March 28, 2023

The Early Childhood Service Intensity Instrument (ECSII) Tool and Training Available at No Cost

The earliest years of life are the optimal time to build supportive and healthy child/caregiver relationships. Positive experiences help young children build brain architecture, and they help to set skills necessary for healthy development. Establishing strong, healthy relationships from the start can lead to optimal development and lessen chances for engagement in unhealthy behaviors as children grow to adulthood and beyond.

Anyone who works with infants, toddlers and children ages 0 to 5 can use the Early Childhood Service Intensity Instrument© (ECSII), a standardized, biopsychosocial assessment tool to improve their ability to provide services.

AHCCCS offers training on how to use the ECSII. The training is available at no cost to health care providers and anyone who works in the behavioral health field with this population.

Benefits of Using the ECSII

• Learn more about infants and toddlers and the importance of early intervention to promote healthy development,
• Understand the importance of the attachment and bonding relationship between child and parent/caregiver,
• Assess intensity of need based on identification of risk/protective factors within a child’s environment,
• Align with AHCCCS trauma informed care initiatives,
• Helps identify sources of trauma in children, and
• Identify risk factors in a child’s environment and find ways to enhance the child's environment to reduce risk.

Who Should Use the ECSII?

• Health plan administrators, clinical and administrative staff, health plan coordinators & care managers,
• Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) case managers,
• Provider staff including Behavioral Health Paraprofessionals, Behavioral Health Technicians, and Behavioral Health Professionals,
• Office of Individual and Family Affairs (OIFA) staff,
• Peer and/or Family Support staff,
• Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Developmental Disabilities support coordinators/case managers,
• Early childhood educators,
• Arizona Department of Child Safety case managers and staff,
• Maternal/Child Health professionals, and
• Policy makers and advocates in child-serving agencies.

Get ECSII Training from AHCCCS
To use the ECSII tool, complete a simple training course. It’s easy, practical and free!

• Self-paced and online training modules that you can bookmark and finish later,
• The entire course consists of five self-paced modules (each takes approximately one hour to complete, and
• Post test (takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour) and feedback survey (takes approximately 5 minutes).

Learn more at the ECSII web page.