Our Approach
SCC combines deep scientific and clinical expertise with more than 20 years of experience supporting child caregivers in high-risk, low-resource communities.
Our CEO, Alexandra Harrison, MD, brings decades of study, clinical work, teaching, and research in child development, parent guidance, and child and adolescent mental health, along with a broad network of colleagues in the scientific and academic communities.
What distinguishes SCC is our ability to translate that expertise into practical, accessible resources and programs for child caregivers. We do not simply provide information; we develop curricula, tools, and educational materials, deliver training, and provide ongoing mentoring and consultation to help child caregivers apply what they learn in their daily relationships with children.
Our work is also strongly community-based and culturally responsive. We collaborate with local institutions, health workers, and community organizations in underserved and high-risk communities rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all model. Local partners help us understand the cultural and community context and adapt our approach accordingly.
SCC also connects research, implementation, and education. We use research and data analysis to inform the development of our programs and tools, evaluate their impact, and share what we learn through publications, professional conferences, and digital platforms. This allows our work in one community to inform and strengthen our work elsewhere.
Finally, we focus on the caregiver-child relationship as a fundamental pathway to healthy child development, particularly during infancy and early childhood. By supporting the adults who care for children—including parents, health workers, teachers, and other caregivers—we aim to create sustainable improvements that can extend beyond an individual child or program.
In short, SCC brings together scientific expertise, practical caregiver education, local collaboration, cultural responsiveness, research, and long-term mentoring to strengthen the relationships that help children thrive.
Our Initiatives
Dr. Alexandra M. Harrison MD and her multi disciplinary team of medical and educational professionals have developed a comprehensive Infant Mental Health Curriculum presented over five days using video, lecture, and clinical experiences tailored to their audience. The flexibility of the course structure allows a wide spectrum of adult learners to gain knowledge and expertise in the foundations of IMH and how they can use these new skills in their everyday practice. At this time, SCC includes two major initiatives.
The first initiative is to develop and maintain long-term relationships with caregivers of children in institutions in developing countries during which SCC will provide free training and educational services via periodic visits and regular contact between visits through electronic means, such as Zoom.
The second initiative is developing a basic Intensive Infant-Parent Mental Health Course that can be modified to meet the needs of a particular caregiving institution (the “Mini-Course”) so that such institution may eventually incorporate the Mini Course into its regular practices, with ongoing support from SCC.
These two initiatives are linked by their common intent to support child caregivers through mental health education in the context of a long-term relationship.
El Salvador: Child caregiver education and support combining semi-annual visits, monthly Zoom conferences, and written support plans at the Children’s Homes of San Salvador.
Karnataka, South India: Long-term mental health education for child caregivers at the Deenabandhu Children’s Home and School.
South India: Introductory Infant Mental Health (IMH) workshops to strengthen mother-infant relationships.
Kasganj, North India: IMH instruction and Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) training for nursing students and maternity staff at the Christian Hospital and Nursing School.
Clinical Research: A controlled, multi-site study on the impact of IMH training on maternity nursing behaviors in North India.
Academic Fellowships: Presentations at the UMass Boston and UC Davis Extension Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellowship Programs.
International Conferences: Presentations of SCC’s work and models to global audiences worldwide, including the WAIMH Conference in Prague.
Journal Publications: Published article in the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) Journal on global caregiver training models.
Current Initiatives
-
El Salvador
Training and supporting caregivers of teen mothers and their babies at the House of Life; studying factors contributing to teen pregnancy; providing mental health education to Family Medicine trainees; and mentoring Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellows involved in SCC projects.
-
Building Baby Brains (BBB) – Pakistan
Expanding the BBB curriculum study to a larger group of Lady Health Workers and families across a broader geographic area. Developing Healing After Disaster, a guided activity workbook to help parents support children experiencing stress following natural disasters.
-
Burmese Refugee Communities
Collaborating with a Burmese refugee team to develop and evaluate a guided parent-child activity program for families living in refugee camps.
-
Building Baby Brains (BBB) – India
Exploring collaborations to introduce and adapt the BBB curriculum for use with caregivers and communities in India.
-
Mentoring the Next Generation
Mentoring students and early-career professionals in international SCC projects, research and outcome studies, and presentations at national and international conferences.