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Supporting States in Building a Robust Continuum of Mental Health Systems and Services for Infants, Young Children, and Families
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Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Financing Policy Project
ZERO TO THREE launched the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Financing Policy Project (IECMH-FPP) in 2016 and it has since served as a learning collaborative for 31 states. This project has been made possible by support from Irving Harris Foundation, Klingenstein Philanthropies, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Perigee Fund, Alliance for Early Success, and University of Minnesota.
The purpose of this project is to support states in developing policy and financing strategies that increase access to and utilization of, a robust continuum of mental health supports and services for young children and their caregivers. The first cohort of states participating in the FPP included Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Virginia, with Minnesota as the host and partner state. The second cohort, launched in May 2018, included Alabama, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. The third cohort joined the project in December 2022 and includes Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, and Utah. The fourth cohort was selected in January 2025 and includes Michigan, Delaware, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
Over the past nine years, teams from these states have grown into a dynamic and enduring national learning collaborative, which ZERO TO THREE continues to host and facilitate. Through in-person convenings, individualized technical assistance, virtual learning opportunities, community of practice and affinity/interest groups, and targeted peer-to-peer and expert connections, policy leaders and advocates are learning from one another how to build systems that meet the unique needs of infants, young children, and their families.
Resources
- Centering Babies and the Adults Who Care for Them: States Explore Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Financing and Policy
- Exploring State Strategies for Financing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
- ZERO TO THREE Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy Convening Report
- Advancing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy in States: Stories from the Field
- Advancing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy in States: Stories from the Field, Part Two
Tools
ZERO TO THREE’s toolkit is designed to support the integration of developmentally specific services for young children into the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model.
IECMH Consultation Cost Calculator
The IECMH Consultation Cost Calculator is designed for IECMH consultants, program managers and administrators and others involved in supporting, designing and managing IECMH consultation programs. This tool helps estimate the true costs of providing essential services and supports for infants, toddlers, young children, and their families, offering evidence-based and accurate projections for IECMH consultation.
National Webinars
Children’s Funding Project (CFP), in partnership with ZERO TO THREE lead this series of three tailored webinars to dive deeper into answering the three key questions of strategic public financing.
- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Fiscal Mapping
- Understanding True Costs of IECMH Programs and Services
- Coming Soon: Filling the Gap: Tax Revenue Building
Integrating IECMH into Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
As Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) expand nationwide, they are reshaping access to mental health care. Yet too often, the needs of infants, toddlers and their families are overlooked. Watch the accompanying webinar for the CCBHC toolkit, which equips early childhood and behavioral health leaders to build strong, family-centered systems of care.
Early identification and coordinated care can change the trajectory for young children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and their families. Watch this webinar to learn strategies that build a stronger system of care.
State Stories
Alabama, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington, DC are just a sample of the Cohort 2 states (and 1 district) that have designed and successfully moved IECMH policy.
- Alabama: Harnessing Every Opportunity to Expand Critical Components of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health System of Care
- New Mexico: A Steady Drumbeat Provides a Perfect Overture to Advance Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
- South Carolina: Workforce Awareness and Development are Necessary First Steps Toward Growing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services
- Tennessee: Dozens of Stakeholders Work Together to Bring Attention to Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Financing
- Washington, DC: A Methodological Approach to Assessing Opportunities and Gaps Provides a Baseline for Next Steps
Cohort 1 states have also made great progress in advancing IECMH policy. Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Oregon are just a handful of the Cohort 1 states that have advanced IECMH assessment, diagnosis, and treatment policies.
- Alaska: Statewide Economic Challenges and High ACEs Rates Open the Door for Consideration of IECMH Coverage in the State’s Medicaid Waiver Application
- Colorado: Capitated Financing Allows for More Flexibility to Focus on Mental Health Prevention
- Massachusetts: An Inside-Outside Strategy to Put Early Childhood Mental Health First
- Minnesota: A Commitment to Both Strategic and Serendipitous Opportunities to Build an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health System of Care
- Oregon: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health is Recognized as a Reimbursable Treatment
Other IECMH Policy Resources
Journal
Advancing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy in States: Stories From the Field, Part Two
Details
Journal
Advancing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy in States Stories From the Field
Details
Exploring State Strategies for Financing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Details
ZERO TO THREE Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy Convening Report
Details
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