BOSTON, July 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Huddle Up, the leader in
supporting children's growth, development, and mental health, is
excited to announce its groundbreaking sponsored partnership with
Massachusetts Head Start Association. This collaboration aims to
improve access to comprehensive mental health care for children
from low-income families, ensuring they receive the support they
need for their cognitive, social, and emotional development.
A Shared Commitment to Children's Well-being
Massachusetts Head Start Association has a long-standing
tradition of promoting school readiness by enhancing the cognitive,
social, and emotional development of children from birth to age
five. Dr. Colleen Kraft, a Huddle Up
board member, exemplifies the transformative power of Head Start.
As part of the class of Head Start students in 1965, Dr. Kraft was
encouraged to pursue her dreams and was told she should become a
doctor. She went on to realize that dream, becoming a pediatrician
and serving as President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, as
well as a professor of pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at
USC.
"Head Start changed the trajectory of my life by providing me
with the support and encouragement I needed at a young age," said
Dr. Colleen Kraft, Board Member at
Huddle Up. "Through the collaboration between Huddle Up and the
Massachusetts Head Start Association, we can better support the
growth, development and mental health of children and adolescents
and create even greater opportunities for future generations to
succeed and thrive."
Strengthening Mental Health Services
The partnership will focus on several key initiatives:
- Mental Health Consultations and Services: Huddle Up will
offer mental health consultations, evaluations, and therapy
sessions to children in Head Start programs across Massachusetts that choose to participate.
- Expanding IEP Support: Huddle Up will offer support
to Head Start programs to continue partnerships with public school
districts for Individualized Education Program (IEP) services,
ensuring that children with special needs receive the tailored
support to which they are legally entitled. These services extend
beyond mental health, into school psychology, speech pathology, and
occupational therapy.
- Sponsored outreach to programs for support and
resources: Huddle Up will sponsor outreach efforts to Head
Start programs to promote the consultations and services available,
as well as sponsor educational sessions and resources for Huddle Up
programs.
"Many of the children Head Start serves in Massachusetts are on waitlists for mental
health services for a long time," said Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director at
Massachusetts Head Start Association. "Huddle Up gives our programs
the opportunity for newfound access to mental health consultations
and services across Massachusetts."
Looking Toward a Collaborative Future
This partnership is just the beginning of a more collaborative
future between Huddle Up and Massachusetts Head Start Association.
Together, the organizations aim to:
- Increase the supply of qualified mental health providers
through apprenticeships and upskilling programs.
- Advocate for policy changes that support better mental health
services in early childhood education.
- Develop and implement new strategies for integrating mental
health support into everyday classroom activities.
Together, Huddle Up and Massachusetts Head Start Association are
dedicated to fostering the growth, development, and mental health
of children by actively engaging communities, supporting families
and educators and creating a more inclusive learning environment
for all.
For more information about Huddle Up and the Massachusetts Head
Start Association, visit huddelupcare.com and
massheadstart.org.
About Huddle Up
Huddle Up supports the growth, development and mental health of
children and adolescents. By bringing together providers, families,
and educators, Huddle Up creates a circle of support around
children and adolescents, transforming the care experience and
creating new levels of engagement and outcomes beyond traditional,
in-person offerings. Technical innovation extends the high quality
nationwide network of providers, enabling them through peer-to-peer
interactions, speciality support and outcome driven
personalization. Available in 50 states, and over 25 insurance
plans, Huddle Up serves near a thousand schools in diverse regions
throughout the nation. The company boasts nearly 900,000 sessions
delivered, a 4.5/5 student star rating and a 96% provider retention
rate.
Huddle Up serves children and adolescents with three
solutions:
- IEP Huddle: A transformative solution that goes
beyond traditional support of speech therapy, occupational therapy,
school psychology, and mental health needs for the evaluation, care
services, and management of IEP-related, 504, and RTI
programs.
- All Student Huddle: A solution that extends mental
health support to the entire population from Tier 1 screening and
self-guided care to Tier 3 one-on-one individual service needs, and
works in place of, or alongside SEL, tiered and MTSS
offerings.
- Family Care Hub: An innovative, first-of-its-kind
platform that empowers self-guided care, courses, and education for
students and their families, bringing them together to create new
levels of engagement and outcomes.
About Massachusetts Head Start Association
The Massachusetts Head Start Association serves as the voice of
Head Start in Massachusetts by
providing collaborative learning opportunities, leveraging
partnerships, and advocating for Head Start programs.
Head Start is a federal program that provides high-quality early
education and comprehensive services to vulnerable children and
families. Head Start and Early Head Start serve pregnant women and
children birth to age 5. Programs provide early education and
comprehensive services, including health, mental health, nutrition,
services for children with disabilities, and family services.
Contact Information:
Huddle Up
Nicola Kamath, CMO
nkamath@huddleupcare.com
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