Children with early-onset emotional and behaviour problems experience high risk of chronic mental health problems, co-occurring developmental challenges and family psychosocial adversity. Positive parenting practice and high-quality childcare are essential, evidence-based protective factors for young children. However, such supportive services often siloed and inaccessible to many families facing complex challenges. Targeted child mental health programs that address these needs and enable collaboration across children’s family, educational and healthcare settings are essential to shift children’s early mental health pathways in positive directions.
In this demonstration project, the Family Check-Up (FCU)®, a collaborative, assessment-driven and strength-based program emphasizing motivational interviewing and positive parenting, was integrated into an early childhood education setting. We will review program components and evidence, and local and systemic implementation facilitators and barriers. This workshop will inform innovative approaches to integrating targeted and evidence-based child mental health prevention within early educational settings in Ontario for high-needs families.
Learning Objectives
- Share findings from the first Canadian studies of the “Family Check-Up® (FCU)”, an evidence-based family-centered child mental health prevention program.
- Describe a collaborative “real-world” demonstration project and partnership between the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic Childcare Centres (HWCCC) and McMaster Children’s Hospital to provide the FCU within early education settings.
- Discuss implications for innovative systems change in child mental healthcare and targeted prevention for highest-needs children.
Presenters:
Teresa Bennett (McMaster Children’s Hospital)
Dr. Bennett is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, clinical trialist, and lead investigator for the Canadian Family Check-Up research program. She was the co-director of the McMaster Autism Research Team (MacART) from 2015-2020 and now leads a new MacART ‘pillar’ in family-centred care. Dr. Bennett holds the Jack Laidlaw Endowed Chair in Patient-Centred Care and an Ontario Physicians Services Incorporated (PSI) Fellowship in Mental Health Knowledge Translation and Exchange.
Angela Burroughsford (McMaster Children’s Hospital)
Angela Burroughsford is a Registered Early Childhood Educator and a Family Support Clinician in the Child and Youth Mental Health Program. She has extensive experience working with parents, children, families and childcare centers to enhance the development and well-being of children. She delivers the Family Check Up and the Everyday Parenting and has supported capacity building in the early childhood sector.
Caitlyn Gavin (Hamilton Wentworth Catholic Child Care Centres)
Caitlyn Gavin is Pedagogical Lead at St. Patrick Early Learning and Care Centre in downtown Hamilton. She supports early childhood educators and with her St. Patrick team members has partnered with McMaster Children’s Hospital in a pilot project to meet the mental health needs of families with young children.
Paulo Pires (McMaster Children’s Hospital)
Dr. Paulo Pires, Ph.D., C.Psych. received his Ph.D. in Clinical Child and School Psychology from OISE/University of Toronto. He is Clinical Director and Staff Psychologist in the Child and Youth Mental Health Program at McMaster Children’s Hospital and is an Assistant Professor (Part-time) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. Dr. Pires is a co-lead, trainer and supervisor in the Family Check-Up ® (FCU) along with his colleague Dr. Teresa Bennett (Child Psychiatrist).
