Personnel Preparation Committee
Infant Mental Health CoP
Shared Interests and Practices - Contribute to the birth-3 infant mental health (IMH) field by building capacity for professionals around IMH topics, increasing knowledge of IMH topics within local communities (including parents), supporting IHE in providing accessible courses and/or certification related to IMH, increasing awareness of and advocating for IMH within local/state agencies, and exploring funding opportunities for IMH activities.
Participants receive a network of support across practitioners, higher education faculty, professional development providers, and families with a shared interest in supporting the emotional well-being of young children and their families.
To learn more, contact:
Lisa Terry - lmterry@vcu.edu
Elvia Cortes - elviac@fineinfantprogram.com
Upcoming Events
Please note: DEC CoP events do not include certificates of attendance.
Writing Social and Emotional Goals to Promote Family Engagement: A Two-Part Event
Part 1 - Monday, March 21st, 2022, 2:00 PM Eastern Time
Join us to learn about the components of social emotional goals and how to incorporate family strengths into goal writing. We will discuss how the Pyramid Model relates to goal writing. Training will be an interactive and engaging experience. Participants will have an opportunity to practice goal writing using vignette scenarios together in break out groups.
Part 2 - Monday April 25th, 2022, 2:00 PM Eastern Time
Join us for Part II of Writing Social and Emotional Goals to Promote Family Engagement. This session will solely focus on practicing goal writing using scenario vignettes. Come ready to engage and learn.
Presented by Naomi Grinney, LCSW
Naomi Grinney, LCSW has worked in early intervention for the past nine years. She is an infant mental health specialist and uniquely trained to support parent and child relationships and address challenges in social emotional development. Prior to working in EI, Naomi worked as a community-based mental health crisis response provider, as social worker in a psychiatric hospital and as a behavioral interventionist at a residential treatment center.
Naomi is passionate about supporting the social emotional development of children and building family capacity and has worked with kids and families for twenty years. As the parent of a child who received Early Intervention services, Naomi brings a shared experience to her role in providing tools and resources to empower parents in supporting their child’s development.
DEC Infant Mental Health Community of Practice Quarterly Meeting
Join the CoP from 2:00 - 3:30 PM Eastern Time.
September 13th, 2022 - Registration required
December 13th, 2022 - Registration required
Tuesday, June 14th, 2022, 2:00 - 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, 2:00 - 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Friday, December 10th, 2021, 12:00 - 1:30 PM Eastern Time
Past Webinars & Events
Reflective Parenting
Thursday, February 24th, 2022, 3:00 PM Eastern Time
Download the handout and recording
This workshop will look at reflective functioning in parents as well as in the professionals who work with them. This exploration will include how we understand reflective processes, how they relate to the brain, and how they help us to make meaning. We will also examine how reflective practice helps us to build a better understanding of others, allows us to repair misunderstandings, and how it is essential for healthy social emotional development.
Presented by Nina Newman, PhD
Nina Newman, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with an extensive background in reflective practice, social
emotional development, relationship-based interventions, and neuropsychology. She is an experienced inter-
disciplinary educator and trainer, specializing in professionals who work with infants, children, parents, and families
as well as parents. She has published several articles and books chapters and given several nationally workshops.
Resources
Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health is a global organization that partners with associations of infant mental health so that associations can support, grow, diversify, and advocate for their local infant & early childhood mental health-informed workforce.
State Organizations for Infant Mental Health
Download a list of infant mental health organizations by state
Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health
The Michigan Assoc. for IMH is a nonprofit professional organization that’s all about promoting optimal infant and early childhood mental health by way of supporting the birth-to-six professionals who work with or on behalf of infants, young children, and their families.