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.
This program allows DFX clinicians to share expertise with the caregivers of our youngest and most vulnerable children in a manner that is easily accessible, supporting childcare workers in understanding kids who exhibit challenging behaviors. When teachers are given training and the tools they need, the quality of care improves for all children enrolled in their programs, and those with developmental disabilities feel understood and included.
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.
"At the beginning when I heard we were getting a new program into our classroom I couldn't stop thinking of how much extra work I was going to have. When Becca gave us an introduction about what SWIFT was, my thoughts changed and I was hopeful about all this. And I was not wrong, after our first meeting where she explained how she categorized some behaviors noticed in my class and gave me strategies I could try to help my students, I was completely positive that SWIFT was going to be a big support for all of us.”
~Teacher, Little Einsteins
"As the director of an Early Childhood Development Center, one of my main priorities is to support not just children's needs but teachers as well. I am impressed with all the help we have received from SWIFT, it has been a great program for our school. I am glad we were able to create a partnership with SWIFT and be introduced to new strategies to help teachers identify and support children's developmental and/or behavioral challenges and with that also help them feel less distress."
~ Marisol Chavez, School Director and Teacher at SWIFT Partner School