Mental Health & Disability Services
Early Childhood Mental Health
Supporting Positive Social and Emotional Development for Young Children and Their Families
Navajo Head Start strives to create conditions where young children with social emotional concerns and their families, have the necessary supports to succeed, while at the same time promoting positive mental health, emotional well-being, social competence and resilience for all children and preventing the onset of emotional problems.
Our vision is for all young children leaving Navajo Head Start to have the skills and knowledge they deserve and need to be emotionally healthy, socially competent, and ready to learn and to be supported in safe, nurturing families and communities
The earliest years set the stage for lifetime emotional well-being, social skills and competencies, or for social-emotional problems. To support young children’s development of positive social and emotional competence, we use strategies that are based on values consistent with evidence-based best practices with the help of Mental Health Consultants, parents, teachers, and staff members of the Navajo Nation.
Early Childhood Social-Emotional Growth (Mental Health)
Promoting Early Young Children’s Social And Emotional Competence
This achievements helps children reach:
Behaviors Which Indicate That An Infant Or Toddler’s Social-Emotional Development May Be At Risk
- Cannot calm down
- Extremely distractible
- Cannot build or maintain a satisfactory relationship
- Short or no attention span
- Mood generally unhappy or depressed
- Upset or confused by sounds
- Anxiousness
- Repetitive speech or behavior
- Gets upset with movement or craves excessive movement
- Upset or confused by various sights
- Bothered by things touching skin
Behaviors Which Indicate That A Child’s Social-Emotional Development May Be At Risk
- Cannot play
- Fights a lot
- Very sad
- Extreme mood swings
- Fearful
- Inappropriate responses to situations (for example laughs instead of cries)
- Withdrawn
- Extremely active
- Inadequate toilet skills
- Sudden behavior changes
- Very accident prone
- Destructive to self and/or others
- Unusual behavior
- Extremely immature
- How long does the behavior last?
- How long has the behavior been occurring?
- How does the behavior compare with the behavior of other children of the same age?
- How do events in the home affect the behavior?
- How troublesome is the behavior?
Services for Children and Families who Need Supports (Disability Services)
Child Abuse Reporting
Navajo Head Start staff and parents are trained annually on Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Policy and Procedures. Early Head Start/Head Start employees are required by law to report suspected or known child abuse and neglected cases to the local Navajo Nation Social Services; Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD); local Law Enforcement agencies, and parents/guardians.
Daily Health Assessment is required by staff to do visual observation for any cuts, bruises and illness.