Innovation Spotlight: HealthySteps DC

Across the country, HealthySteps connects families of young children with early childhood supports through embedded specialists in pediatric primary care. ECIN launched HealthySteps DC and tailored the successful national model by adding additional evidence-based innovations that are designed to address the specific needs of Washington, D.C. children and families:

  • Recruitment of psychologists with extensive expertise in meeting the complex psychosocial and behavioral health needs of District children and families.

  • Pairing each HealthySteps specialist with a new role, the Family Services Coordinator or Family Services Associate (FSA), a District resident case manager and care coordinator who connects families with developmental and behavioral health services.

HealthySteps DC, which is based in Children’s Health Center-Anacostia and Children’s Health Center-THEARC, provides support to families by:

healthysteps dc’s stacy hodgkinson, ph.d., spends time with a family during their well-child check up at children’s health center. photo credit: zero to three

healthysteps dc’s stacy hodgkinson, ph.d., spends time with a family during their well-child check up at children’s health center. photo credit: zero to three

  • Screening children and caregivers for depression and anxiety and child development, social-emotional, or behavioral concerns.

  • Serving as an accessible and expert source of support and insight based on the needs of each family.

  • Providing consistent care coordination and systems navigation. All referrals for early intervention and behavioral health services for children ages zero to 3 are completed by the FSA. The FSA also connects children and families from the program to community-based behavioral health services, support groups, food pantries, social workers, and specialty medical services as needed.

  • Making brief intervention sessions available and flexible for parents. On-site therapy and intervention services are available for parents and caregivers with a positive depression screen or after a parent/caregiver indicates a mental health concern.

Since launching the program two and a half years ago, the team has served over 1,200 children and increased pediatric providers’ comfort with assessing and addressing child behavior and parent mental health concerns.

The team continues to expand and refine interventions at both health centers, based on the needs of their families. They are also exploring how innovations like infant massage and video-based parent-child relationship assessments can enhance their impact.

Provider Wellness Impact Stories

We’ve added two new Impact Stories to Ecin.org. These brief stories highlight how ECIN initiatives have made an impact on people. Visit the website to read how our CPR2 Provider Wellness program is building resilience in primary care doctors so they can continue giving our community’s kids the care and support they need.

Do you have a story about how one of our programs has impacted a family, provider, group, or organization? Tell us about it!

ECIN Speaks At...

Building Community Resilience Week

ECIn team members matt biel (second from left) and travis spencer (third from left) on bcr’s supporting fatherhood panel. april 16, 2019.

ECIn team members matt biel (second from left) and travis spencer (third from left) on bcr’s supporting fatherhood panel. april 16, 2019.

The Building Community Resilience Collaborative at the Sumner Redstone Center of George Washington University School of Public Health spent the week of April 16, 2019 in Washington, D.C., to discuss the unique challenges faced by children families and communities with policymakers, city leaders, nonprofit organizations and community members. ECIN’s program leaders were present and shared information throughout the week, including via discussions such as:

  • The Supporting Fatherhood panel, that discussed how to engage fathers in the resilience of children and undoing systemic policies that exclude them.
    (Matt Biel and Travis Spencer)

  • A policy update on ECIN’s program development model that engages families and the community throughout the development and evaluation process, including intervention design, with the ultimate goal of transforming systems in a way that is responsive to the needs of children and families. (Sarah Barclay Hoffman)

  • How HealthySteps DC promotes healing through trauma-informed practice and seeks to break the cycle of hurt and exclusion in our communities by building resilient families at the Building Community Resilience Town Hall. (Randall Baylor)

Events & Announcements

Congratulations

Two members of our ECIN team recently received awards and recognition for their work:

  • Jenise Patterson, founder of ParentWatch, was an honoree at the 6th Edition of Black Wall Street Southeast in March, hosted by Momma’s SafeHaven. 

  • Ambrose Lane, Jr., received the 2019 Spirit of Community Award from the Michael and Mauritia Patcha Foundation. The award recognizes an individual making a positive impact in bridging the health care gap for African and people of African descent.

Now on ECIN.org

We continue to add new resources on our website:

  • The Racial Equity Resources Database: Two draft lists of related resources and consultants for reference. *Please note that we are sharing this draft of accessible online resources, but not endorsing any specific group.

  • Job Opportunities: A list of open positions at our ten network organizations.