| The goal of a mental health consultant who works in | | | | thoughtful, interpersonally sensitive, goal-oriented, |
| early childhood settings is the promotion of mental | | | | respectful of other's space and belongings, and to |
| wellness and encouragement of positive social | | | | develop friendships. |
| relations in children. | | | | In addition, the mental health consultant identifies |
| A 2005 study by Yale University's Ed Ziglar Center in | | | | children with special needs which have often resulted |
| Child development found that 6.7 children per 1000 | | | | from violence, abuse, prenatal substance abuse, |
| are expelled from preschool every year, three times | | | | losses due to incarcerations or death, or living in |
| the rate of expulsions in kindergarten through high | | | | foster homes or with multiple care givers. Such |
| school. However, preschool teachers who have | | | | experiences often has significantly affected the lives |
| access to mental health consultants are about half as | | | | of children who display severe behavioral and |
| likely to expel a child compares with teachers who | | | | emotional problems such as learning disabilities, speech |
| lack such support based on a report that looked at | | | | or language disorders, emotional or behavioral |
| 3,898 preschool classes in 40 states. | | | | disorders. |
| Another recent study in 89 classes conducted by the | | | | The mental health consultant also assist with parent |
| Tulane University's Institute of Infant and Early | | | | support issues, including stress related issues, finding |
| Childhood Mental Health link the mental health help | | | | resources, acquiring job training, etc. Parent |
| offered there to improved behavior and learning and | | | | workshops and personal consultations with parents |
| more cheerful classroom climates. | | | | are essential in helping parents to implement some of |
| The mental health consultant, in early childhood or | | | | the learning activities the youngsters are experiencing |
| preschool settings, helps small children to learn the | | | | in the classroom as well as to address concerns |
| lifelong social and emotional skills they need. Children | | | | parents may have relative to personal parenting |
| have to learn how to get along with people, to | | | | issues and needs. |
| respond to them appropriately, and to acquire an | | | | In the course of a work day, in addition to scheduled |
| awareness of how their actions affect other people | | | | meetings with parents, the mental health consultant |
| and how other people's actions affect them. To be | | | | carries out classroom observations for assessment |
| more specific, they need to learn cooperation, | | | | and evaluation, insure supportive responses in |
| self-control, confidence, independence, curiosity, | | | | meeting the children's needs and conduct scheduled |
| empathy, and communication. Also preschoolers need | | | | staff development workshops focused on strategies |
| to learn how to inhibit impulsive behavior, become | | | | for dealing with behavioral and attention problems. |