It's been an interesting winter here in the Northeast...not much snow and temperatures have been up and down since December. Perhaps this "up and down" reflects the highs and lows of our experiences as infant mental health professionals...helping our stakeholder groups (families, child care staff, clinicians, physicians, educators, policy makers, the general public) understand the cognitive and emotional capacities of the infant, toddler and young child and that the quality of child-adult relationships directly impacts the developing child as well as the health, economy and society at large. I
n what ways do we struggle in our relationships with children- when are we "cold"? In what ways are we afraid or "chilly" to be our true selves, perhaps limited by "ghosts in the nursery" (Fraiberg, 1975) or even structural issues such as funding and politics. When there is uncertainty in our climate, economy and public health, we adults feel uncertain, challenged to make strong decisions, and thus our babies and children do too. How do we manage, from a relationship perspective, these experiences and feelings of uncertainty?
How do we help others understand the critical nature of parallel process? How do we explain the depths our field? What's our elevator or bus stop speech on infant and early childhood mental health? How can we "warm" the hearts and minds of our friends and colleagues to the profound need to understand babies and young children from a developmental and relational perspective?
Sociocultural norms and public policies greatly influence the capacity of individuals, providers and systems to respond to the needs of infants and young children. It is paramount that we take a "temperature check" on these norms and policies. One of the ways CT-AIMH has tried to do this since our previous newsletter is to share the
Raising of America
film series with you. Several legislators are now interested in sharing this film at the State Capitol. Increasing awareness about systemic issues such as racism and poverty and their impact on the developing child is one way CT-AIMH promotes infant and early childhood mental health.
The CT-AIMH develops the professionals who work directly with and/or on behalf of infants and young children in Connecticut through training and advocacy. Perhaps as we approach spring and we continue to increase the awareness of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, we will see our family, friends, neighbors and colleagues "warm up" to the critical time period from pregnancy to about age 5 when brain development is the most intense and when every interaction matters the most.
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Save the Date!
CT-AIMH
Spring Conference May 12 & 13
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Learn about the intersections of substance use and homelessness and infant and early childhood mental health. Gain knowledge and resources at our annual spring conference. See you there!
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It's Here! Read the CT-AIMH
2018-2019 Report!
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Enjoy highlights from the work of the Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health chronicled in the 2018-2019 Annual Report.
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WAIMH Journal Highlights "ACEs and Infant Mental Health" Resources
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Why become a WAIMH member?
- To promote principles of infant and child health, development and mental health.
- To become part of a global learning community and professional network that speaks for infants, young children and families around the world.
- To have access to resources that promote infant mental health.
- To learn from world experts about the health, mental health and optimal development of infants, toddlers and their families across cultures and around the world.
- To expand your professional, social network.
- To exchange of information about infants and infant-family programs.
- To contribute to the protection of health and well-being in infancy, early childhood and parenthood on a global level.
- To get opportunities to keep pace with new findings and innovations in scientific, clinical, and educational research and programs involving infants and their caregivers.
- To contribute to a professional global learning community: WAIMH.
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Are you already a member of the World Association of Infant Mental Health? If so, you receive the Perspectives in Infant Mental Health Journal...last month the journal highlighted resources intersecting ACEs and Infant Mental Health.
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The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of our Nation
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Branford Early Childhood Collaborative community event screens
Raising of America
film
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Thirty five community members participated in the Branford Early Childhood Collaborative community forum to watch
The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of our Nation
hosted by Robin Comey, Executive Director of the Branford Early Childhood Alliance. Robin Comey is also a Connecticut State Representative and was compelled to bring the
Raising of America
film to her community in Branford as well as to The Capitol for all her colleagues to see. The film was first brought to Connecticut by the CT-AIMH Promotion & Education Committee and has since been shown to legislators at the CT Early Childhood Alliance Legislative Breakfast. Stay tuned for a presentation of the film at The Capitol!
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Celebrate Babies Campaign Promotes Declaration of Our Infant Mental Health Values!
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Thank you to our members who contributed to the annual Celebrate Babies campaign!!! A poster highlighting the responses was developed for the fall conference. Randomly selected respondents Carolyn Olan, LMSW and Amy Myers, LCSW were invited to attend the fall conference as our guests. Congratulations Carolyn and Amy and "Thank You" for Celebrating Babies!
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Graduating Cohort of Participants of the CT-AIMH 4-Night Learning Series in Hartford
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Infant Mental Health Childcare Series Delivered in Spanish
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Coming Soon in 2021, the EASy system will be available in Spanish and
CT-AIMH will purchase this for Connecticut with funding from the
Children's Fund of Connecticut/Child Health and Development Institute
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Renew Your CT-AIMH Membership TODAY!
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Please renew your membership with us! Your membership offers...
- Conference fees reduced and the opportunity to register first.
- First to receive the Newsletter with updates on CT-AIMH initiatives.
- Connect with other infant and early childhood mental health professionals.
- Access to Infant and Early Childhood Endorsement through CT-AIMH (See Endorsement Tab)
- News from the World Association for Infant Mental Health
- News from the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health (over 29 states, including Connecticut, and 2 countries offering the Endorsement in Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health®).
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Funding from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood will offer a Reflective Supervision/Consultation Training series this year specifically for Master's level clinicians who hold IMH-Endorsement
®
or ECMH-
Endorsement
®
or are currently applying for Endorsement
®!
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CT-AIMH Leaders Contribute to Important Issue Brief Addressing Barriers to Treatment for Infants and Very Young Children
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CT-AIMH Past President Margaret Holmberg, Ph.D., IMH-E and CT-AIMH Endorsement Coordinator Heather Bonitz Moore, ATR-BC, LPC, IMH-E consulted to CHDI Director of Quality Improvement Kellie Randall, Ph.D. to identify barriers to treatment and care for our youngest population and develop policy recommendations to establish reimbursement pathways for infant and early childhood treatment based on risk rather than diagnoses.
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Netflix Series "Babies" a Game Changer for Infant Mental Health Advocacy!
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Okay, so who has seen at least Episode 1 of "Babies" a Netflix original series? Chalk full of exciting research brokered for the public, this series is sure to help us unlock the mysteries of infancy and Celebrate Babies!
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We warmly thank the CT Department of Children and Families for financing two 8-day Infant Mental Health Training series for child welfare staff this spring and next fall. These training series will focus on development, attachment and trauma. The CT Office of Early Childhood will be a partnering sponsor for these series.
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Art experience project from one of the 8-day training series offered this past Fall. Creative expression is central component of learning through reflection...
beautiful work!
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Join us in Shelton Saturday May 9th for a Raising of America Documentary Film Screening!
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Join CT-AIMH Promotion&Education Committee Members Robert Margolies, Ph.D. and Jen Vendetti, LMSW for a free educational film event featuring The Raising of America documentary. Learn more about the work of
CT-AIMH!
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