Supporting Educators and Professionals in Building Engaged Belonging
Early childhood settings and other environments serving youth often lack the resources to provide enhanced training on how to support children with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. Under the umbrella of our Clinic in the Community program area, DFX offers an innovative model of support that includes on-site consultation and capacity-building: Developmental Navigation.
These partnerships are currently funded by Caring for Denver Foundation through a grant focused on Addressing the Intersection of Mental Health and Development (AIM); an earlier iteration of this program was known as "SWIFT-R", the Supportive Web of Care for Families and Teams: Respectful, Reflective, Responsive, and Realistic.
In this program, a Developmental Navigator (DN) - one of our skilled occupational therapists - walks alongside educators/clinicians to support their understanding of children’s needs at the intersection of development and mental health. The DN offers strategies and tools to professional colleagues so they feel supported, knowledgeable, and empowered to handle challenges and create an optimal environment for all the children in their care.
In addition, partners gain unlimited access to the DFX Resource Library, through which we provide an E-Library of digital resources written in lay terms that offer actionable steps to address classroom situations, available in both English and Spanish. The physical library also includes books, skill-building toys, and other materials that can improve children’s ability to participate more fully in classroom settings, that teachers and families can borrow free-of-charge.
Este programa permite a los clínicos de DFX compartir su experiencia con los cuidadores de nuestros niños más pequeños y vulnerables de una forma fácilmente accesible, ayudando a los cuidadores a entender a los niños que presentan comportamientos problemáticos. Cuando los profesores reciben la formación y las herramientas que necesitan, la calidad de la atención mejora para todos los niños inscritos en sus programas, y aquellos con discapacidades del desarrollo se sienten comprendidos e incluidos.
Our grant-funded Developmental Navigation program offers specialized support that might not otherwise be accessible, and the model can be adapted to serve any organization interested in elevating their understanding of the intersection of development and mental health. In 2025, we are piloting modified versions with new partners including Maria Droste Counseling Center, Denver Rescue Mission, and Florence Crittenton High School.
Current AIM partner sites include Clayton Early Learning, Little Einsteins Academy, Garfield Montessori School, The Logan School, Bryant-Webster Dual Language School, Montessori Children's House of Denver, Paddington Station Preschool, Academy 360, Good Shepherd, and Stepping Up. We also received a grant to support Cribs 2 Crayons in Aurora through Developmental Pathways in early 2024.
"Al principio, cuando me enteré de que íbamos a tener un nuevo programa en clase, no podía dejar de pensar en la cantidad de trabajo extra que iba a tener. Cuando Becca nos dio una introducción sobre lo que era SWIFT, mis pensamientos cambiaron y me sentí esperanzada con todo esto. Y no me equivoqué, después de nuestra primera reunión en la que me explicó cómo categorizaba algunos comportamientos observados en mi clase y me dio estrategias que podía probar para ayudar a mis alumnos, estaba completamente segura de que SWIFT iba a ser un gran apoyo para todos nosotros."
~Profesora, Little Einsteins
"Como directora de un centro de desarrollo infantil temprano, una de mis principales prioridades es apoyar no sólo las necesidades de los niños, sino también las de los profesores. Estoy impresionada con toda la ayuda que hemos recibido de SWIFT, ha sido un gran programa para nuestra escuela. Me alegro de que hayamos podido crear una asociación con SWIFT y de que nos hayan presentado nuevas estrategias para ayudar a los profesores a identificar y apoyar los retos de desarrollo y/o comportamiento de los niños y con ello también ayudarles a sentirse menos angustiados."
~ Marisol Chavez, Directora y profesora de la escuela asociada a SWIFT