
Right Start for Colorado is an Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health initiative partially funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Right Start for Colorado is an Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health initiative partially funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Right Start for Colorado is a new initiative that aims to expand infant and early childhood mental health services across Colorado communities by building statewide workforce capacity for professionals serving young children birth to 5 years of age. Right Start for Colorado will provide no cost/ low cost trainings to clinicians and allied providers across the state on numerous infant/early childhood mental health principles and practices, including relationship-based, developmentally specific evidence-based treatments.
Upcoming Infant/Early Childhood Relationship-based Assessment Trainings
Right Start for Colorado is excited to announce that we are offering two trainings focused on assessing the relational context of infants and young children in March and April 2021: The Working Model of the Child Interview and the Crowell Parent-Child Interaction Procedure, presented by expert faculty from Tulane University's School of Medicine, Drs. Julie Larrieu, PhD and Sherryl Scott Heller, PhD.
These courses are intended for clinical mental health providers who treat the 0-5 population. A comprehensive relationship assessment that assesses both the internal and external components of caregiver-child relationships is best practice in infant/early childhood mental health. Applications are closed.
What is Right Start for Colorado's Vision?
Right Start for Colorado's goal is to create alignment among all different sectors and organizations working on behalf of infants and young children and provide some game-changing work that advances the infant mental health landscape in Colorado."
-Dr. Shannon Bekman, Director of Right Start for Colorado
Right Start for Colorado seeks to build a strong, competent infant mental health workforce that can meet the needs of young children ages 0-5 and families across Colorado. The two long-term outcomes Right Start for Colorado aims to move the needle on with this 5-year grant are:
- To have a strong and skilled statewide community of mental health professionals with expertise in infant/early childhood mental health that can meet the social-emotional needs of young children (ages 0-5) and families across Colorado.
- To have a robust allied provider network that understands infant/early childhood mental health and feels competent and supported in identifying and referring very young children for appropriate assessment and intervention.
Who is Right Start for Colorado's Statewide Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Workforce?
Very young children interact with many different systems and sectors. The infant/early childhood mental health workforce is inclusive of far more than mental health clinicians. It includes all professionals who frequently work with the birth to 5 population. Our aim is to support these professionals in their knowledge and skills to be “infant mental health informed.”
What Trainings Does Right Start for Colorado Offer?
Right Start for Colorado provides a mix of trainings suitable for various audiences. Some trainings are focused more towards clinicians who provide treatment services to the 0-5 population, and others are geared towards providers wanting a better understanding of what infant mental health is and how it intersects with their professional role.
Trainings include:
- Evidence-based and promising practices
- Child Parent Psychotherapy & Circle of Security
- Clinical Diagnosis of Infants and Young Children (DC:0-5™)
- Reflective Supervision/Consultation
- Diversity-Informed Infant Mental Health Tenets
- Colorado Foundations of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health for Early Childhood Professionals and Partners
- Other topics identified in our Needs Assessment
All of our trainings will align with the competencies for Infant Mental Health Endorsement®

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Contact
Right Start for Colorado
Phone: 303.300.6263
Email: RightStartforColorado@mhcd.org
Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being
Right Start for Infant Mental Health
Right Start for Infant Mental Health is a mental health program for pregnant women and families with children ages birth to 5 years. We provide help when there are concerns about a child’s emotions, behavior or development, or when parenting becomes difficult.
Phone: 303.300.6194
Email: michelle.roy@mhcd.org
Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being