(a) Program-wide wellness supports. To support a program-wide culture that promotes mental health, social and emotional well-being, and overall health and safety, a program must use a multidisciplinary approach that:

(1) Coordinates supports for adult mental health and well-being, including engaging in nurturing and responsive relationships with families, engaging families in home visiting services, and promoting staff health and wellness, as described in § 1302.93.

(2) Coordinates supports for positive learning environments for all children; supportive teacher practices; and strategies for supporting children with social, emotional, behavioral, or mental health concerns.

(3) Secures ongoing mental health consultation services and examines the approach to mental health consultation on an annual basis to determine if it meets the needs of the program.

(4) Ensures mental health consultation services are available at a frequency of at least once a month.

(i) If a mental health consultant is not available to provide services at least once a month, programs must use other licensed mental health professionals or behavioral health support specialists certified and trained in their profession or recognized by their Tribal governments, such as peer specialists, community health workers, promotores, traditional practitioners, or behavioral health aides, to ensure mental health supports are available on at least a monthly basis.

(ii) If the program uses other licensed mental health professionals or behavioral health support specialists, the program must ensure their regular coordination and consultation with mental health consultants.

(5) Ensures that all children receive adequate screening and appropriate follow up and the parent receives referrals about how to access services for potential social, emotional, behavioral, or other mental health concerns, as described in § 1302.33.

(6) Facilitates multidisciplinary coordination and collaboration between mental health and other relevant program services, including education, disability, family engagement, and health services.

(7) Build community partnerships to facilitate access to additional mental health resources and services, as needed, including through the Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee in § 1302.40.

(b) Mental health consultants. A program must ensure that mental health consultants provide consultation services that build the capacity of adults in an infant or young child’s life to strengthen and support the mental health and social and emotional development of children, including consultation with any of the following:

(1) The program to implement strategies that promote a program-wide culture of mental health, prevent mental health challenges from developing, and identify and support children with mental health and social and emotional concerns;

(2) Child and family services staff to implement strategies that build nurturing and responsive relationships and create positive learning environments that promote the mental health and social and emotional development of all children;

(3) Staff who have contact with children to understand and appropriately respond to prevalent child mental health concerns, including internalizing problems such as appearing withdrawn; externalizing problems such as behavioral concerns; and how exposure to trauma and substance use can influence risk;

(4) Families and staff to understand mental health and access mental health interventions or supports, if needed, including in the event of a natural disaster or crisis;  

(5) The program to implement policies to limit suspension and prohibit expulsion as described in § 1302.17; and

(6) The program to support the well-being of children and families involved in any significant child health, mental health, or safety incident described in § 1302.102(d)(1)(ii).