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Health & Fitness

Early Childhood Mental Health - August Community Forum

By Marie Ciepiela, Director, Pacifica Youth Service Bureaus

(Published previously in the Pacifica Tribune)

Over the decades, the adolescent mental health services field has evolved in two basic ways.  It turned away from the “prevention” model where teenagers were viewed as having a “problem” or deficit that could be “fixed”, to a youth asset model where youth are seen as already having internal assets, resources and resiliency that can be accessed to address and redirect behavior in positive ways.  The second evolution is the recognition that emotional and behavioral issues can and should be addressed at younger and younger ages.  PYSB itself was founded 40 years ago with programs for adolescents in high and middle school.  And we continue to use an asset-based mental health in working expertly with this age group and their families.  However, research increasingly shows that understanding and unpacking early childhood experiences is critical to success in solving the behavioral problems that manifest themselves later in life.  PYSB has increased its services in elementary schools to provide more assessment and social skills development programs.  But what does research say about emotional development even earlier than kindergarten? It says – a LOT.  Emotional and social development between 0-5 is critical.  Healthy attachment with parents formed in early childhood has hugely beneficial effects; while trauma in early childhood can be devastating and even inhibit the healthy physiological development of the brain.

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So what does this mean to the average Pacifica parent going through the exhausting work of raising their infant, toddler and emerging kindergartner?  PYSB wants to address these issues in the community and invites you to help us figure out how to serve parents with very young children better.  We will be holding a community forum to discuss new early childhood parent and family programs we can provide at PYSB.  The forum is tentatively planned for Tuesday, August 20 at 6pm at PYSB on Edgemar Drive.  Information will be posted on Pacifica Patch and other outlets throughout the summer.  Please feel free to call PYSB at 650-355-3900 x 226, or send am e-mail to pysbinfo@ymcasf.org.

The major themes in early childhood mental health that we hope to address are:

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What are the development stages and how do we identify potential issues early on? This includes understanding the differences between developmental and educational indicators versus emotional and behavioral issues. And moreover, where parents can go to get support for particular challenges? Developmental benchmarks include communication, gross motor, fine motor and problem solving skills; while social-emotional indicators include self-regulation, compliance, communication, adaptive behaviors, autonomy and interaction with people

Promoting attachment parenting.  Originated by authors such as T. Barry Brazelton, the research on attachment parenting continues to demonstrate not only the emotional benefits to children, but to actual brain development, particularly in the brain stem that provides the foundation for higher brain development.

Addressing the impact of early childhood trauma on development. Related to theories of attachment in early childhood is the reserve impact of early traumatic experiences, which research indicates is more significant in early childhood later in life. This challenges the more traditional idea that infants and toddlers “do not remember” events and do not absorb the emotional impact of negative experiences.  Brain mapping of highly traumatized children shows that discreet or repeated trauma experiences can inhibit brain development.  This research is guiding therapists in addressing the impact of trauma later in life through more innovative therapies.  But how can we prevent early trauma in young children and enhance attachment and nurture?

Parental Self-Care.  Connected to trauma theory is the need to understand that we all experience traumatic events and life challenges and need to take care of ourselves in order to meet the demands of taking care of our children. (Mental health professionals must do this to maintain themselves in the profession.)  But where do parents get the emotional support to be parents?  How can we better manage parenting stress? What do we do to address our own emotional needs that are not always related to parenting? How do can we maintain calm, joy, and mindfulness in the wonderful experience of raising our children?

We look forward to your input Pacific families!

PYSB Community Forum on Early Childhood Mental Health (0-5)

What can PYSB do for the community to support parents better?

Tuesday, August 20, 6pm

PYSB – 435 Edgemar Drive

 

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