CFR > Title 45 - Public Welfare > SUBTITLE B—Regulations Relating to Public Welfare > CHAPTER XIII—OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (parts 1301 to 1388) > SUBCHAPTER B—THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, HEAD START PROGRAM (parts 1301 to 1311) > PART 1304—PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR THE OPERATION OF HEAD START PROGRAMS BY GRANTEE AND DELEGATE AGENCIES > SUBPART B—Early Childhood Development and Health Services (§1304.20 to §1304.24) > 1304.24—Child mental health.

1304.24—Child mental health.

(a) Mental health services. (1) Grantee and delegate agencies must work collaboratively with parents (see 45 CFR 1304.40(f) for issues related to parent education) by:
(i) Soliciting parental information, observations, and concerns about their child's mental health;
(ii) Sharing staff observations of their child and discussing and anticipating with parents their child's behavior and development, including separation and attachment issues;
(iii) Discussing and identifying with parents appropriate responses to their child's behaviors;
(iv) Discussing how to strengthen nurturing, supportive environments and relationships in the home and at the program;
(v) Helping parents to better understand mental health issues; and
(vi) Supporting parents' participation in any needed mental health interventions.
(2) Grantee and delegate agencies must secure the services of mental health professionals on a schedule of sufficient frequency to enable the timely and effective identification of and intervention in family and staff concerns about a child's mental health; and
(3) Mental health program services must include a regular schedule of on-site mental health consultation involving the mental health professional, program staff, and parents on how to:
(i) Design and implement program practices responsive to the identified behavioral and mental health concerns of an individual child or group of children;
(ii) Promote children's mental wellness by providing group and individual staff and parent education on mental health issues;
(iii) Assist in providing special help for children with atypical behavior or development; and
(iv) Utilize other community mental health resources, as needed.