About the Early Childhood and Specialized Personnel Development Division

The Early Childhood and Specialized Personnel Development Division (ECSPD) is composed of diverse programs, services, and research interests supporting children and families in New Mexico.

Our training and technical assistance efforts include:

• Early Childhood Network (ECN) - which supports early intervention professionals statewide;
• Preschool Network (PSN) - a training and technical assistance program for those working with preschool children receiving special education services;
• Improving Communities of Practice and Moving Forward - supporting the professional development of staff working with students in BIE funded schools on the Navajo Nation;
• Rural Early Access for Children's Health (REACH) - a telehealth program providing statewide access to training and technical assistance;
• AIM Higher - a training and support program for selected childcare personnel and their technical assistance providers in priority areas of New Mexico;
• Quality Childcare for All - works to promote quality, inclusive childcare through a variety of initiatives;
• Taos Pueblo Head Start - a collaborative project between the CDD and Taos Pueblo Head Start to support improved quality of early childhood services to all children, including children with disabilities; and
• The New Mexico Developmental Screening Initiative (DSI) is a collaboration between the Center for Development and Disability and Envision New Mexico to promote best practices in developmental screening for children birth to five years of age.

Direct clinical services and supports include:

• Early Childhood Evaluation Program (ECEP) - a statewide evaluation program for children ages 0-3 who have complex developmental needs;
• FOCUS Early Intervention Program - serving children in families at environmental and biological risk in the Albuquerque Metro area;
• Rural Early Access for Children's Health (REACH) - a telehealth program with the capacity to bring direct service to remote communities through telecommunication; and
• Visiting In-Home Supports for Intervention, Outcomes and Networking (VISION) utilizes the home visiting model developed through the previous efforts of the FOCUS Program, a nationally recognized model program that has demonstrated lower rates of violence and drug use in the home, greater interaction between caregiver and child, and enhanced social-emotional development of the child.

Research and evaluation efforts are diverse and on-going and represent responses to state priorities and the need for scientific inquiry in the area of disabilities. Click on Research and Studies above to learn more about this.

For more information about the ECSPD Division or the CDD, please contact us:

Alison Noble, Division Coordinator
Phone: (505) 272-2756
Email: anoble@salud.unm.edu

For questions about this web site, please contact:

Leslie Sandoval, Training Support Analyst
Email: ldsandoval@salud.unm.edu