Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health
Individual Partner Spotlight
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One of Georgia's leaders in infant-parent mental health is Dr. Laura Jane Miller. Dr. Miller is a board-certified psychiatrist and an advisory council member for the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health: Birth to Five (GA-AIMH) at Georgia State University. In addition, she serves as the director of Supporting Parent Relationships with Infants Through Early Childhood (SPRITE).
Miller’s introduction to the field of infant and early childhood mental health began during her clinical fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry. During her training, she had the opportunity to learn Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and implement it with patients. Working with families and seeing the many disruptions that can occur even by age six, she sought to continue to learn about infant mental health, which led her to pursue a certification program from UMass’ Parent-Infant Mental Health Fellowship Program. Using infant mental health theories, she expanded beyond the framework of PCIT to improve the mental health of infants and children with medical, developmental, and family stress challenges.
One aspect of the work that Dr. Miller cherishes is witnessing breakthroughs with families. She loves seeing families change from struggling with one another to suddenly understanding each other in a new way that deepens the child-caregiver relationship. “It’s a privilege to be let into these intimate moments… you make room for a positive cascade of more synchrony, more understanding, more positive meaning-making,” said Dr. Miller.
Dr. Miller looks forward to a day when Georgia has a comprehensive and cohesive family-centered approach. She envisions a fully trained and robust workforce that can identify at-risk infants and capture referrals to bring immediate support to children and families. The hope Dr. Miller has for all children in the future, especially infants at risk for mental health difficulties, is consistent positive caregiver interactions.
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Infant & Early Childhood Organizational Partner Spotlight |
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The Supporting Parent Relationships with Infants Through Early Childhood (SPRITE) clinic is run by Dr. Laura Jane Miller. It provides critical mental health support to children ages 0-5 and their caregivers. The clinic serves all families and focuses on parent-child interactions that have been disrupted in different ways, such as developmental disability, parental mental illness, trauma, and intergenerational trauma.
Dr. Miller summarizes SPRITE’s essence well, “We just want to walk alongside you. We aren’t interested in throwing labels or medication at your child. We want to come to a greater understanding of who your little person is and who you want to be as a parent.”
The clinic specializes in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and offers many other services. SPRITE provides infant-parent dyadic therapy, PCIT with children as young as nine months, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, neuropsychological evaluations for children under 36 months, and psychiatric assessments.
SPRITE believes that much can change in early childhood and that the relationship between parent and child is the best vehicle of change. If you have concerns, please consider the support and resources of the SPRITE clinic. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call the Emory Call Center at 404-778-5526 to obtain an intake packet.
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"We just want to walk alongside you. We aren't interested in throwing labels or medication at your child. We want to come to a greater understanding of who your little person is and who you want to be as a parent."
- Dr. Laura Jane Miller
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Have you signed up for our Parents Interacting With Infants (PIWI) training yet?
PIWI is an evidence-based set of practices that focuses on enhancing the social and emotional development of infants and toddlers. Dr. Tweety Yates, the developer of PIWI, will lead the training and emphasize the importance of strengthening caregiver-child interactions and relationships.
When: Friday, March 17th from 9 am - 3 pm
Where: In-Person at Georgia State University
Cost: FREE for GA-AIMH members; $25 for nonmembers
How to Register: Registration is open for anyone interested, just click the link below.
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Join our Next Learn & Connect on February 21, 2023 from 12-1 pm!
Trasie Topple, PhD, LCSW will lead a discussion about addressing trauma during early childhood. We can't wait to see you there!
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Highlights from January's
Learn & Connect Session
On January 31, 11 GA-AIMH members joined Raynell Washington, LMSW, and Emily Graybill, Ph.D., NCSP, for an inspiring discussion about The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris and The Emotional Life of the Toddler by Alicia D. Lieberman, Ph.D. Members reflected on the impact of childhood trauma on their clients and themselves. They also discussed the importance of IECMH policy and prevention activities for supporting the wellness and resilience of children and their caregivers.
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A Special Activity with Your Little Valentine |
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In this month of love, make art that melts your heart. Make your own heart-shaped stamps out of toilet paper rolls. Then, dip them in paint and stamp them all over construction paper. Make it festive with Valentine's Day colors, like pink, purple, and red. Add a message and give it to your special Valentine.
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Did you know that GA-AIMH offers reduced membership rates for 2023? |
New members can join for $25 and enjoy benefits including:
- Exclusive webinars, book discussions, and reflective spaces.
- Access to the GA-AIMH learning management system.
- Priority status with free or reduced-cost registration for in-person trainings and events.
- Free registration for the in-person Parents Interacting With Infants (PIWI) training on March 17, 2023. Register below!
- A membership pin distributed at the annual conference.
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The annual membership runs from January 2023 through December 2023. Make the most of your membership by joining today!
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