Who We Support

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

Western Plains Youth & Family Services

Award Date: May 13, 2021
Awarded: $125,000
Arnall Community Fund Award

Western Plains Youth & Family Services (WPYFS) provides quality community-based, education, preventative, counseling, shelter and 24-hour mobile crisis services in Northwest Oklahoma to individuals in need. WPYFS will expand services to support infants, young children, and providers through the provision of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) in childcare, Early Head Start (EHS)/Head Start and the public-school early education center in Woodward. IECMHC is an evidence-based approach which pairs a mental health clinician with those who work with young children and their families, such as childcare providers and EHS/Head Start teachers. IECMH is a problem-solving and capacity-building intervention implemented within a collaborative relationship between a professional consultant with mental health expertise and one or more individuals with other areas of expertise—primarily childcare, child development and families—or individuals with childcare responsibilities.

The Arnall Community Funds are administered through Oklahoma City Community Foundation (OCCF) and provide grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Oklahoma that are working to improve outcomes for individuals, children and families involved with animal welfare and in the child welfare and criminal justice systems. The OCCF staff will manage the grant administration process and all grantmaking decisions will be made by OCCF Trustees. Learn more about the process.