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Early intervention

Early intervention is the process of providing specialist intervention and support to a person who is experiencing or demonstrating any of the early symptoms of mental illness. Intervention is not only critical for preventing or reducing the progress of a mental illness, but for improving a person’s mental and physical health, community participation and socioeconomic outcomes far into the future. Early intervention is particularly important for children and young people, for whom mental illness can have profound, long-term consequences.

Early intervention means detection and treatment of mental illness during the critical early phases. Delays in treatment and support can cause distress, increase the risk of relapse and can be harmful for the individual and their friends/family/carers. Early treatment has been shown to improve the long-term course of mental illness . Early intervention focuses on helping eligible babies and toddlers learn the basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first three years of life, such as:

  • Physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking);

  • Cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems);

  • Communication (talking, listening, understanding);

  • Social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy); and

  • Self-help (eating, dressing).

Early Intervention supports families of infants and toddlers, aged birth to six years, with behavioral concerns which may indicate a developing emotional disturbance. Children learn best with people they know and in the places they spend most of their time. Early Intervention professionals help families build on the things they do every day to support their child’s learning and development in order to reach their goals for their child.

Early Intervention Program Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center

The Child and Adolescent department provides early intervention services to children 0-6 years of age and their families. The criteria for receiving services are children identified as having developmental delays, behavior or attention difficulties and/or environmental risk factors (i.e. neglect, abuse or other forms of trauma).

The primary focus of the Early Intervention Program is to educate, train and support children and their families through screening, assessment and individualized treatment planning. The goal of this program is to teach parents/guardians and other caregivers to reasonably measure the child’s developmental needs and utilize educational and therapeutic approaches to improve opportunities for success in the home, school and community environment.