy Hinton Business Consultant (918) 397-3007 thinton@delawarechild.org North Central Resource & Referral P.O. Box 3245 Bartlesville, OK 74006 Goals and Outcomes: We would like caregivers and parents to move towards more play-based care. Our goal is to get parents and caregivers the information about how play supports young children's development. Then follow that up with targeted coaching that supports what they have learned. The outcome we are looking for is to see children in child care programs engaging in at least 75% child-led play during their day. Brief Summary: The intention of this project is to help providers, caregivers, administrators, and parents understand how play in early childhood is imperative to the development of children. Our proposal is to bring in a play expert to present an all day training that educates these parties on how play in early childhood is imperative to the children’s development. This would be done in a fun and interactive way that will showcase how play is the best form of learning. Many adults believe that rote learning (flash cards, memorization, workbooks, etc.) are the only ways that children are taught. However, research has repeatedly shown that play is the best way for children to grow and develop. Play-based learning IS school readiness. Because the research shows that follow-up support helps the information be retained long-term, then the next part of our proposal is to follow up the training with some targeted coaching. This would include allowing early childhood educators to request time with a coach who supports them as they transition to a play-based learning approach. To determine the success of our project, we would conduct pre and post assessments to measure the outcomes of the training and coaching. The length of our proposed project would be one year. Resource & Referral | Ivy Learning Previous Next

All Programs Our Clearinghouse offers comprehensive support for early childhood care and education, covering a wide range of settings such as centers, homes, family and friend arrangements, and programs like Head Start and Pre-K. Filter by Program Type Select Program Type Filter by Rating Category Select Rating Category Filter by Focus Area Select Focus Area Filter by Focus Population Select Focus Population Filter by Submission Date Select Submission Date Search by keyword Innovative Idea Rooted Together: A Cultural Guide for Families of Indigenous Children Healthy Environment and Relationships Rooted Together: A Cultural Guide for Families of Indigenous Children is a toolkit designed to help non-Native parents and caregivers raise Indigenous children in a culturally respectful and supportive environment. Caregivers, Children, Guardians, Parents 2025 Read More Promising Practice Community Garden Healthy Environment and Relationships This project aims to promote healthy environments through the development and maintenance of a community garden that serves as a hub for physical activity, access to fresh produce, and environmental education. Children, Parents, Teachers 2025 Read More Best Practice Community Based Doula Expansion Healthy Environment and Relationships The Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative (OKBEI) works to equip families to have healthy births with dignity through a comprehensive, community-centered program that addresses the stark disparities in birth outcomes among marginalized populations in Oklahoma. Children, Medical Providers, Parents 2025 Read More Innovative Idea OKAEYC – Respectful Caregiving Child Development This submission seeks funding for a series of workshops titled "Respectful Caregiving.” In these workshops, our instructors will introduce caregivers to the principles of respectful caregiving, an essential philosophy and approach that fosters secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. Children, Guardians, Parents, Teachers 2023 Read More Innovative Idea Early Childhood Social Emotional Support Coaches Social Emotional Well Being The target population will be children in the Early Childhood Center in Woodward Oklahoma who have been identified/referred from a teacher and observed/assessed by the Mental Health Consultant as needing extra help with social emotional skills. Administrators, Caregivers, Children, Parents, Teachers, Guardians 2023 Read More Promising Practice Training Oklahoma Childcare Providers to Support Children with Autism (TOCA) Social Emotional Well Being Inequities in childcare for children with autism are a significant concern. These inequities can manifest in various ways, including limited access to inclusive childcare options, inadequate training for childcare providers, and financial barriers. Administrators, Caregivers, Children, Guardians, Owners, Parents, Teachers 2023 Read More Promising Practice TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms Social Emotional Well Being Lilyfield proposes to bring the Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Trauma Informed Classrooms to licensed childcare centers that serve foster children ages 0-8 years old throughout the state. Administrators, Caregivers, Children, Guardians, Parents, Teachers, Owners 2023 Read More Innovative Idea Air Quality and Filtration in Early Childhood Settings Healthy Environment and Relationships This project will involve two groups: Teachers and the children enrolled in their ECE classrooms. Although child outcomes are ultimately our interest, the successful use of air filters to improve ECE classroom air quality is dependent on the teachers who run those classrooms. Children, Teachers 2022 Read More Innovative Idea Emergency Child Care Waiver: Innovative Referral and Approval Process Healthy Environment and Relationships The target population is Oklahoma families with children (ages birth to 8 years old) that have been exposed to a traumatic event. Caregivers, Children, Guardians, Parents, Systems 2022 Read More Promising Practice Cognitive ToyBox, Inc. Healthy Environment and Relationships Cognitive ToyBox works with school and center-based early childhood education settings, including Oklahoma City Public Schools, on early childhood assessment. Parents, Teachers, Family Child Care Providers 2022 Read More Promising Practice Outdoor Environment and Classroom Healthy Environment and Relationships This environment will provide a safe place for families to interact within nature. Families are able to create and build relationships through an interactive outdoor environment. Teachers, Parents, Family Child Care Providers 2022 Read More Best Practice Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Healthy Environment and Relationships This 3-year program would impact approximately 1,712 children and 216 providers, not to mention the residual impact of additional family members. Children, Owners, Teachers, Parents, Guardians, Caregivers 2022 Read More Well Supported by Research Second Step® Early Learning Healthy Environment and Relationships Second Step® Early Learning is designed specifically for multiple-age early learning environments with a focus on supporting children from low-income families. Children 2022 Read More Innovative Idea Early Birds Childcare Collaborations Child Development Twelve percent of Oklahoma children live with parents with less than a high school diploma, and Medicaid pays for nearly 60% of births. Children, Owners, Teachers, Parents, Guardians, Caregivers 2022 Read More Promising Practice Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services for Northwest Oklahoma Child Development Western Plains Youth and Family Services is writing this letter to propose a solution to a recurring problem in the early childcare centers such as the Early Education Center, Headstarts, Schools and Daycares in Woodward and surrounding counties. Caregivers, Children, Teachers, Parents, Guardians, Administrators 2022 Read More Promising Practice Play is essential! Child Development The intention of this project is to help providers, caregivers, administrators, and parents understand how play in early childhood is imperative to the development of children. Administrators, Caregivers, Guardians, Owners, Parents, Teachers 2022 Read More Promising Practice Outdoor Education at St. Luke's Children's Center (Downtown) Child Development Outdoor play is critical to child development from birth. Connecting to the world outside is imperative to the development of motor skills, self-confidence and curiosity. Children, Teachers 2022 Read More Promising Practice Providing Hope and Opportunity in Outdoor Learning Environments at Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes Child Development This submission is an innovative idea to design new and/or renovate existing playgrounds at eight diverse early education programs across the State of Oklahoma into natural outdoor learning classrooms which will help promote the health and well-being of Oklahoma children and early childhood staff. Caregivers, Children, Owners, Teachers, Administrators 2022 Read More Best Practice Early Learning Matters – Curriculum Program for Early Childhood Classrooms Child Development Curriculum in an early childhood setting is the content and concepts which children learn as they go about their day. It is vital to a child’s learning experience as it supports and strengthens their learning and development. Caregivers, Children, Teachers, Owners 2022 Read More Best Practice Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Program Child Development The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Program will serve the child welfare population ages zero to age six. Caregivers, Children, Guardians, Parents 2022 Read More Best Practice Child Care Director Training with the National Administrators Credential (NAC) Child Development Director qualifications are a vital part of every early childhood program. A director is responsible for all aspects of the daily activities their center or homes’ program which include the supervision and leadership of staff with the caring and teaching of children. Administrators, Owners, Teachers 2022 Read More

Palomar has a tremendous goal: to unify all possible services a victim and their children may need and make them easily accessible by housing them in one convenient location. < Back Children's Sanctuary at Palomar, Oklahoma City's Family Justice Center Date Submitted: 09/08/2021 Contact Information: Kim Garrett-Funk CVO 405-552-1004 Kim.garrett@palomarokc.org Palomar: Oklahoma City's Family Justice Center, Inc. 1140 North Hudson Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73103 Rating Category: Innovative Idea Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Goals and Outcomes: Palomar has a tremendous goal: to unify all possible services a victim and their children may need and make them easily accessible by housing them in one convenient location. In domestic violence, this coordinated response can make the difference between life and death for victims and their children. Our model is literally saving lives and interrupting the generational cycle of violence. Due to COVID-19, the Children in Oklahoma City have experienced additional and significant trauma. Palomar’s Children’s Sanctuary staff are highly trained to assess the needs of children who have experienced trauma. The Children’s Sanctuary provides free drop-in care for children in violent homes and aims to interrupt this cycle and lead kids to healing. Palomar is requesting funding to support its Children’s Sanctuary by providing two additional staff members, therefore dramatically increasing the Children’s Sanctuary’s capacity and allowing staff members to have more time to thoroughly address each child’s social and emotional needs. In an effort to mitigate trauma and help the children in our Community heal, Palomar has been in discussions with the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center to create the OUHSC Palomar Children’s Behavioral Health Program. This program would include developmental and mental health screening and assessment, evidence-based mental health treatment, case management, and advocacy through multidisciplinary team participation. This adds an innovative layer of protections for Oklahoma’s most vulnerable children. By adding a dedicated therapist and support staff for the Behavioral Health Program, Palomar will be able to provide comprehensive social and emotional mental health care to our children and lead them to a path of healing. Palomar’s Children’s Sanctuary serves Palomar client’s children of all ages, learning level, cognitive functioning and their families. Violence and adversity have a profound impact on shaping Oklahoma City. There is a direct correlation between adverse childhood exposure and chronic disease, mental illness, substance abuse and violence (CDC). Unmitigated trauma and adversity have been directly correlated with many issues that negatively impact Oklahoma City. By providing comprehensive wraparound services to children, as well as adult clients, in the Children’s Sanctuary, Palomar aims to mitigate our children’s Adverse Childhood Experiences and lead them to healing. Brief Summary: COVID created isolation for families, instability, loss of jobs and resources, and lack of connection which combined created a toxic environment for domestic violence and child abuse to thrive. In OKC, police calls related to domestic violence, and the severity of injury, have increased. Violence directly impacts our public safety, public health, education system, economy and overall quality of life. Palomar is designing and developing innovative solutions and opportunities for social impact that will be felt for generations to come. In OKC, we estimate there are over 36,000 children who are exposed to domestic violence and abuse. Providing a safe trauma-informed space for children and families is critical to ensure they get the help they need to heal and break the generational cycle of violence. The Children’s Sanctuary provides free trauma-informed childcare and is available for children of all ages while clients receive support services at Palomar. The Children’s Sanctuary staff builds rapport with children and their families, assesses and identifies needs, solves problems, safety plans, supports and empowers children. The Children’s Sanctuary reduces barriers that keep clients from getting timely services throughout the system by coordinating wraparound care for emotional, financial, administrative or cultural support. While in the Children’s Sanctuary, children can also receive services, including: Emotional Support; Crisis Intervention; On-Site Childcare; Service Coordination; Extensive follow-up and coordination with ongoing therapeutic programming; Referrals to Other Agencies; and, Emergency Assistance such as food, clothing, personal care or hygiene items. The Children’s Sanctuary allows Palomar to reduce barriers for clients while providing wraparound services for the entire family. As Palomar’s client numbers continue to grow, Palomar anticipates that the number of children will also increase. In 2020, Palomar’s Children’s Sanctuary, despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, served 664 Children who visited the Sanctuary 909 times. In 2021, our numbers have only continued to grow exponentially, creating limitations with capacity and staffing. In June 2021, Palomar served 219 children, with 137 visits, an increase of 119% visits and 80% increase in kids from just the previous month! At-risk families in Oklahoma City need a safe trauma-informed service that can enhance children, and their parents, social and emotional well-being. Previous Next

< Back Rainbow Fleet Quality Enhancement Initiative Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Fall 2021 Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Quisha Beardsley Executive Director 405-525-3111 Rainbow Fleet Child Care Resource & Referral 1105 NW 45th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 Goals and Outcomes: The Rainbow Fleet Family Child Care Quality Enhancement Initiative (QEI) is a comprehensive training and technical assistance initiative that seeks to improve the quality of early care and education in Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) in Oklahoma County. This goal aligns with our mission to enhance the quality of life for children, families, and child care providers. Oklahoma currently has a quality driven initiative referred to as Reaching for the Stars and child care providers have the opportunity to be categorized in one of four star levels of quality based on specific criteria. A 1-star facility meets the basic licensing requirements. A 1-star+ facility is working on the criteria to be awarded a 2-star rating. A 2-star facility offers: teachers who have received formal education and additional training in child development; arranges space for a variety of activities including block building, dramatic play, art areas, and ready to children; weekly lesson plans, which promotes cognitive, social and emotional development for each child interaction with parents through planned activities; and program evaluation and goal setting. A 3-star facility is nationally accredited in addition to meeting 2-star quality requirements. Therefore, providing hands-on training, practical application and mentoring to move facilities to a high stars ranking benefits the children, families, and child care providers themselves. To quote an anecdote from a study entitled the Cost, Quality and Outcomes study of Child Care Centers (Family Child Care Homes), "Children attending high quality child care perform better in math and language, and get along better with other children. These advantages continue in school." The intended outcome for the QEI and the programs we will support is to increase the "best practices" among FCCHs. The way this is achieved is through the process of improving their stars level and/or their accreditation. Achievement of either scenario requires the program to self-reflect and make effective changes accordingly, with much consideration given to the needs of the children, their families and the FCCH provider themselves. Within achieving accreditation, the benefit affects everyone. The children are better cared for and have developmentally appropriate settings and materials with a provider who now has a greater understanding of meeting the needs of children of all ages. Brief Summary: The FCCH provider is expected to and should know and understand their children and families and the impact they have on a child's social-emotional and cognitive well-being. As such, QEI will support the child care provider to be well-trained and encouraged to achieve additional education. These best practices will hold the provider accountable for short and long term goals, with the expectation that a "team" approach will prepare children and families for future successes. A QEI Specialist will provide and/or facilitate the FCCHs' intensive, on-going support that includes training, technical assistance, and funds/resources to improve and maintain the quality of care and education that young children and families receive. Previous Next

The primary outcome for this submission is to increase support for early childhood communities in the area of autism and related disabilities by creating a statewide community of specially trained providers. The Autism Foundation of Oklahoma (AFO) will use the Training of Trainers Model to achieve this goal, recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). < Back Community of Support for Early Childhood Communities Date Submitted: 09/08/2021 Contact Information: Emily Scott Executive Director (405) 434-5507 escott@autismfoundationok.org Autism Foundation of Oklahoma PO Box 42133 Oklahoma City, OK 73162 Rating Category: Innovative Idea Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Medical Providers, Administrators, Parents Goals and Outcomes: The primary outcome for this submission is to increase support for early childhood communities in the area of autism and related disabilities by creating a statewide community of specially trained providers. The Autism Foundation of Oklahoma (AFO) will use the Training of Trainers Model to achieve this goal, recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). This model aims to prepare providers to present information effectively, respond to questions/concerns, lead activities that reinforce learning, and help others link evidence-based information to their day-to-day jobs, which ties in with the outcome of this submission. This submission will be the link between the evidence and the application of the evidence. The curriculum will include evidence-based information on the following areas: child development and social emotional well-being as it relates to autism spectrum disorders, components of quality early childhood education, family-centered care, culturally responsive care, teaming, collaboration, and communication. This program will build capacity across the state by training community-based providers through public-private partnerships in providing technical assistance and training to early childhood communities that support young children with autism. Below are the intended objectives for the first year of program implementation. Once the submission is approved, this project will collaborate with the Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRRA) to ensure goals are achievable and realistic. Recruit and train ten new trainers from across the state to support early childhood communities on autism and related disabilities. Provide 100 virtual visits to early childhood communities supporting children with autism and related disabilities. Provide 50 on-site visits or video reviews to early childhood communities supporting children with autism and related disabilities. Brief Summary: The issue addressed through this submission is the translation of knowledge from the Clearinghouse or other evidence-based resources into everyday practice. Knowledge translation is the movement of a new idea from a research setting, peer-reviewed journal, systematic review, or continuing education course to day-to-day practice. Knowledge translation is more than just knowing; it involves putting that knowledge into practice. Knowledge translation starts with practitioners becoming aware of new information, shifting perception of new information, making a decision about new information, applying it, and confirming the new information by incorporating it into everyday practice. Knowledge translation can significantly be limited when practitioners do not have access to role models who will encourage and support them in implementing newly acquired information (Rabinowicz & Ray, 2018). This program aims to create a network of trained providers who bridge the gap in early childhood communities from acquiring new knowledge to applying the new knowledge into everyday practice. Based on literature around adult learning and knowledge translation, minimal change will occur if participants do not have access to a reliable support system (Rabinowicz & Ray, 2018). Early childhood communities are expected to know about all areas of child development. It is too much to expect them to be the expert in all things around child development. Through this program, the trained providers will be the experts in autism and related disorders, providing a valuable resource for early childhood communities supporting young children. Approximately 260,000 children in Oklahoma are under five years old (US Census Bureau, 2019). Using the national statistic that 1 in 54 children have a diagnosis, about 4800 children in Oklahoma under five have autism. In an Oklahoma statewide study, approximately 39% of parents of children with autism reported that childcare significantly impacted their employment decisions, which is seven times higher than families of children without autism. Not having access to childcare affects families three times more than the effects of poverty. The childcare community is a critical community to the health of Oklahoma families that would benefit from a program such as this submission. Previous Next

The target population is Oklahoma families with children (ages birth to 8 years old) that have been exposed to a traumatic event. < Back Emergency Child Care Waiver: Innovative Referral and Approval Process Submission Type : Innovative Ideas Final Rating: Innovative Idea Date Submitted: Fall 2022 Focus Area: Healthy Environments and Relationships Focus Population: Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents, Systems Contact Information: info@publichealth.org Public Health Institute of Oklahoma P.O. Box 60926, Oklahoma City, OK 73146-0926 Public Health Institute of Oklahoma – Resources, news and data to support Oklahoma County Health Improvement Organizations. Goals and Outcomes: The goal of this submission is to provide buffering supports to children and families that increase their ability to form and sustain healthy relationships. Intended outcomes include: - Increased awareness of buffering supports, such as emergency childcare - Increased utilization of emergency childcare by families after a traumatic event - Increased connection to stabilizing supports - Increased family stability - Increased ability to form and sustain healthy relationships Brief Summary: The target population is Oklahoma families with children (ages birth to 8 years old) that have been exposed to a traumatic event. Oklahoma is a state with one of the highest ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) scores in the nation. Without buffering supports, families can fall through the cracks and experience compounding adversities that affect the ability of children to form healthy relationships. Connecting families to these buffering supports, such as emergency childcare, allows the children to have a safe place to go while the parents/caregivers/guardians are connected to additional resources, as needed, that stabilize their situation. Public Health Institute of Oklahoma – Resources, news and data to support Oklahoma County Health Improvement Organizations. Previous Next

< Back Outdoor Environment and Classroom Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Fall 2022 Focus Area: Healthy Environments and Relationships Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Kiddie Academy of Edmond edmond@kiddieacademy.net (405) 960-0222 430 E Covell Road, Edmond, OK 73034 Goals and Outcomes: We currently own one acre of nature preserve. We would like to clean up the debris and undergrowth. Our goal is to provide an outdoor learning environment for families, children, and our classrooms. We want to be all inclusive in our environment. We will be accommodating all children and their families. This land is owned and operated by Kiddie Academy of Edmond but will welcome the community. Our classrooms will utilize the outdoor space for educational reasons. We also plan on providing learning opportunities for our families. Brief Summary: This will be an outdoor classroom and learning environment for children, families and staff. Our target population will be any family dynamic, with ages from infant through school age. This environment will provide a safe place for families to interact within nature. Families are able to create and build relationships through an interactive outdoor environment. This outdoor area will provide a healthy environment. The activities will also build on their relationships, creating healthier ways to strengthen relationships. Daycare in Edmond, OK | Kiddie Academy Previous Next

< Back TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2023 Focus Area: Social Emotional Well-Being Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Holly Towers Executive Director (405) 216-5240 htowers@lilyfield.org Lilyfield 501 E 15th Street Ste 400A, Edmond, OK 73013 Goals and Outcomes: Lilyfield’s goals and outcomes for this project are to increase knowledge and skills within the early childcare setting for providing trauma-informed care to support social emotional wellbeing for children who are involved or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system. The long term intended outcome is to stabilize and improve the childcare experience for foster children and their foster parents and improve social emotional wellbeing for children who are enrolled in licensed childcare centers or home daycares. Childcare staff can self-refer to Lilyfield’s program through an online process. Once a referral is received, Lilyfield’s Director of Child Care Programs will confirm eligibility based on child qualifications (must have a qualified child in the referred classroom) and then set a site visit based on availability, with the goal of conducting a site visit within one month. Because this is operating as a pilot program, we recognize that the need may outpace our capacity with the current funding. Our team will develop a rating matrix for use if applications outpace capacity and prioritize classrooms who are identified as having the most critical need while putting others on the waiting list. Lilyfield consultants will provide provisional feedback at the time of the site visit and assist the childcare staff in implementing some recommendations immediately. Also, at the completion of the site visit, the center will receive their first incentive resource bag which will provide tangible resources to support implementation of TBRI in the classroom. Following the site visit, the consultant will provide a more formal set of recommendations which are tailored to the needs of the specific classroom, appropriate for the needs of the qualified child, and reasonable for the center to implement. The consultant and childcare center will develop a plan for ongoing consultation support with a goal to serve centers with at least 5 follow up consultation visits, either virtual or in person. The plan will include more structured training on implementing TBRI in the classroom. While the program includes as much in person contact as possible, Lilyfield has built in the capacity to provide the majority of consultation and training virtually for centers located in rural areas that may present a challenge for our staff to visit regularly. Centers who participate in the ongoing consultation for at least 5 additional sessions will receive a follow up incentive resource bag with more tangible classroom resources. Brief Summary: Lilyfield proposes to bring the Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Trauma Informed Classrooms to licensed childcare centers that serve foster children ages 0-8 years old throughout the state. The TBRI for classrooms training is designed to equip educators to help children from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, and/or trauma by disarming fear, optimizing learning, and facilitating healing for vulnerable children in the classroom. The project would bring a combination of training, consultation, and implementation support to any licensed center or home day care that provides care to children who are currently in state custody, are in a safety plan through Family Centered Services, or have been reunified with a biological parent within the past 12 months and are currently experiencing behavioral difficulty in the center. Lilyfield has many years of experience working with foster parents and children, and we know the challenges that children in the child welfare system can face in the childcare setting. Lilyfield also operates a licensed childcare center in South Oklahoma City, and we have firsthand experience with creating environments where children with complex developmental trauma can thrive. Providing adequate resources and support is vital to ensuring that foster parents can access reliable childcare, and for ensuring that children get the unique support they need in the childcare setting. Lilyfield has 8 TBRI Practitioners on staff who can support the project. Lilyfield proposes to provide virtual or on-site assessment, consultation, training, and implementation support for childcare centers or home day cares that have a qualified child enrolled who is struggling to be maintained. Following receipt of a request for support, Lilyfield staff will determine eligibility and provide a classroom assessment designed to provide recommendations to teachers and providers on ways to implement the TBRI for classrooms program to support the success of the qualified child. Centers can request ongoing consultation, but Lilyfield will recommend participation in at least 5 consultations following the assessment. Childcare staff can also participate in a more structured training program, receiving the entire TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms training through this project. Lilyfield Previous Next

< Back Cognitive ToyBox, Inc. Date Submitted: Fall 2023 Contact information: Tammy Kwan, tammy@cognitivetoybox.com tammy@cognitivetoybox.com Focus population: Children, Teachers, Administrators, Parents Goals and outcomes: Program was not implemented through the Oklahoma Clearinghouse Brief/executive summary of program: Observation-only assessment can be subjective since the data is coming solely from the teacher's anecdotes based on how they observe the child behaving in the classroom. Cognitive ToyBox reduces the risk of subjectivity and inaccurate assessment by providing opportunities for educators to leverage two different sources (observation and direct/game-based assessment) in order to better understand child development. Cognitive ToyBox provides a unique, research-based approach to child assessment, enabling educators to use a combination of observation and game-based assessments. This combination approach saves teachers time on assessment, while also providing more accurate and actionable data to teachers. Educators may assess children using a sequence of assessments that cover whole child development 1-3 times per year (20 minutes per administration) and data from these timepoints will inform progress monitoring. Alternatively, programs can use the tool formatively, choosing specific game-based or observational objectives for children to complete each to inform instructional planning. With either application, the tool will provide teachers with crucial insights for their instruction, while supporting school and district level instructional support. Previous Next

A New Model of Care: Little Otter has developed a platform and clinical model to provide virtual whole-family mental health care. < Back Little Otter Health Submission Type: Research-Based Final Rating : Promising Research Focus Area : Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Focus Population : Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Medical Providers, Parents, and Other Date Submitted : Fall 2024 Contact Information: Rebecca Egger hello@littleotterhealth.com 415-449-2813 333 SE 2nd Ave Ste 2000, Miami, Florida 33131 Goals and Outcomes : Goal 1: To give the young children and families of Oklahoma access to Little Otter’s whole-family measurement-based and evidence-based model of telehealth care. By being able to provide comprehensive services to young children and their families in Oklahoma, our goals would be to • Increase access to evidence-based, developmentally-sensitive, high-quality mental health services to the children and families of Oklahoma. • Improve mental health outcomes for the children, parents, and families of Oklahoma through the implementation of Little Otter’s evidence-based, virtual whole-family mental health care. Since we collect data at every stage of our care journey, we are accountable not only for access to care but also for clinical quality as measured by clinical outcomes. Goal 1 Outcomes: Access and Utilization Metrics • Time from referral to speaking with a licensed mental health provider, time to a fulldiagnostic assessment, and rates of ongoing engagement. Current Metrics: At Little Otter, our families are connected with a licensed mental health provider in less than 24 hours. On average, less than 7 days pass from referral to a full diagnostic assessment. 95% of our families continue after the first session. Our average number of sessions is 12-18. Goal 1 Outcomes: Developmentally-Sensitive Clinical Quality Metrics • Session level measures Symptom Severity and Improvement of Child: Severity of illness at baseline and at the session level (CGI-S), Clinical Improvement (CGI-I), and session-level domain-specific measures specific to the patient’s presentation. Measures are chosen based on the patient’s age and developmental stage. Symptom Severity and Improvement of Parent: When providing direct mental health care to parents, we use the outcome measure listed above. Brief/Executive summary of program : A New Model of Care: Little Otter has developed a platform and clinical model to provide virtual whole-family mental health care. This new model is grounded in science, best clinical practices, and the philosophy that mental health care should address the family ecosystem, not just individual family members. This approach is designed to meet the comprehensive needs of children, parents, and families, aiming to change lives through improved mental health care and strengthened family relationships. • Measurement at every stage of the journey: Our care starts with the Little Otter Child & Family Mental Health Check-up, our proprietary developmentally-sensitive screening tool developed from reliable and valid measures that ensures that we understand the unique needs and strengths of both the individual family members and the entire family system. Based on the results of the Check-up, we administer developmentally-appropriate subspecialty measures to support diagnostic and clinical decision-making and conduct a structured diagnostic assessment to link the family with the appropriate evidence-based clinical care pathways. We then craft measurable treatment goals for care, which include at least one family-focused goal, and collect data at every session to track progress and clinical outcomes. Results guide data-driven decision-making and are shared with parents as collaborators. Our approach to measurement-based care allows us to provide populationlevel data to our partners as well, giving them a better sense of the needs of their population. • Comprehensive, evidence-based care pathways: We provide developmentally-sensitive, evidencebased therapy and psychiatric care for the full range of mental health disorders facing children birth to 18, including dyadic, parent-child interventions for infants and young children. Additionally, we provide evidence-based individual therapy and psychiatric care for parents facing anxiety, depression, ADHD, and traumatic stress, as well as parent coaching to support caregivers in responding to the mental health needs of their children and to support co-parenting and parental alignment. We have a specialized, research-backed perinatal mental health program for birthing and non-birthing parents that focuses on the mental health needs of the parent, infant, and emerging parent-child relationship. Finally, we also offer couples counseling and family therapy services. Little Otter | Mental Health Services for the Whole Family Previous Next

< Back Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services for Northwest Oklahoma Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Carol Stocking Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant (580) 808-2010 cstocking@wpyfs.org Western Plains Youth and Family Services 202639 E. Co Rd 42, Woodward, OK 73801 Goals and Outcomes: Western Plains Youth and Family Services proposes that evidenced based trained Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consults will be provided to Early Childhood Centers, HeadStarts, Schools and Daycare facilities. In addition to supporting the education and childcare centers, the IEMHC will also provide helpful and imperative services to the child welfare system by supporting foster families or helping to maintain the family unit. The IEMHC has developed an eclectic approach to care and coordination of services. We provide services that address the following areas of concern: • Child behavior & social emotional issues • Supporting children and families during the COVID-19 crisis • Teacher, Director, support staff & Parent support • Aid in managing classroom issues. • General stress and coping strategies • And other concerns related to caring for young children. In addition to offering the above listed services, it is the intent to also provide professional development to teachers and other early childhood professional by Western Plains Youth and Family team members trained in IECMH. Topics of such professional development trainings include issues of temperament, attachment and relationships, positive interaction and classroom behavior, school readiness, social and emotional disorders, supporting families, behavioral regulation, and identification of services needed. We will also implement the evidence-based training of Circle of Security to help foster and strengthen family connections and positive relationships. Currently Western Plains Youth and Family Services has two trained Mental Health Consultants who are Licensed Therapist. These two individuals have experience in providing MHC services to Headstarts in Woodward and surrounding areas. One of the individuals is a Registered Play Therapist who is also trained in Child-Parent Psychotherapy and the other therapist is working towards Play Therapy training as well. Both are trained in the DC 0-5, Circle of Security and both plan on becoming IECMH specialist. We have also collaborated with several Universities, including Northwestern Oklahoma State University, in promoting IECMH specialist through practicum/internship placements. IECMH consultants are also supported by Amy Chlouber with Sunbeam Services as a Reflective Consultant for IECMH services. Brief Summary: Western Plains Youth and Family Services is writing this letter to propose a solution to a recurring problem in the early childcare centers such as the Early Education Center, Headstarts, Schools and Daycares in Woodward and surrounding counties. The recurring problem is that more and more children are experiencing traumatic events at earlier age. The experiences/events have negatively impacted almost every aspect of life for young children. The educational system, childcare system as well as early Child Welfare system often struggle with supporting children and families with appropriate resources that empowers resiliency and strong relationships. The intent of this proposal is to offer evidenced based interventions and resources that supports educators, childcare professionals, Child Welfare professionals and families that are involved with the child every day. The intent of this proposal is to continue and expand this effective program with the goal of strengthening families, preventing DHS involvement/family disruption, monitoring program effectiveness, maintaining school placement and building resiliency in young children. Western Plains Youth & Family Services Previous Next

This proposal provides a framework to support continuous improvement for early education programs that utilizes classroom and child data to identify existing strengths and appropriate areas for coaching and development. < Back Supporting Data-driven Improvements in Early Education Date Submitted: 09/08/2021 Contact Information: Sherri L. Castle Research Faculty and Assistant Director of Research (918) 660-3187 Sherri.castle@ou.edu University of Oklahoma, Early Childhood Education Institute 4502 E 41st St., Tulsa, OK 74135 Rating Category: Additional Research Needed Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Caregivers Goals and Outcomes: This proposal provides a framework to support continuous improvement for early education programs that utilizes classroom and child data to identify existing strengths and appropriate areas for coaching and development. The ultimate outcome of this work is to provide every young child in Oklahoma with a high quality early education experience, regardless of income, race, home language, or location. Data collection and feedback will be designed to cultivate classroom practices that support children’s overall well-being in social-emotional, physical, and cognitive domains. Brief Summary of target population and issues/challenges: Despite strong evidence for the necessity of support during the early years, national studies indicate that early education settings experienced by young children prior to school entry are typically mediocre in quality. Prior data collected in the state of Oklahoma reveal similar dismal patterns. This proposal aims to cultivate improved quality in early education by providing data driven coaching to teachers and center/school leaders based on structured observation of classrooms and assessment of the development of young children while enrolled in the program. We propose a rotation in which all DHS-licensed child care programs are engaged in data collection and coaching at least every 3 years. Data will be used to provide feedback at the classroom and program level and also aggregated by program type, region, and other features of interest to determine areas of widespread opportunity to improve EC quality across the state via professional development and/or policy implementation. The Early Childhood Education Institute (ECEI) at OU-Tulsa has a long history of providing data-based feedback to high quality EC programs in their efforts to improve practice and ensure positive outcomes for all children. Researchers at the ECEI bring expertise in numerous observation tools and child assessments that will allow many options for developing a strategy in partnership with OKDHS or other stakeholders to focus on the most crucial aspects of early care and education, including options to focus on particular developmental domains or on needs specific to infants and toddlers; dual language learners; or Black, Indigenous, and children of color. Previous Next

< Back Autism Foundation of Oklahoma – Training Oklahoma Childcare Providers to Support Children with Autism (TOCA) Date Submitted: Summer 2023 Contact information: Emily Scott, info@autismfoundationok.org Focus population: Children, teachers, owners, caregivers, guardians, parents Goals and outcomes: The TOCA initiative aims to achieve three primary objectives. Firstly, it seeks to enhance knowledge and awareness of autism among childcare providers. Secondly, it aims to establish a comprehensive training program for childcare coaches in Oklahoma, specializing in supporting providers caring for children with autism. Lastly, TOCA aims to provide personalized coaching to childcare providers, catering to the unique needs of each child or classroom, to enhance the availability and quality of childcare services statewide, fostering inclusivity for children with autism. Providing comprehensive training to consultants and childcare providers improves the quality of care for children with autism, offering tailored support to address their unique needs. This project fosters an environment where all children feel accepted and valued, thus promoting inclusivity. The training enhances the professional development of consultants and childcare providers, leading to a more competent and confident workforce. Moreover, it strengthens the support system for children with autism and their families through collaborative networks and family empowerment. Promoting cultural sensitivity and awareness creates a more inclusive and compassionate childcare community. Overall, this project leaves a lasting legacy of inclusivity and support, benefiting children with autism and their families for years to come. Previous Next