From the Directors
Hello ECIN Family-
read and download our tips to help support your family
We hope this message finds you all healthy and well. As we work to support our community amidst the continually changing circumstances of COVID-19, we know that this is a very difficult time for all of us. We are particularly mindful that most of our network is on the “front lines”--supporting families who may be quite vulnerable to the impacts of the economic challenges, school closures and social isolation that are downstream impacts of the needed and important public health measures being put into place. We also know that many of the members of our network provide critical health, including mental health, services to these same families. As a part of our efforts to support our community, we’ve created Tips to Help Support Your Family as a tool to assist each other and help our kids feel save and thrive. Please feel free to use it if it is helpful to you.
We want to thank each of you for everything that you are doing to support your communities, and your steadfast commitment to the children and families of Washington, DC. Let's all be especially careful during this time to take care of ourselves and to take care of one another. A few things to remember—we know you have heard this from others, but it bears repeating.
Social distancing doesn't have to lead to social isolation--reach out to friends and family and co-workers every day via phone and video and text to stay in touch and stay connected
Take care of your body--get outside for fresh air every day and find a way to exercise as often as possible. There are many free classes in mindfulness, yoga and other forms of exercise offered online, so you can stay active in your home.
Look for ways to support your neighbors and community. Remember that we are strong and can manage this temporary, though difficult, situation. If there are ways you think we can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out with your ideas.
Our best to all of you,
Lee and Matt
Infographic Update
Check out our latest infographic to learn about ECIN’s impact since 2016!
We’re excited for the next phase of our work in 2020, which features further growth and deepens support systems for families with young children.
Innovation Spotlight: Policy and Advocacy at ECIN
Policy and advocacy efforts at the Early Childhood Innovation Network seek to accomplish two primary goals:
Sustain and share promising innovations that impact young children
Champion systems change that will benefit children and families in Washington, DC
These goals are part of what unites all of ECIN’s partners and collaborators. Our network uses policy and advocacy channels to elevate early childhood needs in every conversation about how to support DC families with tools and resources to succeed.
Sustain and share promising innovations that impact young children
One benefit of ECIN’s Rapid Cycle Quality Improvement approach is its ability to gauge success and modify what isn’t working throughout the implementation of a program, not just during the evaluation period.
This flow of information and data is extremely useful when policy leaders and implementers seek an evidence base for programs that make a difference for families.
“We start with a pilot at a clinic or early learning center, and we have the ability to see early in the program what’s effective and what isn’t,” says Sarah Barclay Hoffman, MPP, ECIN’s Assistant Director. “As we evolve an innovation, we share this information with colleagues and city officials to explore how best to scale what works appropriately and sustainably for more people.”
This rapid response mechanism also allows the team to quickly identify barriers that keep families from accessing support. That data can give policymakers and implementers the evidence needed to remove barriers as quickly as possible.
ecin celebrated the passage of the birth to three for all dc act in 2018 with council member vincent gray.
HealthySteps DC was the first example of an ECIN programmatic idea that became a primary component of a policy action. HealthySteps DC embraces the national, evidence-based HealthySteps model in Children’s Community Health Centers in the District. The Birth to Three for All DC Act passed in 2018 with a HealthySteps funding component included in the last two local budget cycles. ECIN’s implementation data has supported design updates that address tailored supports for DC families, such as the pairing of every HealthySteps Specialist with a Family Services Associate who provides case management.
Recently, strong evidence collected from the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation innovation at AppleTree schools has led to conversations with government agencies about the type of sustainable expansion that could potentially support and impact more teachers, staff, children and families in early learning centers.
Champion community-driven systems change in the District of Columbia
Similar to many like-minded initiatives, ECIN’s policy and advocacy efforts seek to remove barriers that prevent children and families from thriving. However, ECIN’s primary focus is on ensuring changes reflect the true needs of the community by creating avenues for families and community members to speak for themselves about their needs and experiences.
“We really try to live in this model of co-creation, where the voices and experiences of families and communities are a central part of what we advocate for together,” says Sarah. “We hope to strike a balance between maximizing policy windows of opportunity and making sure that we’re elevating the lived experience of the children and families that we work with. Early engagement, including during program design, to hear what people actually want and need, is crucial to how we make lasting changes to the system.”
One focus is on ensuring community and parent/caregiver voices are equally represented alongside policy experts and implementers during discussions of barriers and how to address them. Shaakira Parker, Policy Associate at ECIN, notes that this can be as tactical as making sure a policy event includes parent/caregiver speakers. “The throughline is ECIN’s innovations because the parents’ lived experiences inform these efforts,” she says.
More globally, ECIN also integrates that voice from on-the-ground experience to larger scale policy recommendations. Last year, a group of organizations, including ECIN, co-authored and published a document that outlines the core set of values and principles needed to improve DC’s public behavioral health care system for children, adolescents and families, Principles and Values to Guide Child and Adolescent Public Behavioral Health Care System Transformation in the District of Columbia.
Sarah notes, “These are the types of examples where we can utilize what we’ve learned from the programmatic innovations, which keep the parent, caregiver, community, and family voices central to their design, into the work we do to advocate for large scale system change, with the goal of creating a strong system that really supports families and young children.”
The network’s design uniquely positions it to create and measure the success of programs and services for young children and families in both health care and early learning settings. The interdependence of direct engagement of families and community members with the advocacy and policy efforts of ECIN lead to systems change that breaks down barriers for children and families in Washington, D.C.
ECIN Speaks At...
The Building Blocks of Sound Mental Health: Reimagining Systems of Care in Early Childhood
PHOTO CAPTION: L to R: Gladys Mathis, Elicia Wright, and Rachel Horton speak on a parent panel about their experiences receiving mental health services for their children from the Department of Behavioral Health)
This one-day session on February 12 was the third in a series called “Transforming Child and Family Mental Health in Washington, D.C.,” hosted by Aspen Ascend, Children’s National Hospital and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. The series seeks to highlight models, lessons, and opportunities to innovate around the child and family mental health system. The Building Blocks session focused on driving meaningful cross-sector collaborations and systems change in early childhood behavioral health and brought program and policy leaders from around the country for the discussion. It also featured a parent panel to capture their lived perspective, moderated by DC SEED. Watch it or learn more.
Announcements
ECIN collects resources that we hope will help our partners with information to enhance their work. Here are a few examples:
Addressing Children’s Behavioral Health Needs Through Changes to DC’s Medicaid Program: Children's Law Center, Children's National Hospital, the District of Columbia Behavioral Health Association, Early Childhood Innovation Network, and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry collaborated on a paper that identifies three areas where the Department of Healthcare Finance’s work can strengthen D.C.'s public behavioral health system for children, youth, and families. The paper provides specific recommendations to consider during the transition to a fully managed Medicaid program. We encourage you to join our efforts to ensure children's behavioral health needs remain front and center throughout the upcoming changes to the Medicaid program.
Job Opportunities
Don’t forget to check ECIN’s Jobs page for the latest employment opportunities at our partner organizations.