Screening and Assessment

• Promoting the use of valid screening tools and incorporating a social-emotional component to basic developmental screening protocols (e.g., in primary care and home visiting programs)
• Providing parent education on developmental milestones and on the importance of screening
• Ensuring appropriate referral and follow-up after screening
• Supporting training for providers (beginning in medical schools or medical residencies) on screening and assessment that includes the administration of valid tools as well as the follow-up required
• Implementing systemic efforts toward a universal system that uses consistent and shared screening information across early childhood providers and systems (e.g., Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children [WIC], early intervention, child welfare, preschool, Children’s Health Insurance Program [CHIP])

For example, many Project LAUNCH grantees have partnered with Help Me Grow, a national effort to connect families with at-risk children to the programs and services they need through centralized information and referral centers.

In addition, the Project LAUNCH Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) staff worked with several federal agencies to develop Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!, which is a coordinated federal effort to encourage healthy child development, universal developmental and behavioral screening for children, and support for the families and providers who care for them. It includes guides tailored for providers in different child-serving systems (e.g., home visiting, early care and education, primary care, child welfare, behavioral health, early intervention, special education, housing agencies, and homeless shelters). These guides address the importance of developmental and behavioral screening, how to talk to parents, where to go for help, and how to select the most appropriate screening tool for the population served.

• Several Project LAUNCH grantees, such as Louisiana and Indiana, have partnered with state and local early intervention programs at the systems level to expand and enhance screening and assessment efforts, such as Part C (Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Part C requires states to develop statewide programs that include a comprehensive child find system for the purpose of identifying, locating, and evaluating as early as possible all infants and toddlers with disabilities, from birth to 3 years of age.
• In Wisconsin, Project LAUNCH state- and local-level teams worked together to develop a screening toolkit that includes promotional materials such as the Well-Child Screening and Immunization Record, a portable record of immunizations and screenings.
• New Jersey Project LAUNCH worked with its state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to develop a conference, “Building a Medical Home Neighborhood in Essex County,” and to integrate developmental screenings into the Essex Pregnancy & Parenting Connection central intake system. The grantee used a Help Me Grow systems approach to strengthen the connections among physicians, parents/families, and community providers to address the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of child development.
• In El Paso, Texas, health care providers receive training and protocols to help them talk effectively with parents about screening results. In addition, El Paso Project LAUNCH created the Wellness Network Resource Directory as a mobile application in collaboration with 2-1-1 Texas and United Way. The purpose of the directory is to help El Paso residents and health professionals locate mental health and wellness services for adults, children, and families.
• Tribal communities in Montana are integrating the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) screening into their communities.
• New Mexico Project LAUNCH partnered with Envision New Mexico and Parents Reaching Out to print and distribute developmental screening record booklets in English and Spanish. These booklets, created by a developmental behavioral pediatrician, are intended to be a guide for parents to follow and talk about their child’s development with his or her provider.