Project SUCCEED (Supporting Colorado Children’s Early Emotional Development)

We are inviting you to register for our sixth training series for Project SUCCEED (Supporting Colorado Children’s Early Emotional Development) being offered by JFK Partners, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and the Colorado Association for Infant Mental Health (CoAIMH). SUCCEED is a Mental Health Awareness Training grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), that is intended to help increase our state’s capacity to address the unmet mental health needs of Colorado’s children.

For a variety of reasons, including a lack of awareness of age-appropriate norms and expectations, as well as stigma, mental health problems in young children (0 to 8 years) are often unrecognized or misunderstood and therefore go untreated. This is true for children who are typically developing as well as for children with developmental disabilities. This is unfortunate, since sound mental health provides the foundation for all aspects of a child’s development, and early treatment increases the likelihood of positive outcomes.

Data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health for children ages seventeen years and under indicated that Colorado prevalence rates for at least one treatable mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, or ADHD ranged from 7.6 to 15.2%.
The percentage of those children who did not receive treatment ranged from 53.2% to 72.2%.
Current reports indicate that prevalence and the need for treatment have increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Our project aims to address this critically important public health issue by offering virtual trainings to a diverse group of individuals in Colorado who touch the lives of young children—including, among others, professionals, paraprofessionals, first responders, parents, and other family members alike. This training includes, but is not limited to, (1) appreciating the foundational importance of mental health to children’s overall development and well-being, (2) recognizing mental health challenges experienced by young children who are typically developing or have developmental disabilities, (3) learning effective ways to respond to tantrums, meltdowns, or other challenging or aggressive behaviors, (4) understanding when a referral to a mental health professional may be warranted, and (5) knowing how to connect with referral resources in the state.

These trainings are free and offered virtually.