1. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
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Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Friday, October 2, 2015
Mary Dallas Allen, PhD, MSW

2. Objectives Define infant and early childhood mental health
Discuss the core principles of infant & early childhood mental health
Discuss the importance of relationships for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities
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3. Mental Health
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4. Infant Mental Health
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5. Mental Health Mental Illness
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(University of Minnesota Extension, Children, Youth & Family Consortium)

6. Infant / Early Childhood Mental Health
Young child’s capacity to:
experience, regulate, and express emotions
form close & secure
relationships
and explore the
environment and learn
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(Zero to Three, 2001)

7. Optimal Mental Health Influenced by: Genetics Relationships Family
Community
Physical health
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(University of Minnesota Extension, Children, Youth & Family Consortium)

8. Serious Mental Illness
Optimal Mental Health
Serious Mental Illness
No Mental Illness
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Poor Mental Health
(University of Minnesota Extension, Children, Youth & Family Consortium)

9. Core Principles of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Relationships are
central
First years of life
are important
Understanding the infant’s
experience is critical
(Zeanah & Zeanah, 2009)
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10. Context of Infant Mental Health
Occurs within the
context of family,
community, and
cultural expectations
for young children
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11. Basic Practices in IMH: Developing Relationships
Be present
Observe
Listen
Wonder / Reflect
Respond / refer
(Goldberg & Weatherston, 2009)
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12. Importance of Relationships
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13. Overview of Brain Development Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Neuroplasticity
Critical periods
Sensitive periods
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14. Experiences Build Brain Architecture Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Neurons send electrical signals to communicate with each other
Connections form circuits that become the basic foundation of brain architecture
Serve and return
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15. Video
Still Face Experiment: Dr. Edward Tronick
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16. Beyond Stigma: Infant Mental Health is NOT
Diagnosing and treating “mental illness”
Something for the mental health consultant / professional to deal with
Not my job
“One more thing” I have to do
Beyond our control
Doing mental health screening and assessment only
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17. Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Providers
Families
Social workers
Early interventionists
Speech language therapists
Occupational therapists
Physical therapists
Early childhood educators
Special educators
Behavioral health clinicians
Home visitors
Psychologists
Policy makers
Nurses
Judges
University/ community college faculty
Researchers
Pediatricians
Lawyers
Advocates
Law enforcement
Others?
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18. You can:
Work with young children to support their optimal mental health
Work with families to help them understand their child’s perspective, to develop parenting skills, and to destigmatize mental health
Incorporate mental health promotion activities into your agency
Work to change policies: advocate for access to children’s mental health services, early intervention, and high quality early care and education
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19. Endorsement in Infant Mental Health
Alaska Association of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (AK AIMH)
4 Levels of Endorsement
Level 1: Infant Family Associate
Level 2: Infant Family Specialist
Level 3: Infant Mental Health Specialist
Level 4: Infant Mental Health Mentor: Infant Mental Health Mentor
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20. Web Resources on IMH
University of Minnesota Extension – Children, Youth & Family Consortium
Harvard Center on the Developing Child
Alaska Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
EHS National Resource Center
Zero to Three
World Association for Infant Mental Health
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21. Clinical Reflection Describe the clinical experience / event
How did you interpret or make sense of the experience?
Emotional response; personal ethics; professional values & ethics
What expectations did you have? Were they confirmed or challenged?
What was the context? Did your interpretation align with feedback from patients, family members, team members, others?
How will the experience inform your practice? What knowledge or expertise do you need to support your future practice?
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