What is ECLIPSE?
ECLIPSE is a program that helps young children and their families who have gone through serious stress or trauma. It focuses on building secure relationships, healing and support.
ECLIPSE services take place in early learning settings and are led by a licensed mental health professional who is trained in infant and early childhood mental health.
Support is given at different levels:
- The child
- The family
- The classroom and teachers
ECLIPSE is available to families who are working with more than one system, including child welfare services through DCYF.
Children and families involved with child welfare can get ECLIPSE services automatically if they are enrolled in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP).
How ECLIPSE Works with ECEAP
ECLIPSE services are added to ECEAP preschool services.
- ECEAP provides:
- Classroom staff
- Learning materials
- Support for the whole child
ECLIPSE builds on this by adding mental health support.
For example:
- ECLIPSE mental health professionals work with early childhood mental health consultants
- They help train teachers and support staff
- They show staff how to respond to children’s behavior in ways that fit the child’s age and cultural needs
- They help parents learn about child development, build skills, and use parenting strategies.
The goal is to:
- Support children and families
- Help teachers feel more confident handling challenging behaviors
How ECLIPSE and Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Work
ECLIPSE is part of IECMH, which includes different types of services. IECMH includes different types of services that support children and families. These services range from early support to more intensive help, depending on what is needed.
Services include:
- Promotion (building strong, healthy development):
- Home Visiting
- Early Head Start
- Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT)
- ECEAP
- Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation
- Other Early Care and Education programming
- Prevention (helping stop problems before they grow):
- Home Visiting
- Early Head Start
- ECEAP
- ESIT
- IECMH Consultation
- Other Early Care and Education programming
- Intervention (helping when concerns start):
- Early Childhood Special Education
- IECMH Consultation
- ESIT
- Treatment (more focused help for serious needs):
- ECLIPSE
- Early Intervention
- Wraparound Intervention Services (WISe)
- Early Childhood Special Education
- Other Clinical Mental Health services
