The Purpose and Objectives of Mental Health in Head Start: A Partner for Families
Ideas for Guiding the Discussion
Key Questions
Building Self-Esteem
Violence
Disabilities
Discipline
Asking for Help
Communication
Parenting Styles
Parents as Teachers
Ideas for Additional Activities
Tips/Suggestions for Session Leaders
Acknowledgements
The videotape, Mental Health in Head Start: A Partner For Families, was produced by the Georgetown University Head Start Mental Health Project in cooperation with Michael Mathers, Director of the Chapel Hill Outreach Project in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and SAS Studios in Cary, North Carolina.
Special acknowledgements and appreciation go to the Head Start Programs
and staff who welcomed us into their programs and arranged for us to meet
with the families and talk with them about mental health issues and film
in their homes.
- Arlington County Community Action Program, Inc.
- Rosemount Center Head Start
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro Head Start Program,
Arlington, Virginia
Rosetta Busby
Sally Self
District of Columbia
Jan Yocum
Bob Stechuk
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Folami Bandele
Patsy Byrd
Patricia Land
Maxine Robinson
We especially want to thank Howard W. Kroll Ph.D., Mental Health Specialist, Maternal And Child Health Bureau and James J. O'Brien, Ph.D., Program Specialist, Head Start Bureau for their support and guidance throughout this project. We also want to thank all the staff of the Head Start Bureau and Public Health Service who reviewed drafts and provided helpful feedback.
The following members of the Materials Development Team provided valuable insight and assisted in conceptualizing and defining the content of the video: Clara Aisenstein, M.D.; Penny Anderson, M.A.; Kymberly Breene, M.S.W.; Alice Eberhart-Wright, M.A.; Michael Fishman, M.D.; Florence French, B.S.; Cathleen Hosner, M.A.; Roxane Kaufmann, M.A.; Howard W. Kroll, Ph.D.; Judith Leconte, M.S.W.; George McCoy, Ph.D.; James J. O'Brien, Ph.D.; Susan Robinson, M.Ed.; Sally Self, B.S.; and Jan Yocum.
Introduction
Mental health is a concern for Head Start programs throughout the country. This video, Mental Health in Head Start: A Partner for Families, is part of a series of materials developed to be used to discuss and enhance the mental health component area. The following resources are also available to Head Start programs and can be used to develop a comprehensive mental health program plan for staff, children and parents to continue throughout the program year.
The manual, Mental Health in Head Start: A Wellness Approach, was developed for mental health coordinators and guides them in planning and developing a mental health program to meet the needs of staff, children, and families.
An earlier videotape, Mental Health in Head Start: It's Everybody's Business, was developed to provide an overview of the mental health program in Head Start and to promote the development of positive activities for the mental well-being of staff, parents and children in the program. There is an accompanying discussion guide to Mental Health in Head Start: It's Everybody's Business and both the video and guide are available in Spanish.
AS I AM is also a Head Start publication which supports a comprehensive approach to mental health. It is a set of curriculum activities that can be incorporated into the day-to-day schedule of the classroom. Parent activities and information sheets are also included.
Copies of these materials can be obtained free of charge by Head Start programs. The Head Start director must sign the request and send it to: Head Start Publications Center; P.O.. Box 26417; Alexandria, VA. 22313-0417. The Fax number is 703-683-5769.
For a full list of materials available to Head Start programs consult the Catalog of Head Start Materials (available through the Head Start director, Regional or National Head Start staff).
All of these materials can be copied and adapted for individual program use. Please feel free to have duplicate copies of the videos and discussion guides made so they can be used throughout your program.
The Purpose and Objectives of Mental Health in Head Start:
A Partner for Families
Mental Health in Head Start: A Partner for Families is a 28 minute video and is intended to help parents promote good mental health for their children and themselves. It also supports a continued partnership between Head Start staff and parents.
The purpose of the video is two-fold. It is meant to promote discussion among participants watching the video while helping the group leader build upon the interests/concerns that are generated by the group. The video is not intended to provide "answers," as each family and situation is different. Participants can be expected to raise their own issues and concerns after viewing the tape and facilitators are encouraged to assist families in continued discussions of issues they want to talk about. The facilitator(s) of the session play a critical role in the use of the tape. It is recommended that a mental health consultant/staff person along with the parent involvement coordinator or social service coordinator facilitate the session. Follow-up (group) sessions providing individual assistance/resources can also, be developed.
The objectives of the video are for participants to:
- Relate to the strengths and challenges of parents in the video and discuss the content. The video shows Head Start parents talking about issues of concern to them.
- View successful examples of interactions between parents and their children.
- Recognize that they have choices and that resources are available to them. To reinforce that they are not alone and that "it takes a whole village to raise a child."
- Reinforce the Head Start philosophy that parents are their child's best resource and - that Head Start and the community have many resources to assist them.
- Have a better understanding of what mental health means and how everyday behavior and parenting styles effect their own and their children's mental health.
Planning to Use the Video
As your program begins planning to provide training or information based on the objectives of the mental health component, you may want to review the following Head Start materials:
- Head Start Performance Standards
- Head Start Multicultural Principles
- The mental health coordinator's manual, Mental Health in Head Start: A Wellness Approach
- AS I AM, a mental health curriculum for the classroom
- The video, Mental Health in Head Start: it's Everybody's Business.
Who Should be the Discussion Leader?
When planning to use this video, it is very important to decide who will be present for the showing and the discussion that follows. It is recommended that a mental health professional who knows the program and possibly some of the families be available to answer questions and offer ideas to the group. However, it is also important that the Head Start parent involvement coordinator and/or social services coordinator be present to hear parents concerns and discuss issues with them. The social services coordinator can also offer ideas on resources. The education and/or the disabilities services coordinator could describe classroom activities they are using to promote mental health, or approaches to discipline being used in the Head Start classroom. Therefore, it is really a cross-component team presentation.
Since this video discusses many sensitive issues, it is critical that the team showing the video and leading the discussion view the video together when planning the session. This guide offers ideas for key questions to use when leading the discussion and examples of the activities to involve parents in the discussion. However, your team. must decide what makes the most sense for the audience in your program and plan accordingly.
The parents interviewed in the video openly and candidly discuss many topics that will have an effect on the audience. Infield testing the video, parents have cried during certain parts, needed to talk about their childhood or situations in their families, and were critical of what families said about situations they faced. Issues like abuse, self-esteem, yelling at children, and feelings about being "not a good mother" are all brought up in the video.
For this reason, some participants may not feel comfortable discussing their concerns in front of the group or issues may arise at a later time that they may want to discuss. It is important for the facilitators to offer participants invitations to call or speak to them in private about any concerns they have regarding issues of importance to them. Provide participants with the names, phone numbers, and ways of contacting the individuals (Head Start staff and community resources) with whom they may want to talk. Offer as many avenues as possible for participants to communicate their concerns and ask for assistance.
Who Should View the Video
Mental Health in Head Start: A Partner For Families, primarily speaks to parents and can be presented in a number of Head Start situations. It may have a variety of uses in the Head Start program. For example:
- Introducing parents and staff to the mental health component during parent orientation, preferably after they have seen the video, "Mental Health in Head Start: It's Everybody's Business."
- Being shown at parent meetings at the beginning of the year to provoke thought and planning for on-going sessions and/or parent support groups.
- Use as an opening session for parenting groups that are being planned for the upcoming program year.
- Incorporate into existing Head Start parenting curriculums (e.g. Exploring Parenting, and Looking At Life).
- Use alone in a one-time parenting session on mental health with your program's mental health, social services and parent involvement coordinators and your agency's mental health consultant.
- Orient members of the policy council or the Health Services Advisory Committee or other advisory committees that may be part of your program.
- Present to parents at a socialization meeting for home-based programs.
- Use as an introduction for mental health and other service providers, including students, volunteers, foster grandparents, etc., who may be working your program.
Content of the Video
The video will speak to each participant differently as each person has had their own unique experience growing up and raising children. The families in the video represent many of the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the Head Start families throughout the country. They live in cities and rural areas and include many kinds of family constellations. Many of the topics covered will invite participants to discuss personal concerns and thoughts which will lead to other topics not discussed in this video. The video was designed as a discussion starter and each group and facilitator will take it from there.
Some of the major topics discussed in the video include:
- Building self-esteem
- Communication
- Discipline
- Violence
- Disabilities
- Parenting styles
- Asking for help as a sign of strength
- Stress and reactions to it
- Head Start resources
Appreciating Diversity
The families in the video are of several ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well as from urban and rural areas. Several kinds of family constellations are included but may not represent all of the families in your program. Many issues regarding mental health concerns are mentioned, but not all possible situations or concerns are included. Issues relating to how individuals ask for help, how they feel about accessing mental health services, who they may go to for services or help, feelings about having a child with a disability, including mental illness, are not thoroughly covered in the video. However, these are issues that may come up in the discussions in your program.
As the discussion leader, it is important for you to be aware of the uniqueness of the families in your program and to be aware of cultural and ethnic beliefs on topics such as discipline, medical advice, asking for help, mental illness and its causes, family values and customs, communication styles, etc. Actions and ideas that are very acceptable and appropriate for some families may not be accepted at all in other families. Everyone must be careful to show respect for one another, avoid acting or speaking judgmentally, and be willing to leam about others ideas and values.
It is important for your team to review and discuss the Head Start Multicultural Principles and other resources available to you in the community. You will also need to become as familiar as possible with the variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and beliefs of the families in your program prior to showing the video so you can be sensitive and supportive to all the viewers.
Ideas for Guiding the Discussion
There are many ways to promote discussion on the general topics of the video or to focus the discussion on specific topics. Handout #2 (located in the back of this guide) gives participants an opportunity to write down the points that "speak to them" and/or they want to discuss further. No matter what format you use, it is important to end the session with an opportunity for participants to identify further needs in a self-evaluation format and/or to offer them several ways to contact individuals they can talk with as concerns may arise. You may want to develop a handout asking them what areas they need more help with or more information about.
Basic ideas for guiding the discussion include:
- Large group discussion of important points raised by participants using the "Viewing Guide"
- Segment-specific discussion
- Small group discussion
To conduct a small group discussion, divide the group into groups of 3 or 4 participants. Give each group a topic to discuss among themselves by giving them one of the handouts from the Handout Section at the back of this guide, or use other handouts you have developed. Ask the participants to discuss their topic. After 5 to 10 minutes, ask one person in the group to summarize their comments to the entire group, using their activity handout as a guide.
- Focused discussion
Key Questions
Building Self-Esteem-"I might not like something you did, but I still like you."
Self-esteem and self-concept mean a variety of things depending on the culture and family in which you were raised. It will be important in discussing this area to allow family members to tell what it means to them and how they want to promote good feelings in their children.
- What did your parents/caregivers do that made you feel good about yourself or bad about yourself?
- How can you tell when your child is feeling good about him or herself?
- What does self-esteem mean to you?
- In what ways can you/do you influence your child's self-esteem?
- Use the handout #3 (located in the back of this guide) to lead a discussion on the positive aspects of parenting and building self-esteem. This handout can be read to the group and discussed or individuals can respond to the questions and then discuss their responses in the large group.
Violence is a very emotional and real situation in many families lives. As a leader, you need to be very sensitive to this issue and it's impact within your community and Head Start program. You may want to have community resources available for participants.
- Think about the first time you saw/witnessed violence in your life. What was it like? How did you feel? Who provided comfort? How?
- As parents, and as members of a community, and of a Head Start program, what can we do to help, protect against and lessen the impact of violence in our children's lives?
- How do children show us their feelings or reactions to violence? How can we listen and respond to them appropriately?
Each participant will have his or her own feelings and beliefs about disabilities. Ideas on approaching individuals with disabilities, where to go for help and advice, causes of disabilities, and approaches to the education of children with disabilities may vary. As a group leader, you must be sensitive to the variety of ideas regarding this area.
- Do you know someone with a disability?
- What do you think parents of children with disabilities are concerned about?
- What can we do to help/support these families?
- What was your reaction to the family in the video talking about their children with disabilities? How did you feel?
The way children are disciplined is unique to each family. It is important not to judge or allow participants to judge the practices or experiences of others. Be aware that examples of discipline styles may be discussed that are very different from your own or that of other participants. Allow for diversity. The discussion may bring up issues of discipline and abuse. Be prepared to discuss the Head Start program's policy on discipline and on reporting child abuse and neglect.
- What does discipline mean to you?
- What are some of the issues discussed in the video that you can identify with?
- How many times have you found yourselves doing something you don't want to do?
- How can we change the way we discipline our children?
- How would you answer the following questions discussed in the video?
- What concerns you about being a parent?
- What depresses, frustrates, or upsets you about being a parent?
- What are the joys and rewards of parenting?
- 1. "Asking for help is a sign of strength." What's your reaction to
this quote?
- 2. Handout #4 (located in the back of this guide) can be used to help
participants identify their support systems. Give the handout to each participant
and ask them to complete it or read it aloud to the group and discuss it.
- If done individually, give participants approximately 5 minutes
to complete the sheet. After everyone has filled it out, discuss the idea
that everyone uses two kinds of support-formal and informal. Formal support
comes from agencies, professionals, and people paid to give advice and
assistance. Informal supports include friends, family members, neighbors,
and community groups.
- Ask participants to count how many informal supports they listed and
how many formal supports were listed. Ask them to share those numbers.
It's important to note that some people use more of one kind of support
than others. Typically, however, people tend to count on their informal
networks to deal with many of their daily issues. Head Start can be a resource
for families, both directly by helping them solve problems and indirectly,
by referring families to community resources.
Ask participants to give examples of communication discussed in the video or practices they use in their families. There are many styles of communication and they may vary between cultural and ethnic groups. As the leader, be aware of diverse communication styles within your group and support the styles of each participant. Examples may include:
- Reflecting back what the child is saying or feeling
- Establishing eye contact with the child if appropriate
- Using books and puppets with children
- Listening to children and valuing what they say
- Doing things together
- Asking open-ended questions
This activity offers parents an opportunity to discuss ideas about their parenting style, reflect on how they leamed it and discuss ways to change things they don't like.
1. Handout #5 (located in the back of this guide) asks participants to think about how they were parented. Distribute the handout to each participant or read it aloud and discuss the questions with the total group. This can also be done in small groups or with partners.
2. Lead a discussion on parenting styles from the questions in the handout. Offer ideas and suggestions on resources to assist parents in changing their styles and emphasize activities Head Start offers to support parents in their parenting role.
Parents as Teacher-"If I want him to be an honest person, I must never tell a lie."
In this activity, parents will look at ways they transfer information and values to their children through everyday activities.
1. Give each participant handout #6 (located in the back of this guide). This handout asks participants to think of what they are teaching their children in daily activities and through their actions. Ask them to think of things they do or say that are teaching their children about the areas listed on the sheet. For example, if they eat well and exercise, the children will be learning the importance of good nutrition and exercise.
2. Begin the discussion by offering an example of one of the areas and ask parents to share their ideas on what they are teaching their children.
3. Offer ideas on resources parents and families might use to leam more about parenting or trying to change the way they parent. Remind them of parenting workshops offered by Head Start and other community agencies that focus on parenting styles and skills.
Ideas for Additional Activities
Group Discussion: Raising Our Children In A Village
Discuss how we might raise our children building upon the concept of a village. Do we do this? How does Head Start fit into this village analogy? How can we support each other as Head Start parents and families?
Group Discussion: What is Mental Health?
The videotape indicates that mental health is basic to all aspects of the Head Start program, but what is it? Because the videotape "Mental Health in Head Start: It's Everybody's Business" may not have been shown prior to this session, it might be necessary to review the relationship between mental health, a healthy self-esteem and parenting. The videotape refers to the following as some of the basic aspects of mental health: the ability to love, work and play. Developing these skills begins with a positive self-concept, the ability to form relationships and the ability to problem solve and manage stress.
Follow-up to this topic might include a discussion of what activities an individual with a healthy self-concept might engage in during the day. Ask what a healthy self-concept means to the participants and how they can tell that their child has a healthy self-concept.
An interesting discussion could be generated by asking how the concept of mental health or being mentally healthy is viewed by different cultures?
Group Discussion: What About Stress?
Stress is a topic of concern for everyone. Ask participants what stress means to them. Ask participants to share ideas on how they handle stress. As the facilitator, offer suggestions and ideas on stress reduction and support. Offer ideas and ways participants can get assistance if the stress is too much for them at times. Reinforce how Head Start supports parents and families and can assist in finding resources.
Handout #7 (located at the back of this guide), asks participants to think about ways they enhance/support their positive mental health. This handout can be used to promote discussion on mental health. Have participants complete it in small groups, with a partner, or read it aloud and ask them to discuss the questions with each other. After 5-10 minutes, ask them to share their ideas with the entire group.
Tips/Suggestions for Session Leaders
1. Be aware of local mental health resources and have a community resources listing available for parents during the session(s).
2. Do NOT attempt to begin therapy in this group, regardless of your credentials. Explain to parents that if they feel a need to continue addressing sensitive or emotional issues that may be raised during the session, information on resources will be provided or further help will be available. Introduce participants to people whom they can talk with if they would like more information on an issue.
3. Let participants know that Head Start staff can help them with many kinds of concerns. Offer families many resources and people to contact. Some parents may want lists of phone numbers, others may want personal contact. Emphasize that this is not their only opportunity to talk about mental health issues. Head Start staff will be willing to talk with families anytime the need arises.
4. Attempt to have outreach materials and presentations in the native language of participatits and use presenters and facilitators who are familiar with the culture and language of the participants.
5. Explain your agency's referral process. Explain how referrals are made, how support is provided and how follow-up with individuals or agencies occurs.
6. Remind participants that confidentiality will be maintained within the session and during the referral process by all participants of the session, as well as staff. Clarify that all Head Start staff are bound by the agency's policy on confidentiality. Briefly explain the policy. Explain that if they have a concern about their child and share it with a teacher, the teacher is bound to the confidentiality policy of the agency. You may choose to share a copy of the policy with the participants.
7. The session leader(s) should seek help at anytime from other coordinators, their director or local professionals if issues raised in the session go beyond the leaders capacity to assist.
8. This video refers to the previous videotape Mental Health in Head Start: It's Everybody's Business. A comprehensive plan using the Head Start materials related to mental health might be developed over the course of the program year. Head Start materials relating to mental health are referred to in the Introduction section of this guide.
9. Have your agency's mental health consultant review the video with coordinators from all components on various ways to present this information to parents. As an agency team, determine who might be responsible for leading or co-leading the discussion group for this video. Suggested leaders/co-leaders might be the mental health consultant, the mental health coordinator, the social service, coordinator, the parent involvement coordinator or the director.
HANDOUTS
Handout #1
Information on the Head Start Video for Parents
Mental Health in Head Start: A Partner for Families
Goal: The goal of this video is to support parents in their role of promoting good mental health for their children and themselves and to continue to build a partnership between the parents and Head Start staff.
Purpose: The purpose of the video is to promote discussion among participants and for the group leader to build on the groups interests/concerns and develop follow-up sessions or to assist in providing individual assistance.
Objectives: Through this video viewers will:
- Relate to the strengths and challenges of parents in the video and discuss the content.
- View successful examples of interactions between children and their parents.
- Know they have choices.
- Confirm that they are their children's best resource.
- Have a better understanding of mental health.
- Building Self-esteem
- Communication
- Discipline
- Diverse Family Situations
- Disabilities
- Parenting Styles
- Asking for Help is a Sign of Strength
Handout #2
What Issues are Important to You?
As you watch the video, make a list of the issues that "speak to you" as a parent or caregiver.
Handout #3
I'm Such a Good Parent
I am a good parent when I ...
I'm proud of my child when he/she ...
I show my child I love him/her when I ...
I especially enjoy being a parent when...
I can help to build a better world for my children by...
Handout #4
Where do you Find Support?
We all need to ask for help at certain times of our lives. This activity asks you to list the person or agency you would contact in a given situation. Please fill out the blank next to each question listing the person or agency's name.
- Your son falls down and can't move his leg.
- You and your mother just had a huge fight.
- Your child is biting other children.
- You just won the lottery.
- You've got the blues.
- The radiator in your car just blew up.
Handout #5
How do we Become Parents?
Who were you parented by?
How is your parenting style similar and/or different to that of the
individual(s) you were parented by: Give examples.
What do you think is the reason for these differences and similarities?
In what way would you like your parenting style to be different, if
any? How will you begin to change your style?
What kinds of support or help will you need to make this change?
Handout #6
WHAT WILL MY CHILDREN LEARN
ABOUT THROUGH MY PARENTING?
Education
Health/Nutrition
Exercise
Values
Family
Culture/traditions
Handout #7
MENTAL HEALTH IN OUR LIVES >How can you help to keep yourself mentally healthy?
How can you help to keep your child mentally healthy?
How can you help to keep your family mentally healthy?
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