Beginning to "Unpack" Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Types of Consultation Services and Their Impact on Teachers

The goal of the current study was to examine the impact of the frequency of two types of early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) activities (time spent in the class and time spent meeting with teachers) on teacher-child interactions, use of positive classroom-management techniques, and the intent to quit the childcare profession. We addressed these questions with a sample of 115 teachers from private childcare settings participating in a midlength (6-8 months) consultation partnership, using pre- and posttest data collected from structured classroom observations and teacher surveys. Results suggest that ECMHC time spent in the classroom was associated with less teacher punitiveness, permissiveness, and detachment, and more use of positive classroom-management strategies at the posttest assessment (controlling for baseline teacher behaviors). The frequency of meetings with teachers did not impact teacher-child interactions; however, in an exploratory analysis, the frequency of meetings with the teacher was associated with a reduction in teachers' intent to leave the profession of childcare.