FAQs

Start Well is a consultation model designed to increase the capacity of early care and education professionals to support the mental health/social and emotional development of children they work with to prevent and respond to challenging behaviors with the support of an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant.

There is no cost to you. The Start Well Program is funded by the OC Health Care Agency, Behavioral Health Services, Prevention & Intervention, MHSA/Prop 63.

Start Well Consultants work in programs that serve infants through age eight.

No, Start Well does not provide aides for children.

No, we will work with the classroom staff to support the child.

We ask that you work with the Start Well Consultants on a Behavior Support Process to shape the child and the adult’s behavior. The Consultant will support the classroom through this process, hopefully preventing an expulsion.

The Start Well Program requires a minimum of one hour per week and a maximum of three hours per week. Meetings can take place in-person or virtually.

There is a passive consent letter that must go to all the parents (provided to you) in the program but does not require a signature. If a Family Child Care Home (FCCH), all parents must sign consent form.

Start Well Consultants can do an observation of a child in their classroom environment, but it is a collaborative process between the consultant, teacher(s), administration and parents.

Yes. We provide services in Spanish and are able to access translation services in other languages as well.

No. Start Well Consultants will help you connect children and families to clinical services within Orange County, if needed.

The program lasts between three and six months, depending on the need of the program.

In order to sustain best practices in the classroom, the leadership must be able to support the staff independently once the Start Well Consultant completes on-site support.

There is not a designated program that is implemented, rather the Start Well Consultants use the Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Model developed out of Georgetown University. In addition, the Consultants utilize The Pyramid Model to support classroom best practices. Both models are evidence-based practices.

Yes, the Start Well Consultants will work with you to provide necessary training for your staff.

Yes, the Start Well Consultants will provide parent education.

The support provided is dependent on the short term and long-term goals developed collaboratively by the leadership team and the Start Well Consultant. It is typically program wide, classroom(s), or individual child/family support.

The Program Manager can be reached at info@startwelloc.org if you have additional questions or would like more information. You can also browse our website for more details.