Center for Community-Based Children’s Mental Health Research and Policy

Disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline and other social issues with mental health services in natural settings

The Center for Community-Based Children’s Mental Health Research & Policy is rethinking children’s mental health from the ground up.

They have a vision where positive interactions and therapeutic interventions shouldn’t only happen in a clinical setting, but rather anywhere kids live, work, and play.

The research was compelling.

The publications peer-reviewed.

The findings in the field got a lot of traction.

And, the Center was doing remarkable work in the community on issues that mattered.

They just weren’t getting noticed for doing. And, it is hard to create a campaign, if you aren’t getting the attention you deserve.

Strategy

The Center only keeps an office in the Ivory Tower, but their work is in the community.

They work with non-profit organizations, school administrations, public health agencies, and parks & recreation to provide mental health services in natural settings.

We went with them to the classroom.

And the playground.

And the community center.

And, the family home.

We saw firsthand a public health approach to mental health.

We watched the process unfold and witnessed the impact up close.

We worked with our local Public Broadcasting Network (WTTW) on a series of behavior change videos that ran as PSA segments in crucial timeslots for parents and children with development-specific instructional lessons.

While we didn’t get to meet Big Bird in person (though not for the lack of trying), we did get introduced to one of the best brunch spots in all of Chicagoland by producers from Check, Please! (email us for the recommendation!) and a coveted spot on Chicago Tonight for the Center Director. 

And, we built a campaign website that promoted the paradigm-shifting approach online for organizations, agencies, administrations, and, especially, parents to see the potential for mental health in natural settings. 

Results

We collaborated with PBS on behavior change videos by bringing scientists and creatives together from idea conception through to scripting, shooting, editing, and disseminating. Our team of psychologists shared their best practice insights and evidence-based findings while we crafted storylines that could carry the ideas.

We workshopped content with community bringing together parents, student-family-liaisons, and teachers to make sure the material resonated.

And, ran spots across all four local WTTW channels in prime spots for parents.     

We also produced a campaign website that translated the impact of academic papers for a scientific audience to lay-parents and care providers, which reached a previously inaccessible audience.