Imagine a family able to access services when, where, and how they want them and before crisis. The services are strengths-based, family-centered, trauma-informed and culturally responsive. Through Partners in Prevention, we hope to cultivate a connected community that nurtures caring, strong, safe, and healthy families. 

The Challenge

Over the next four years, the Partners in Prevention initiative is implementing a cross-sector, systems-level coordination of services and partnerships to support families with children between the ages zero to five to strengthen protective factors, and align community-based prevention services to reduce the likelihood of child maltreatment.  

San Diego has many resources and services available to children and their families/caregivers however, there are often challenges accessing and engaging in these services. Sometimes when families are unable to access supports, it can increase risk factors for maltreatment and lead to involvement with Child Welfare. Our goal of Partners in Prevention is to increase child and family wellbeing and decrease the number of children entering the Child Welfare System by working with San Diego County health, education, legal and social service agencies to support children and their families/caregivers to access services and promote protective factors.  The YMCA of San Diego County, Childcare Resource Service (CRS) stewards the Partners in Prevention (PiP) initiative in partnership with San Diego County Child Welfare Services (CWS), San Diego State University Social Policy Institute (SPI), and Harder+Company Community Research (Harder+Company). 

The Approach

The Partners in Prevention initiative utilizes a public health and collective impact approach that is highly informed by the Strengthening Families framework, trauma-informed care and culturally responsive practice.  We will increase protective factors, and child/family well-being by improving systems alignment between cross-sector partners to better understand and respond to family needs.  With partners we will more consistently assess family needs and strengths, and then use 2-1-1’s Community Information Exchange to facilitate and track referrals to supports and resources.  We will support partner capacity building through trainings and technical assistance for service delivery best-practice and the adoption of the Community Information Exchange.  We expect that the cumulative impact of these efforts will contribute to a more connected and comprehensive service provider system in San Diego County, increased connection to resources for children 0-5 and the adults who care for them, and ultimately decrease rates of child maltreatment.  

We will also provide one direct service element to increase healthy social and emotional development for our youngest San Diegans through Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. 

All of our services within this initiative are FREE or low cost.   

We Offer: 

  • Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: An evidence-based intervention intended to build adult capacity to respond to individual child needs; this can include families, caregivers and early care and education providers.  
  • Opportunities for families/caregivers to share their thoughts and inform our efforts through Virtual Community Cafes  
  • Cross-sector community building through the PiP Partner Network and workgroups 
  • Partner agency staff training, including Train the Trainer and technical assistance for adoption of family strengthening and support best practices 
  • Adoption support to join 2-1-1’s Community Information Exchange Resource and Referral Database 

 

The Benefits

Participant Benefits: 

  • Support with understanding and responding to child level needs through our Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program. 
  • Referrals to resources in response to family needs/ interests 

 

Agency Benefits:  

  • Networking, connection and collaboration with other agencies working to support and strengthen families 
  • Increased knowledge of programs, resources and services for children 0-5 and those who care for them 
  • Enhanced training, train the trainer and technical assistance agency support  
  • Opportunities to learn about and join as a partner of  2-1-1’s Community Information Exchange 
  • Contribute to systems change efforts to better serve families and prevention child abuse and neglect 

 

Ways to Get Involved

Download this document, for more information about the Partners in Prevention Initiative.  

To access Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation please visit our Behavior Support Services webpage or email [email protected]. 

To get involved or for questions, please contact:

Lexie Palacio, Community Collaborative Director for Partners in Prevention

Aimee Zeitz, Regional Director of Strategic Advancement and Project Director, Partners in Prevention