The Children’s Center Connection Vol. 1
November 2020
Letter from Rebecca Dutson, President and CEO
Dear Friends,
 
Unprecedented—the word of the year for 2020, it seems. Together, we have braved a global pandemic, earthquakes, fires, civil unrest, a hurricane-force windstorm, an election…am I missing anything else? So much to consider, and all with very real mental health effects for children and adults. 
 
Amidst this challenging environment, The Children’s Center has kept its focus on the future—experiencing an extraordinary year of learning, growing, adapting, and bridging communities. I am so proud of our dedicated team and the work we do every day with your steadfast support. We have remained flexible and resilient, enabling us to continue to provide hope and healing for the children and families we serve during these most extraordinary times. 
 
Today, we are pleased to share our inaugural edition of The Children's Center Connection e-newsletter, where you will see and read about some of the exciting things we’ve been up to, including our Ready! Resilient! Utah Early Childhood Mental Health Summit, Presented by Governor Gary R. Herbert, other event happenings, organizational updates, and much more. We want to keep you up to date on the impact your support makes! Watch for future Connections issues to arrive quarterly, with a special edition sprinkled in from time to time.
 
At this time of year, I am filled with gratitude for you—our supporters, donors, and friends. Thank you for making this work possible with your steadfast commitment. Because of you, children and families are finding safety and security with us during these unprecedented times. 
 
Our very best wishes to you and yours as you reflect on the past year. May our gratitude for you be a bright spot. 

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Sincerely,
Utah Early Childhood Mental Health Summit and Study
Ready! Resilient! Utah Early Childhood Mental Health Summit, Presented by Governor Gary R. Herbert
The Children's Center, in partnership with Governor Gary R. Herbert, presented the state’s first-ever summit on children’s mental health in Utah on Monday, October 5, 2020. This summit unveiled key findings from a landmark study, conducted by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. The study is a comprehensive statewide review of Utah’s current children’s mental health system and uses Utah-specific data to analyze risk, reach, and return on investment. If you were not one of the nearly 500 individuals who tuned in for this amazing summit, you can watch it below.
Speakers: Governor Gary R. Herbert, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Dr. Mimi Graham, Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox, Dr. Sydnee Dickson, Dr. Jennifer Mitchell, Ann Silverberg Williamson, Dr. Samantha Ball, Laura Summers, and Rebecca Dutson.

A special thanks to our sponsors: Cambia Health Foundation, Intermountain Healthcare, Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, Utah Department of Human Services Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Utah Behavioral Healthcare Committee, Utah Hospital Association, University of Utah Health, South Valley Chamber, and Utah Community Builders.
Next Steps
The summit was an opportunity to gather local and national leaders and early childhood mental health experts to better understand where we are so that we can focus on where we need to go. 

We are pleased to announce that the full study will be released on December 9, 2020, at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute December Newsmaker Breakfast.
Organizational Updates
Jennifer Mitchell, PhD,
BCBA-D Named as Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Innovation

Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Mitchell for her promotion to Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Innovation. Jennifer has been with The Children's Center for nine years and is a brilliant and caring clinician and advocate for early childhood mental health. We are grateful to continue to benefit from Jennifer's leadership!
Joni Clark, MEd Joins
The Children's Center as Director of Development

We are thrilled to welcome Joni Clark, MEd as our new Director of Development. Prior to joining The Children's Center, Joni worked for Utah Community Action, wearing many hats as their Chief Development Officer for the past eight years. Prior to that, she worked for Morgan Stanley, managing their community giving. She lives in Salt Lake with her husband and two children.
Expanding Our Reach
As part of The Children’s Center’s strategic plan, we are taking steps to expand the reach of our services throughout the state. We are excited to announce two initiatives that have launched recently.

  • As of November 1, The Children’s Center, in partnership with the Utah Department of Human Services Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, offers Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) virtual training and support via webinars and individualized consultationsTraining webinars are focused on Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health topics and are offered at no cost to providers seeking to learn about IECMH. Most topics are broadly focused and appropriate for any providers working with young children, including teachers, healthcare professionals, mental health clinicians, early interventionists, etc. To learn more or to register for a webinar, click hereTeleconsultations are individual consultation services offered at no cost to providers seeking support related to serving young children and their families. To sign up for a consultation, click here.

  • As of October 1, in partnerships with the Utah Department of Workforce Services Office of Child Care, we began working in the southwest area of the state to reach Washington, Iron, Kane, Garfield, Wayne, Piute, Beaver, Millard, Sevier, and Sanpete counties. The Children’s Center provides training to childcare centers on social-emotional behavioral issues that strengthen each providers’ skills and knowledge as they serve children in their programs.

Look for additional information in our next newsletter.
Events
2020 Hope & Healing Breakfast

Thank you to those who joined us for our online annual Hope & Healing Breakfast. While our events have looked different this year, we are grateful that support from our friends and donors remains unchanging. With your support, we were able to raise $52,000! 

During the event, we shared the many changes we have made as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. You can see how we have increased sanitization and safety measures through the video below. If you were unable to donate at the event, you can still do so here.

Special thanks to our sponsors
2021 Jewelry Luncheon

Save the Date for our upcoming Virtual Jewelry Luncheon on March 4, 2021.
Stay tuned for more details!
Halloween At The Children's Center
We had a fun and exciting day celebrating Halloween with our Therapeutic Preschool Program. Games, trick-or-treating, and adorable costumes. What could be better? Thank you to the donors who made this day possible!
Annual Giving
“The Children's Center has impacted our life by giving our family hope and answering questions we had about our oldest daughter. We were struggling with her behavior and how she was dealing with people and everyday situations. As a family, we were so confused as to what was going on and how our little girl had suddenly changed since she turned three. We ended up finding out she had Autism (ASD), Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and Anxiety. We were at our wits' end and feeling as though our family was falling apart. We called 
The Children's Center and got an appointment where we were assigned an amazing therapist who helped us get answers. They provided tools to help not only our daughter, but also our whole family. It truly was a miracle that we found this place. I will forever be grateful for The Children's Center, and I sing praises and recommendations to anyone that is struggling with a child.” 
- Parent at The Children's Center
Your financial support is crucial to families seeking the mental healthcare we provide to young children in our community and throughout the state of Utah. Our children and families need you! 

Regular stressors of life have only been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, earthquake, and civil unrest. Economic uncertainty, upended schedules, and decreased social interaction is dramatically affecting our daily lives. The mental health services provided at The Children's Center are needed now more than ever. 
 
You can help us help more children and families in our state. During these unparalleled times, it takes a community to work together to change people’s lives and provide hope and healing. 

When you donate, we are thrilled to let you know that any new or increased gift will be matched by our generous Challenge Grant Funders!*
*Challenge Grant Funders

Dave Baldridge and Dee Munson
Beck Family Foundation
Jeffrey S. and Helen H. Cardon Foundation 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation
Florence J. Gillmor Foundation
Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation
The Mark & Kathie Miller Foundation
The Jerry and Shari Seiner Family Charitable Fund
2020 Heroes
Congratulations to our Therapeutic Preschool Specialists and Bus Drivers for being awarded the 2020 Heroes Award for Utah Philanthropy Day. These individuals work hard every day to ensure that the children in our preschool are safe and receiving the best care possible. We are so grateful for this amazing team!