Allegheny Health Network launches Cai & Kate, a children’s show focused on behavioral health

PITTSBURGH – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today premiered a new YouTube show focusing on the emotional well-being of children ages 3 to 6 years old.

Cai & Kate features Cai, a chameleon puppet whose color changes depending on his emotions and feelings, and Kate, Cai’s human friend who provides commentary on the various emotions portrayed in the show. Kate is played by Katlyn Kohne, a supervisor for AHN's Chill Project team.

Funded by the A. J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust, Cai & Kate aims to build knowledge related to emotional wellness for children and their families. Puppetry, music, and education are blended to foster a sense of wonder as kids expand their ability to identify and talk about emotions. 

The premiere episode is the first in a series being produced by Chill Project Productions, an initiative of the AHN Chill Project. Offered through AHN’s Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Institute and led by a team of behavioral health specialists, the Chill Project teaches evidenced-based coping techniques to equip students, teachers, and parents with a standardized approach to managing stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns.

As the Chill Project expanded to include grades K-12 as well as college students since its 2019 launch, the project’s stakeholders also identified a need for highly customized and targeted curriculum that is emotionally and developmentally appropriate for preschoolers.

“Young children feel a wide range of emotions and may have challenges identifying and expressing their needs. As these emotions surface, they can feel powerful and sometimes overwhelming for children, and caregivers may have difficulty understanding them,” said William Davies, Ed.D., Founder and Director of the AHN Chill Project. “Our goal with Cai & Kate is to create a free, easily accessible resource for families that helps children identify and create their emotional vocabularies.”

Cai & Kate highlights the importance of introducing coping skills that can help the children better understand how to identify and express their emotions, teach caregivers how to view emotions through the lens of their child, and help mitigate non-preferred behavioral responses, such as throwing, hitting, biting, and temper tantrums.

As a key funding partner for AHN Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, the A. J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust has helped to catalyze the work of the AHN Chill Project, supporting on-site Chill Project services at local school districts, the Chill Mobile vehicle, and Chill Project Productions.

Funding from the Trust, along with other funding partners, has resulted in the dramatic expansion of youth mental health services across the Western Pennsylvania region, having impacted more than 44,000 students, 3,500 educators, and thousands of parents and caregivers.

“The innovative programming and educational resources produced by Chill Project Productions have the potential to reach audiences far beyond Western Pennsylvania, serving as a vital tool that will help families learn how to cultivate emotional well-being in children,” said John W. Kowach, Executive Director and Trustee for the A. J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust. “By introducing these coping skills at an early age, this model will set a new standard for how mental health care is approached among preschoolers and is a positive step to addressing mental health challenges faced by today’s youth.” 

Recent studies have shown significant increases in the rates of depression, anxiety and other behavioral health issues among adolescents and children, and those increases accelerated amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2022 paper by JAMA Pediatrics suggests that mental health issues, as well as behavior and conduct problems, have been rising for children as young as 3 since 2016.

Chill Project Productions anticipates releasing additional episodes in the coming months. Cai & Kate will also be incorporated into AHN’s pediatric offices by streaming episodes in the waiting rooms and offering patients Cai & Kate activities, such as coloring books, that feature a variety of situations where skills are needed, further teaching healthy ways to handle emotions.

“The launch of Chill Project Productions and support from the Palumbo Trust create endless possibilities for future educational programming that will serve as a beneficial tool for caregivers and educators for years to come,” said Allie Quick, Chief Philanthropy Officer at AHN. “The learning interventions shared through this platform are a testament to the growth and popularity of the Chill Project, and we can't wait to see how these programs spark change, transform lives and help our children thrive.”

Cai & Kate can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.