…Teachers use the “I Am Amazing” Substance Abuse Prevention Curriculum as part of their weekly planning on the lesson plans.  Teachers will receive “Second Step” curriculum training and support from Substance Abuse staff.  Once they have been trained, teachers will use “Second Step” as part of their weekly planning on lesson plans.

1304.24(a)(3)(ii)
1304.24(a)(3)(iii)

Design and implement program practices responsive to the identified behavioral and mental health concerns of an individual child or group of children;
Promote children’s mental wellness by providing group and individual staff and parent education on mental health issues;
Assist in providing special help for children with atypical behavior or development;

(d)  Substance Abuse staff provides training sessions to staff and parents.  Topics include, but or are not limited to:  Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse, Parenting for Prevention, Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Brain, Tobacco:  The Forgotten Drug, The Connection Between Substance abuse and Child Abuse, Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse, Prenatal Effects of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, The Cycle of Addiction, Stress Management, Family Systems, etc.

Substance Abuse staff will accept referrals from center staff to meet with families to discuss substance abuse issues in the family.  Families will then be referred to treatment, counseling, and/or self-help groups as appropriate to meet their individual needs.  Substance abuse education programs will be presented to HS and EHS parents.  Mental Health staff will provide….

[EHS…must assist pregnant women to access comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care….]

Mental health interventions and follow-up, including substance abuse prevention and treatment services, as needed.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health staff will schedule group and/or individual prevention training sessions with pregnant and non-pregnant parents.  Parents needing services will be referred by a Family Advocate to the Substance Abuse or Mental Health content area staff for treatment, counseling, self-help agencies, in-house resources or community resources, as appropriate, for mental health and substance abuse issues.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health staff will make educational materials available, such as pamphlets, posters and videos on the risks of smoking, drinking, drugging, and on mental wellness during pregnancy, labor, delivery and during the child’s and family’s various developmental stages.

Grantee and delegate agencies must provide medical, dental, nutrition, and mental health education programs for program staff, parents, and families.

Mental health and Substance Abuse education programs for staff, parents and families are provided on how to maintain mental wellness, stress management, the effects of substance abuse, recognizing and resolving burnout, understanding children’s growth and development, child-rearing practices and concerns, how to fully develop a child’s potential, and behavior management at home and in the classroom.

Each grantee directly operating Early Head Start or Head Start program, and each delegate agency must establish and maintain a Health Services Advisory Committee which includes head Start parents, professionals, and volunteers from the community.  Grantee and delegate agencies also must establish and maintain such other service advisory committees, as they deep appropriate to address program service issues such as community partnerships and to help agencies respond to community needs.

The Family and Community Partnership Advisory Committee will assist with the planning, operation and evaluation of the total Family and Community Partnership content area:  Substance Abuse, Literacy, Social Services/Parent Involvement and Community Development.  Community representatives from each content area, staff and parents will participate on the Committee.  Two regularly scheduled meetings will be held (one in the fall and one in the spring).  Subcommittees will meet as needed throughout the year.

Head Start of Greater Dallas, Inc. has hired Resource Associates.  Each of the Resource Associates is the agency’s expert in one of the following areas:  Family Advocate, Special Services, Substance Abuse, Health, and Nutrition.  Family Advocate RA, and Substance Abuse RA have responsibility for the Family Partnerships/Community Partnerships content areas.  Nutrition, Special Services, and Health RAs have responsibility for the Education and Early Childhood Development, Child Health and Safety, Child Nutrition, Child Health and Developmental Services, and Child Mental Health content areas.  Staff working in these areas must possess the ability to be the experts in each of these content areas and must be able to train other staff, monitor effectiveness of content areas in each site as well as be able to coach and mentor other staff members.

The Family Advocate, and Substance Abuse Resource Associates are the agency’s experts in this area.  Each has a degree in the related area plus five to ten years of experience.  Sites are staffed by Family advocate Specialists, and Substance Abuse Specialists.

The Licensed Mental Health Professional as well as the Mental Health Specialists and Substance Abuse Specialists provide information to staff on mental health and substance abuse.  They also conduct training in this area with staff.