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BLM! By Jahla Brown, DCYF ESIT Partnership & Collaboration Specialist.
"Juneteenth to me means a lot. When we think about the African Diaspora and the history rooted in America and freedom for African Americans it serves a reminder that there are people before us that have fought for liberation. It shows that even after the emancipation proclamation was signed in 1863 African Americans still were not liberated. It redefined what liberation meant for the African American community here in the US. It showed that our liberation comes from us. Liberation lies within us and will not be formed from the current institutional structures we have in place
for it never has." -Fatimata Cham, Activist & Poet
Please note that there will be no issue of the ESIT Weekly sent out next week, Fri., June 23, due to the observance of Juneteenth. The ESIT Weekly will resume its regular schedule on Fri., June 30. Thank you!
Honoring and Celebrating Juneteenth
Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day”, “Emancipation Day” and “Jubilee Day,” is the oldest known holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The enslavement of African American people did not end once the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It would take two additional years, and more than 2,000 federal troops to enforce freedom for 250,000 slaves in Galveston Bay, Texas. Despite slavery, Jim crow laws, voter suppression, segregation, economic inequality, police brutality, racial profiling, judicial injustice, individual injustice, housing discrimination, bias, and mass incarceration, African Americans have made great contributions to this country, beginning with hundreds of years of free slave labor that amassed great wealth outside of their community.
Congress passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in June 2021 and President Biden signed the bill into law on June 17 – two days before Juneteenth. The federal government followed the lead of 47 states that already recognized Juneteenth. African Americans consider Juneteenth a celebration and time of empowerment. The Juneteenth flag represents the history, and the freedom of African American slaves and their descendants. The five-point star, a bursting star, and an arc signify a new freedom, a new people and a new star. The colors of red, white and blue communicate that the African slaves, and their descendants are all Americans. The colors also represent the blood, soil and prosperity of Africa and its people. Juneteenth is a reminder of the past and encourages continuous improvement by utilizing platforms to elevate black voices and their allies, with the goal of advancing racial equity, social justice, wealth-building, belonging, and access for present and future generations.
DCYF recognizes that underlying systems, policies and practices are driving disparate outcomes and experiences for our African American children, youth, and families. DCYF's strategic priorities are to eliminate racial disproportionality and advance racial equity. In 2020, the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ) was established and is taking the intersectional approach, leading with race, to provide the vision, expertise, and accountability mechanisms necessary to make progress on DCYF’s commitment to advance racial equity and eliminate racial and ethnic disproportionality and disparities. The ORESJ is now at the Leadership Table, continuing to embed racial equity and social justice into the way we do our work and communicate with the community that we serve.
Let’s use this year’s Juneteenth holiday to seek out the plethora of celebrations in our local communities. Happy Juneteenth!
Resources and Events
“Let us boldly implement what our ancestors practiced and take the time to bring forth the knowledge, values, ceremonies, social and political institutions that bring out the spirit of every human child, no matter what age.”
-David Wilkins, Lumbee Nation, political scientist specializing in federal Indian policy and law
Former Sen. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, left, speaks Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, looks on at the Capitol in Olympia, Washington.
Each week, DCYF ESIT Tribal Program Specialist, Brian Frisina, provides a key topic to help us get to know our Tribal Nation Partners better.
This week’s term is:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), made this statement about the passing of Tulalip tribal leader and former Washington state Senator John McCoy.
“And if I could just take a moment to recognize the passing of one of our tribal leaders, John McCoy from the Tulalip Reservation,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Not only was he a 20-year member of the United States Air Force and a tribal leader at Tulalip, but he served our state legislature both as a representative and a senator, and we will miss him dearly.”
Sen. Cantwell’s comments came moments before the committee passed S. 1723, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act, addressing an issue of personal importance to Sen. McCoy. Sen. McCoy’s father was fluent in the Tulalip Tribe’s language but refused to teach it, saying “they beat it out of me” at boarding school. In 2005, as a member of the state House of Representatives, he helped win passage of a bill that encourages school districts to teach Native history and culture and to consult Tribes in developing that curriculum.
Sen. McCoy continued to work on the issue in the State Senate, and was instrumental in passage of 2015 legislation to expand what is today the innovative “Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State” curriculum.
The legislation passed out of committee today is consistent with Sen. McCoy’s view that “we must teach history – the good, the bad, the ugly – so that everybody understands how Indians were treated.”
Sen. McCoy served the State of Washington’s 38th district for nearly two decades -- in the Washington House of Representatives from 2003-2013, and in the State Senate from 2013 until his retirement in 2020.
Sources
Image: Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, shared on Facebook, June 8, 2023. Photo taken at Capitol in Olympia, Washington, Feb. 22, 2017, AP Photo/Ted S. Warren.
Cantwell Statement on the Passing of Former Washington State Senator and Tulalip Tribal Leader John McCoy, Press Releases, News, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, June 7, 2023.
The Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program is recruiting for the Parent Institute for Engagement (PIE) program. PIE is a 12-month leadership program for parents and caregivers of children who have received services through ESIT. We will help you build your skills and allow you to become better leaders, advocates, public speakers, and active members in your state.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit an application by August 4. We will notify selected individuals the week of August 7.
Information also available on ESIT's Parents & Leadership webpage.
For more information on how to apply, contact Vanessa Allen, ESIT Family Engagement Coordinator at Vanessa.allen@dcyf.wa.gov.
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The wait is over, and we are preparing for the migration to our new data management system, ACORN. Our go-live date is August 1 and data entry will begin in the ACORN system on that date.
Our goal is to provide user training to all our active users (FRCs, Agency Managers, Service Providers and School District staff) prior to the release of ACORN. Our current training consists of three live training sessions and every user must complete all three sessions prior to accessing the ACORN system. Each session is 2 hours long and you have four opportunities to take the trainings. On July 17 all users who have completed the training series will receive a training handbook as well as login information for the test environment to explore the system independently prior to the launch date of August 1.
Users are expected to complete this training series in order to access ACORN beginning August 1. Users who have not completed this initial training by August 1 will need to request a temporary waiver to gain access to ACORN until the asynchronous training series through the LMS is available. Users requesting the temporary waiver will need to complete the training series through LMS within 4 weeks of it becoming available. Please select the respective option on the ACORN training registration form.
The training dates can be found in the ACORN registration form. After you register, you will receive an email with a Zoom link a few days prior to the training. All sessions are taught in collaboration with our vendor, the Public Consulting Group.
If you have questions or feedback, please reach out to ESIT Data Systems and Analysis Manager, Kim Hopkins, at kim.hopkins@dcyf.wa.gov.
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When the ACORN ESIT data system is implemented this August:
- a new Qualifying Diagnoses List will become active in ACORN.
- an updated searchable PDF of the Qualifying Diagnoses List will be posted to the ESIT Practice Guidance page of the ESIT DCYF website.
- an updated Qualifying Diagnoses List Guidance Document will be posted to the ESIT Practice Guidance page of the ESIT DCYF website.
In advance of these changes, the ESIT Workforce Development team invites to you an introductory webinar. This webinar will:
- Briefly cover the history and purpose of Qualifying Diagnoses lists.
- Describe the new list and how it differs from the current list.
- Describe how to document qualifying diagnoses in the new ACORN data management system.
- Provide an opportunity for attendees to submit questions about the new list.
Tues., July 11 | 2 – 3:30 p.m.
If you need interpreting supports or accommodations for this webinar, please contact maia.thomas@dcyf.wa.gov.
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ESIT is happy to announce that registration is open for the 2023-24 Live Seminar series, previously known as the Professional Learning Community (PLC) Cohorts.
The Live Seminars are Step 2 of the Initial Training for staff hired after July 1, 2021. The seminars are designed for new ESIT service providers and program administrators to explore the implementation of ESIT services. ESIT professionals hired prior to July 1, 2021, are encouraged to attend as a refresher and to get the most current statewide learning content. All ESIT professionals who register for the Live Seminars must complete all Step 1 self-paced modules prior to attending Seminar 1. Staff hired after July 1, 2021, who have already completed required training do not need to attend the Live Seminar series.
The Live Seminars are a series of three (3) live virtual sessions. The live seminars must be attended in order, but not necessarily within the same month. They will each be offered monthly over the next contract year. Please log in to the DCYF Training Portal to find Live Seminar session dates that work for your schedule. When registering, ESIT professionals will register for each of the seminars individually.
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Three-Pronged Approach Protocol for Screening Vision and Hearing - New Languages Available
Now Available on the ESIT Website
All ESIT-enrolled children must have their hearing and vision addressed in their IFSPs. Using the Three-Pronged Approach (TPA) is a great way to do that.
We have new translations available:
- TPA forms packets for providers now available in both Spanish and English.
- TPA Summary forms for providers to use with families now available in 22 languages. We are still working on making all of the translated Summary Forms fillable.
- TPA Family Guide for families now available in 22 languages.
Check out the new TPA materials on the ESIT Practice Guide webpage, under the Blind/Low Vision and Deaf/Hard of Hearing Resources dropdown.
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Change to ESIT COVID-19 Reentry Plan Stage 3 Deliverable
In light of recent public health developments and the end to the state and national states of emergency, DCYF ESIT is rescinding the contract requirement and deliverable that ESIT Provider Agencies submit a Stage 3 Reentry Plan as outlined in the Multi-Stage Reentry Framework for Reentry to In-Person Services. DCYF commends those Provider Agencies who thoughtfully made the transition to in-person services in ways that prioritized staff and family safety and thorough communication with families.
As COVID-19 emergency declarations end, it’s important to acknowledge that COVID-19 and other communicable diseases remain potential workplace and community hazards. The DCYF ESIT State Leadership Office strongly recommends:
- Drawing on the same individualized, sensitive, and supportive approach to safety, in line with ESIT’s Guiding Principles, that has guided our services throughout the pandemic.
- The use of vaccinations and masking as primary strategies to protect children, families, and providers.
- Each Provider Agency use the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to create an agency protocol and plan to address ongoing and emerging issues of disease and infection control.
Ongoing updates and more information may be found at the following state COVID-19 webpages:
If you have questions, please contact your regional Technical Assistance Specialist or Laurie Thomas, ESIT Program Administrator, at laurie.thomas@dcyf.wa.gov.
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NeuroRelational Framework Cohort 2 Training Opportunity
Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) and the Washington Association of Infant Mental Health (WA-AIMH) are excited to offer this incredible training for another cohort!
The NeuroRelational Framework (NRF) is being offered to qualified and selected multi-disciplinary teams across Washington State. This advanced Infant and Family Relational Health (IFRH), also known as Infant Mental Health (IMH), training focuses on the integration of social-emotional capacities with developmental needs of very young children and their families.
The course is designed with a team approach to learning, offering ESIT Provider Agencies more advanced and intensive knowledge about IFRH within their system of services and supports to ESIT families. It is part of the overall State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) with a focus to build and improve IFRH practices amongst the ESIT workforce. Course sessions will begin September 13, 2023.
The following information outlines the details for submitting an “Expression of Interest.” We are hopeful your program will find the benefits of this exciting opportunity!
NeuroRelational Framework Training Details
Learn in depth about the course, time commitment and selection criteria:
Understanding the process of reflective practice
If this is a new concept, prepare by reviewing the following article, by Mary Clair Heffron, Barbara Ivins and Donna Weston (2005), Finding an Authentic Voice: Use of Self: Essential Learning Processes for Relationship-Based Work:
Expression of Interest Form
The Expression of Interest Form is due by Fri., June 30:
Questions? Please contact Laurie Thomas at: Laurie.Thomas@dcyf.wa.gov.
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Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) Feeding and Teaching Scale Virtual Workshops!
This training opportunity is being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
ESIT has limited spots available to attend the PCI Feeding and/or Teaching Workshops through the University of Washington! At the very foundation of infant mental health is the ability to skillfully observe a caregiver and their infant during an interaction. We know that attuned caregiver-child interactions lead to better health and mental health outcomes for children. We also know that interactions can range from attuned to mis-attuned, or somewhere in the middle. Learning the PCI Feeding and Teaching scales provides the training and practice needed to conduct a reliable and valid observation of a caregiver-infant interaction. This training gives you concrete areas to guide services and encourage positive parent-child interactions. Register below for one or both of the available training opportunities!
FEEDING Virtual Workshop
Workshop filled.
TEACHING Virtual Workshop
July 25 – 28, 31, August 1
Please see the flyer for more information. Registration is reserved on a first come, first served basis.
To register, please email pcrp@uw.edu.
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Save the Date: July 26 PFR Drop-In Session
Join ESIT providers from across Washington State and PFR Trainer Carol Good to discuss embedding the PFR consultation strategies into your everyday coaching practices. There will be a panelist of providers (PT, SLP and Educator) attending various sessions to discuss ways to embed PFR practices into their work with children and families. These drop-in sessions are for ESIT providers only. Providers must have received PFR Level 1, 2, or 3 training to attend.
What topics can you bring to the session?
Explore:
- Writing IFSP outcomes that have a social/emotional component
- Discuss which PFR handouts can be paired easily with IFSP outcomes
- Using video to support social and emotional development while also supporting other areas of development
Share:
- Struggles with utilizing the PFR consultation strategies with families
- Videos of parent-child interactions from your caseload
- Triumphs of embedding PFR into ESIT services
Receive:
- Expert consultation from PFR trainer
- Support in developing your PFR practice
- Answers to your PFR questions
Wed., July 26 | 10 - 11:30 a.m. (PT panelist attending):
Mark your calendars!
Mark your calendars for the dates below and be on the lookout for registration information for upcoming dates. Check back for updates regarding more panelists attending.
Register for Upcoming Drop-In Session Dates
- Wed., August 9 | 2:30 - 4 p.m. | Register
- Thurs., Sept. 14 | 3 - 4:30 p.m. | Register (PT panelist attending)
- Wed., Oct. 18 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Register
- Wed., Nov. 15 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. | Register
- Thurs., Dec. 7 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Register
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Register for Promoting First Relationships (PFR) Level 1 Training!
This training opportunity is being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
Providers participate in 14 hours of workshop training and come away with foundational knowledge in attachment theory and promoting secure caregiver-child relationships, development of self for infants through preschoolers, understanding and intervening with challenging behaviors, building caregiver reflective capacity, and use of PFR consultation strategies. Providers receive reproducible, illustrated parent/caregiver handouts that contain easy to understand information about trusting relationships and healthy social-emotional development that can be shared immediately with the families that they work with. Providers are able to bring the knowledge that they have learned directly to families. Please see the attached flyer for more information on PFR Level 1 and how to register. Choose one option below:
- August 23, 25, 29 & 31 | 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- September 18 – 21 | 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
To register, email pcrp@uw.edu and include agency name and workshop option.
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Open Spots Available for Promoting First Relationships (PFR) Training Levels 2 and 3!
This training opportunity is being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
Level 2 Certified Provider Training
For ESIT agencies who do not currently have a PFR Level 3 Agency Trainer, DCYF has limited spots available for providers to participate in PFR Level 2 Training. If your agency already has a PFR Level 3 trainer, they are able to provide PFR Level 2 training to your current PFR Level 1 providers. Click here to visit PFR's website to learn more details about Level 2 Certified Provider Training.
Level 3 Agency Trainer Training
For ESIT agencies who have a certified PFR Level 2 provider interested in becoming a PFR Level 3 Agency Trainer, DCYF has limited spots available for providers to participate in PFR Level 3 training. PFR Level 3 trainers are able to train current PFR Level 1 providers at your agency to become PFR Level 2 trained. Click here to visit PFR's website to learn more details about Level 3 Agency Trainer Training.
To sign up, contact DCYF ESIT Special Projects Coordinator, Ciara Saalfeld at ciara.saalfeld@dcyf.wa.gov.
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Registration Open for Training Opportunities Provided by WA-AIMH!
These training opportunities are being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
Reflective Practice Training
Reflective practice is the regular consideration of how one’s beliefs, values, and responses impact behavior, interactions, and relationships with others. This workshop introduces the concept of reflective practice and how this supports work with infants, young children, and families. Participants will gain understanding of how their relationships with families in turn impact caregiver-child relationships through a parallel process. They will consider how their own background and emotional responses to infants, children, and families impact their work and will learn strategies for incorporating reflection into their everyday practice. We are excited to announce that the May 1 training will be provided in Spanish. Please register below:
Questions? Email DCYF ESIT Special Projects Coordinator, Ciara Saalfeld, at ciara.saalfeld@dcyf.wa.gov.
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Check out a new set of flyers about the basics of emotional health for babies and toddlers, and how we all can play a role in supporting families of young children!
The flyers are designed for either print or digital dissemination, with customized content for different audiences, including behavioral health, child welfare, early learning, and health care providers. Find the flyers on our IECMH webpage, under Other IECMH resources.
These flyers were co-developed by the Barnard Center for Infant Mental Health, the Washington Association for Infant Mental Health, The Practice Northwest, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and Health Care Authority, with support from Zero To Three.
Want to connect with HCA about emotional health for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers? Sign up to attend one of our events as part of our IECMH statewide tour!
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DCYF ESIT has funding available to offer scholarships to assist with covering costs related to WA-AIMH endorsement registration, membership, and processing fees. The Washington Association of Infant Mental Health offers different levels of endorsement credentials and provides recognition of specialized knowledge in professionals working with families and young children. It is an internationally recognized credential and is for anyone who works with families and young children in the fields of early care and education, prevention and early intervention, home visiting, the medical and behavioral health professions, child welfare, mental health, policy and advocacy, research and others. Learn more about the WA-AIMH endorsement here.
Scholarship funds must be accessed by June 30 or applicants will need to re-apply after July 1.
Scholarship Opportunities
If interested in applying for WA-AIMH endorsement scholarship opportunities:
Information Sessions
WA-AIMH offers information sessions in order to ask questions, gather details, and gain a better understanding of the endorsement process. To schedule time with the endorsement coordinator or for other endorsement inquiries, please contact endorsement@wa-aimh.org.
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Dear Parents and Guardians, Tribal Partners, DCYF Community Partners and Stakeholders,
DCYF is excited to announce the recruitment of parents and guardians for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families’ Parent Advisory Group (PAG)! At DCYF, we believe parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. PAG is a sounding board for decisions, ideas and questions that shape the future of DCYF. Parental involvement in decision-making is the key to having policies and programs that support families’ strengths and needs. The PAG is made up of parents and family caregivers of children, from prenatal through 17 years old.
To apply, please complete the application (English PAG application, Spanish PAG application, or Somali PAG application) or call Community Engagement Manager, Emily Morgan at 360-999-0009. Applications must be submitted by June 30. If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to share! We look forward to partnering with you and bettering the lives of children, youth, and families.
Sincerely,
DCYF Community Engagement Team
dcyf.communityengagement@dcyf.wa.gov
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Calling all caregivers with more than one little one! The Lab for Early Auditory Perception at University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) is currently recruiting infants under six months to co-enroll with a biological older sibling in the Sibling Language Development study. The goal is to identify early signs of atypical language development in the infant brain and provide valuable insight to support early intervention strategies. Participating will involve a visit with the research team's licensed speech-language pathologist for your older child and potentially three additional visits to measure your infant's neural processing of speech non-invasively at 6, 12, and 14 months of age. Caregivers will be compensated up to $250 in universal gift cards for their time.
Participation Criteria
- Families with an infant under 6 months and a child 3 years or older.
- Infant has at least one immediate family member exhibiting speech/language difficulties.
- Predominant language in the infant’s environment is English.
All caregivers interested in participating with their children will be asked to complete a brief screening form to determine eligibility prior to enrollment.
To learn more about the Sibling Language Development study and enroll your family, please reach out to the research team directly at babyleap@uw.edu.
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More professionals than ever before are joining DIRFloortime® courses. There are many options from DIR 101 through all of the professional certificate level courses starting with DIR 201. We invite you to join the developmental movement. Now is the time:
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Workshops offered by the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Workforce Collaborative are free for professionals who serve or support children prenatal to five and their families enrolled in Apple Health (Medicaid).
- IECMH Clinical Workshops are designed for clinical professionals involved in mental health assessment and diagnosis for children birth to five.
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IECMH Community Workshops are intended for all professionals who support the social-emotional well-being of babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families, as well as expecting families.
For more information visit:
CEUs and/or STARS hours are provided for most workshops.
Questions? Contact admin@wa-aimh.org.
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