Preventing Child Mental Health Issues Across Alabama
The Alabama Department of Mental Health encourages Alabamians to learn about Alabama’s Early Intervention System.
AEIS, a program of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, coordinates services statewide for infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays from birth to age 3, preparing them and their families for the transition to the Alabama State Department of Education’s First Class Pre-K program. In 2015, AEIS served 6,231 infants and toddlers and their families.
ADMH participates in AEIS by contracting with 24 local community agencies across the state to provide direct EI services to eligible infants and toddlers and their families. Commissioner Jim Perdue recently paid a visit to one of those agencies, the Shoals Committee on Programs and Employment, in Florence. While at SCOPE he spent some time learning about their EI program and interacting with a couple of toddlers. Commissioner Perdue said “Money spent on children is money well spent. Our return on investment becomes evident as they mature into responsible adults. My mission is to make sure that we invest our best asset: our children.”
Children receiving EI services through ADMH contracts do not have to have a mental health concern or diagnosis, but must meet the AEIS eligibility criteria of being a child under the age of 36 months who is either demonstrating a 25% delay in any of the five areas of development: cognitive, communication, physical (includes motor, hearing, and/or vision), adaptive/self-help, or social/emotional, or have a documented qualifying medical diagnosis that has a likelihood of leading to developmental delay during early childhood.
If you have a concern about your infant or toddler’s development, call Early Intervention Child Find at 1-800-543-3098(English) or 1-866-450-2838 (Spanish).
