|
|
August was
International Peace Month
| |
August is International Peace Month, a time to reflect on war, and the importance of Peace across the globe and in our local communities. This is a time of self-reflection and interactions with others that promote peace.
CT-AIMH is an organization that cares for humanity. In all of our trainings and events we advocate that we support one another, promote relationships of belonging, and peace in our communities. CT-AIMH seeks to support the infant and early childhood mental health workforce that is tirelessly working to support those facing poverty, discrimination, racism and other conflicts that are also global issues. CT-AIMH promotes peace, acceptance, and wellness between all people.
We wish you all peace!
Happy International Peace Month to you all!
|
Celebrate Babies Campaign |
CT-AIMH celebrates Babies during the week of October 17- 21, 2022. Thank you to all of those who contribute to improving the quality of life for infants, young children and their families! |  |
The CT-AIMH Board of Directors offers the following advisory committees for members to participate in.
Policy and Advocacy Advisory Committee
Goal Statement: Work to identify, monitor and respond to policy and health issues related to the mental health needs of infants, young children and their families. Establish relationships with community partners, which may include the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, State Legislators, the Child Advocate, and other State Leaders. Monitor and advocate for ongoing funding for services for infants, young children and their families, and promote strong policies for infants, children and their families. For example: Earned Family Leave and Medicaid Reimbursement for IMH services, and other relevant issues.
This committee meets on the 3rd Monday of every month from 3-4pm.
Co-chairs: Susan Vater and Jerry Calnan
Professional Development Advisory Committee
Goal statement: Partner to advance professional development, higher education curricula, and training opportunities, which will increase knowledge, skills, and capacity of the infant and early childhood mental health workforce, while promoting the Competency Guidelines® that are held by the CT-AIMH, which once met can lead to Infant and Early Childhood Endorsement®.
Continue to offer, support, or sponsor high-quality conferences, training series, presentations and forums. Partner with other training providers to integrate competencies into their current trainings.
This committee meets on the third Monday of each month from 2-3:30pm.Co-chairs: Heather Bonitz Moore and Heidi Maderia
Education and Promotion Advisory Committee
Goal Statement: Promote and educate the greater community on the importance of infant mental health and the work of CT-AIMH. Develop educational and promotional materials that will reach members and the greater community. Develop membership communication strategies to support engagement. Respond to opportunities to represent and promote CT-AIMH.
This committee meets the 1st Wednesday of every month from 9-10am.
Co-chairs: Jen Vendetti and Tanika Eaves Simpson
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee
Goal Statement: Work to combat discrimination and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership opportunities for CT-AIMH members and the infant and early childhood community.
This committee meets the 2nd Thursday of the month from 9-10:30am.
Co-chairs: Carlita Elias and Melissa Mendez
If you would like to join any of these committees, please contact us.
|  |
Our firm, Indigo Cultural Center, is conducting a study in partnership with the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. We have hosted dozens of focus groups around the country to explore individuals’ experiences of reflective supervision through the lens of racial equity, anti-racism and decolonization in order to better understand the barriers and opportunities experienced by practitioners, families, child care providers, and communities when it comes to infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) and social and emotional well-being.
We received a wonderful response to the focus group portion of this study. Over 500 individuals signed up to tell us their stories!
Now we are moving onto the next phase – conducting a national survey. This online survey will help us gather a broader understanding of thoughts and reflections about reflective supervision while focusing on a racial equity perspective.
Can you please help us with recruitment? You can send this survey to your listserv(s), or to targeted individuals. This survey is for:
- Anyone who receives Reflective Supervision (including Reflective Supervision/ Consultation)
- Practitioners
- Providers of Reflective Supervision
- Trainers and Instructors of Reflective Supervision
- People who research and/or write about Reflective Supervision
- People who advocate for integrating Reflective Supervision into organizations and systems.
|
Está invitado a participar en una encuesta sobre equidad racial y supervisión reflexiva. Haga clic en este enlace para inscribirse! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P3NQB26
Indigo Cultural Center es una firma de investigación sin fines de lucro que lucha por una mayor justicia social en las áreas de apoyo familiar y servicios para la primera infancia. Hemos sido contratados por la Alianza para el Avance de la Salud Mental Infantil.
Estamos realizando un estudio nacional para encontrar formas de apoyar experiencias de supervisión reflexiva más equitativas y antirracistas. Para lograr este objetivo, necesitamos sus respuestas a una serie de preguntas de la encuesta. ¡A cambio de participar en esta encuesta, participará para ganar una de las diez tarjetas de regalo de $100!
Esperamos hablar con una amplia gama de personas. Se invita a participar a las siguientes personas:
- Cualquiera que reciba supervisión reflexiva (incluida la supervisión/consulta reflexiva)
- practicantes
- Proveedores de Supervisión Reflexiva
- Formadores e Instructores de Supervisión Reflexiva
- Personas que investigan y/o escriben sobre Supervisión Reflexiva
- Personas que abogan por integrar la Supervisión Reflexiva en organizaciones y sistemas
Quieres participar? ¡Por favor complete esta encuesta! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P3NQB26
¿Quieres más información sobre esta oportunidad? Puede enviar un correo electrónico a Jayley Janssen en Indigo Cultural Center para obtener más información (Jayley@IndigoCulturalCenter.com).
| |
|
We’re excited to announce that CT-AIMH has earned a 2022 Bronze and Silver Seal of Transparency with Candid! Now, you can support the work of
CT-AIMH with trust and confidence by viewing our Candid Profile (formerly Guidestar).
| |
Alliance for the Advancement for Infant Mental Health
ON DEMAND TRAININGS
|
 |
Preparing Competency-Based Learning for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement: Training Guide and Self-Assessment
This Training Guide and Self-Assessment is offered as a framework for teachers, trainers and educators as they are planning and implementing learning opportunities that are aligned with infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) principles and practices. The Training Guide and Self-Assessment may be used as a tool to:
- Support instructors in developing, delivering and evaluating relationship-based IECMH-informed learning opportunities
- Recognize and select high quality training consistent with IECMH Endorsement competencies
This Training Guide and Self-Assessment is the result of the combined knowledge, experience and expertise throughout the Alliance. We have all worked together to offer this publication to the field, in the hopes that it will support the IECMH workforce and ultimately the babies, caregivers and families we all serve.
|  |
 | |
The Senate approved House Bill 5001, a bill that focuses on services in the medical health sector and services in the community. Senate Bill 2 was also passed by the House of Representatives which focuses on early childhood interventions.
|
|
Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health Summit Info
| Weatherston Leadership Summit being held in-person this October. | |
Interested in attending?
The Alliance for the Advancement of IMH"s Weatherston Leadership Summit, will be in-person at Camp Allen (north of Houston, TX)
The Summit begins on Monday, October 17, 2022, with Registration and Check-in opening at 3:00 pm. The Summit will conclude on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 12:00 pm (lunch will be offered at 12:00pm on Wed). At this time there are 3 seats available for each of the 33 US states' AIMHs, and 3 countries' AIMHs.
Topics covered:
- A closer look at part of the Alliance for AIMH strategic plan
-
Results of the Equity in Reflective Supervision/Consultation: A Deeper Dive
-
How to build capacity, including a focus on the skill and power of RSC, while embedding equity in all that we do
- Connect with Alliance workgroups
Please, send an email of interest to Heidi.maderia@yale.edu
|
| |
Current and Upcoming Events | | | |
|
~FREE~
CT-AIMH 10-evening Infant & Toddler Mental Health Training Series for Early Care and Education Providers and Family Child Care Providers
Virtual: September 8th through November 10th.
Thursdays, 6pm to 8pm. (First training day only: September 8th- 5:3pm-8pm)
| |
Presenter:
Anne Giordano, MA, IMH-E®
|
This series is designed specifically for all childcare providers (including Head Start) who are currently working with infants and toddlers.
These workshops are funded by: OEC- Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five.
Topics will include: An orientation meeting, Intro to Infant Mental Health, Attachment, Brain Development, Infant/Toddler Development, Behavior, Temperament, Sensory Integration, The Importance of Play, Partnering with Families and Reflective Practice.
- There is no fee for these workshops
- Certificates of Attendance will be issued following the workshop series.
-
Information about IMH-Endorsement® and Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RS/C) will also be available.
Small Group Facilitators:
Jolie Garfinkel and Margaret O'Connell
|
|
|
FREE-Mindfulness Mondays
October 17 -November 21, 2022
from 12 noon- 1:00pm,
every Monday, for 6-weeks
| For professionals working with families and young children who have experienced trauma. Mindfulness can be a tool to help professionals who are experiencing high levels of stress or multiple stressors, that without support, may leading to burnout, compassion fatigue, and/or secondary trauma. | |
|
Description: You are invited to attend a beginner mindfulness class where we will co-create skillful means of meditating, and using various mindfulness practices.
We will cover the following topics:
1. What is mindfulness?
2. Mindfulness of breath
3. Mindfulness of body
4. Mindfulness of thoughts
5. Mindfulness of emotions
6. Lovingkindness and how to continue practicing
This introductory 6-week class will help you to develop your own mindfulness practice and develop strategies to relieve some of the stressors leading to burn-out, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.
You are not alone! Join with others who are also in a helping profession (Infant/toddler/preschool teachers, social workers, clinicians, early interventionists, home visitors, nurses, supervisors, etc.) to sit, stand or use movement to experience moments of calm, reduce your stress, and find joy with others in your community. All are welcome!
What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness can be described as, “The awareness cultivated by paying attention, ...on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgmentally.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn
| |
FREE-5- Day Reflective Supervision Series
October 20-November 10, 2022 with a
follow-up day on December 15, 2022, 9:30am -12:30
| |
CT-AIMH is offering a series of FOUR half-day sessions on Zoom, and a fifth follow-up day. We strongly urge you to attend all of the workshops in the series in order to benefit from the opportunity to experience relationship building, expanding your reflective capacity and professional growth.
There is no fee for these training sessions; however we do require that all attendees hold a current supervisory position (or offering RS/C to others),and are Endorsed in IMH or in process.
If you have any questions, please contact Heidi.maderia@yale.edu.
A certificate of attendance will be provided upon completion of the series.
NASW CECs pending.
The funding for this event is sponsored by the OEC and the training is provided by CT-AIMH.
| |
|
The field of infant-early childhood mental health, although still relatively young, has already grown and evolved a great deal in the last 10-years. As the field has changed, so has the Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (Endorsement) system. We, at the Alliance, have responsibility for overseeing the use and administration of the Endorsement credential and we are deeply committed to examining how the system is (or isn't) working for our member associations for infant mental health (AIMHs). We are THRILLED to tell you about a new category of Endorsement that will be available fall 2022. This message provides background information about how the new category came to be and requirements for the new category.
History
In 2020, a group of AIMHs came together and discussed their shared struggle around their ability to support, engage, and strengthen their multidisciplinary infant and early childhood mental health workforces specific to reflective supervision/consultation (RSC) capacity building. Specifically, they identified two requirements, distinct to Infant/Early Childhood Family Specialist (I/ECFS) Endorsement applicants, that caused barriers:
- Only Masters-prepared I/ECFS endorsed professionals could provide RSC
- Masters-prepared I/ECFS Endorsement applicants were unable to receive RSC from another Masters-prepared I/ECFS
They wrote a proposal, “Advocating for Change to RSC Requirements I/ECFS Endorsement”, in which they highlighted the following as the impetus behind examining the above requirements further: “When viewed from an equity, inclusion, and diversity lens, these requirements perpetuate a system of power and privilege by placing the greatest value on one’s attainment of higher education - a system that is inequitably accessible across communities. The Endorsement, a competencies-based workforce development system, is meant to honor professionals who apply IECMH principles to their practice. These requirements assign the preponderate value to formal education as opposed to competencies.”
Staff and leaders from the Alliance and AIMHs across the nation/world unanimously agreed that the I/ECFS requirements needed to be looked at to eliminate barriers. Because the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health holds the copyright for the Competency Guidelines (MI-AIMH Copyright © 2017) and Endorsement, the MI-AIMH Endorsement Committee is charged with upholding the standards set forth in the Competency Guidelines. In mid-2020, the MI-AIMH Endorsement Committee recommended a task force be created to consider the proposal more deeply.
Process
The Alliance assembled a group of 9 members, who met for 14-months and composed and submitted a proposal to the MI-AIMH Endorsement Committee for approval. Members of the task force represented AIMHs in Florida, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington.
The task force set a goal to gather information and understand how the current requirements for the I/ECFS categories of Endorsement impact the workforce, particularly looking at how they impact AIMHs’ ability to offer a diverse, equitable, and inclusive Endorsement system.
In order to gather information about impact and to assemble strong recommendations for future requirements, the task force brought together and interviewed a diverse range of infant and early childhood professionals in the field to gather their experiences and stories. A group of task force members and Alliance affiliated researchers conducted a preliminary data analysis of the interviews and focus groups. Sarah Shea, PhD, and Andrea Penick then conducted additional qualitative analysis in order to identify major themes. The main themes were discussed in the context of implications for the task force’s work to identify the essential qualities, skills, and capacities for RSC providers.
Outcome
The data analysis deeply informed the final proposal, which included creating a new category of Endorsement, Infant/Early Childhood Family Reflective Supervisors (I/ECFRS). The new category of Endorsement is for professionals who are, or who will soon be (see below about emerging*) providing RSC for professionals doing prevention and/or early intervention-type work. Applicants must also meet the I/ECFS work experience requirements which include: a minimum of two years of experience providing prevention and/or early intervention services where a primary focus of the services provided addressed the social-emotional needs of the infant/young child, their families and caregivers and services focused on the promotion of the relationships surrounding the infant/young child (for a minimum of 10 families).
*Applicants do not need to already have experience as a provider of RSC to be approved for emerging I/ECFRS. After the applicant is approved for the emerging status, they will have a two-year period to provide a minimum of 12-months of RSC to professionals doing prevention and/or early intervention work, in addition to receive a minimum of 24 hours of RSC, with 12 of those hours focused on their provision of RSC.
The new category, I/ECFRS, will be added to the Competency Guidelines during the next revision (estimated 2023). In the meantime, Alliance member AIMHs will update their websites, documents and resources and the Alliance will update Endorsement Application System (EASy) to reflect these additions and changes. The soonest that we anticipate that an applicant will be able to register for this new category of Endorsement is September 2022.
I/ECFRS Requirements
Infant Mental Health Endorsement Requirements
Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement Requirements
Resources
*More resources will be shared as they are finalized, specifically; look for a Frequently Asked Questions document in upcoming months!
Questions?
- Contact your AIMH's Endorsement Coordinator! Each AIMH will have their own plan for how/when they will roll out I/ECFRS
-
If you find you are stuck, feel free to reach out to Alliance Endorsement Director, Ashley McCormick, asmccormick@allianceaimh.org
| |
Infant Mental Health Endorsement Requirements | |
Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement Requirements | |
|
Resources
*More resources will be shared as they are finalized, specifically; look for a Frequently Asked Questions document in upcoming months!
Questions?
- Contact your AIMH's Endorsement Coordinator! Each AIMH will have their own plan for how/when they will roll out I/ECFRS
-
If you find you are stuck, feel free to reach out to Alliance Endorsement Director, Ashley McCormick, asmccormick@allianceaimh.org
| |
CT-AIMH | www.ct-aimh.org |
| | | |
