Integrated Plan

Planning for Intentional and Effective Places and Spaces for Children’s Positive Mental Health Integrated Plan Suggested citation: Owen, J., Takahashi-Rial, S., Alvord, A.., Starsoneck, L., Smith, R., Appleyard Carmody, K., Peebles, R., Albert, R. (2015). Planning for Intentional and Effective Places and Spaces for Children's Positive Mental Health: Integrated Plan. Durham, NC: Duke University. The Integrated Plan was prepared by the Planning for Intentional and Effective Places and Spaces for Children's Positive Mental Health project team, led by the Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy with funding from the John Rex Endowment of Raleigh, NC. © 2015 Duke University. This publication is available to the public under a Creative Commons Attribution / Non-commercial / No derivative works license and may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted for purposes that support and are in conjunction with related work of individuals and organizations. This publication may not be used or reproduced for profit. Integrated Plan Table of Contents I. Executive Summary ..................................................................... 3 II. Background ................................................................................. 5 III. Project Description .......................................................................7 IV. Using the Integrated Plan .......................................................... 10 V. Implementation Priorities.......................................................... 13 A. Sample Approaches to Implementation................................ 13 Table 1: Community Engagement and Leadership.............. 13 Table 2: Professional Development ...................................... 14 Table 3: Physical Enhancements to Current Spaces............. 14 Table 4: Bringing the Space Benefits to Potential Users....... 14 B. Best Practice Indicator Framework ....................................... 21 C. Quality Improvement Tools.................................................. 39 VI. Anticipated Outcomes ............................................................... 61 VII. Supporting Deliverables..............................................................62 A. Expert Panel Meeting Summary........................................... 63 B. Case Studies .......................................................................... 69 C. Literature Review, Expert Interviews, and Additional Resources ......................................................... 107 D. Service Provider and Parent/Guardian Focus Groups Report.......................................................... 194 E. Service Provider and Parent/Guardian Survey Reports ...... 202 F. Overview of Project Process................................................. 227 G. Acknowledgements and Project Team ............................... 235 Planning for Intentional and Effective Places and Spaces for Children’s Positive Mental Health: Integrated Plan 2 I. Executive Summary THE LEADING APPROACH This is the Integrated Plan of the Planning for Intentional and Effective Places and RECOMMENDED BY THIS Spaces for Children’s Positive Mental Health project. The project, supported through PROJECT IS TO FOCUS ON funding from the John Rex Endowment, examined the intersection between what contributes to the positive mental health of children – with a focus on children ages KEY STRATEGIES birth to 8 years – and how the physical and social elements of places and spaces affect CUSTOMIZED TO THE those contributory factors. SETTING, WITH ATTENTION Information from a literature review, case studies, expert and stakeholder interviews, TO SHORT- AND LONG-TERM surveys and focus groups, formed the basis for developing a framework of Best Practice MANAGEMENT OF THE Indicators (BPIs) and accompanying Quality Improvement Tools (QI) for STRATEGIES AND AN implementing strategies to improve outcomes for children. Best Practice Indicators are UNDERSTANDING OF HOW areas of practice that have been determined to be central to address in order to THEY RELATE TO ONE OR maximize the impact of environment on children’s positive mental health. Each of MORE OF THE FIVE KEY BEST these areas of practice are linked or anchored to one or more key developmental tasks. PRACTICE INDICATORS. This Integrated Plan provides both broad and specific opportunities for participation, engagement, and investment within Wake County and beyond. The Plan also envisions building upon the many resources and initiatives already in place in Wake County and leveraging those through new and ongoing collaboration and partnership. The process revealed that complementary initiatives involving experts in the field and direct service providers serve not only as models of some of the implementation strategies featured in the Integrated Plan but also are potential providers of technical assistance and consultation to organizations seeking to implement those strategies. Best Practice Indicators This Plan highlights five best practice indicators: • Supporting positive, developmentally-appropriate interactions among caregivers, parents/guardians, providers, and children • Use of nature/natural elements • Diversity of space and activities • Safety and support • Accessibility and inclusiveness The list of strategies that accompany the Best Practice Indicators are meant to provide guidance and to support innovation. They are not exhaustive. Moreover, the Best Practice Indicators are universal and the strategies for implementation are customizable. Approaches to Implementation This Plan highlights four approaches to implementation: • Focusing on the active engagement and leadership of the community in which the strategies are intended to be enhanced or developed; • Designing and delivering professional development that promotes understanding of the BPIs and implementation of the strategies; Planning for Intentional and Effective Places and Spaces for Children’s Positive Mental Health: Integrated Plan 3 • Physical enhancements to current spaces; and • Strategies that use mobile services to bring a space such as a library to the community where families live or work. The Integrated Plan focuses on maximizing the current initiatives and resources within Wake County but also is designed for the use and benefit of others. The project encourages and will promote the adoption of the Integrated Plan and the implementation of its suggested strategies by the broader Wake County community and hopes that its lessons and recommendations will be useful across North Carolina and beyond. Planning for Intentional and Effective Places and Spaces for Children’s Positive Mental Health: Integrated Plan 4 II. Background The mission of the John Rex Endowment is to support an environment where THE JOHN REX ENDOWMENT children and families in greater Wake County can live healthy lives. In 2013, the BELIEVES SHAPING John Rex Endowment released a five-year plan Our Plan for Impact, 2013 – 2018. CHILDREN’S PLACES AND Within its Mental Health, Social and Emotional Well-Being funding area, is a focus SPACES, SUCH AS CHILD on achieving this goal: CARE CENTERS, PARKS AND Develop and enhance the contribution of Wake County children’s places and RECREATION FACILITIES, spaces to the positive mental health of children. AND PRESCHOOLS, IS OUR In September 2013, the John Rex Endowment released a Special Request for FOUNDATION’S BEST Proposals (RFP) to identify a grant partner to conduct a research and planning OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT project related to the work. WAKE COUNTY CHILDREN’S The RFP outlined the following three strategies for accomplishing this work: POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH. 1. Research evidence-based standards and guidelines related to the people, policies, – JOHN REX ENDOWMENT practices, programs, and physical elements in children’s places and spaces. 2. Develop and/or adapt quality improvement tools aimed at the people, policies, practices, programs, and physical elements in children’s places and spaces. 3. Develop an integrated plan guided by Wake County stakeholders that develops and enhances through various strategies the contributions of children’s places and spaces to the positive mental health of Wake County children by: • Supporting activities that foster learning and commitment related to the role of children’s places and spaces in promoting children’s positive mental health. • Promoting evidence-based standards and guidelines related to the people, policies, practices, programs, and physical elements in children’s places and spaces. • Implementing quality-improvement pilot projects that focus on the people, policies, practices, programs, or physical elements in children’s places and spaces. • Sharing success stories and learning related to quality improvement activities and projects in Wake County children’s places and spaces. • Encouraging advocacy for local or state policies that promote high-quality standards in children’s places and spaces. Of particular importance is the John Rex Endowment’s interest in developing an Integrated Plan not only for the John Rex Endowment’s consideration in its grant making activities, but also to serve as a blueprint for action for other funders in Wake County, for policymakers, and for providers and practitioners. In fact, because of the universal nature of the Best Practice Indicators and the focus on customizing to setting, many of the strategies are easily transferable to other communities and contexts. Furthermore, the Integrated Plan reflects certain priorities of the John Rex

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