Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® Overview

The Virginia Association for Infant Mental Health (VAIMH) is an interdisciplinary, non-profit professional organization established to nurture and promote the optimal development of infants, toddlers, young children, and families through education, relationship-based training, and advocacy efforts. 

​

Endorsement® through VAIMH is intended to recognize experiences that lead to a competency in the infant/early childhood-family field. It does not replace licensure or certification, but instead is meant as evidence of a specialization in this field. Endorsement® is cross-sector and multidisciplinary, including professionals from child and/or human development, education, nursing, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, social work, and others. Endorsement® indicates an individual's efforts to specialize in the promotion and practice of infant or early childhood mental health within his/her own chosen discipline. 

​

Earning Endorsement® demonstrates that an individual has completed specialized education, work, in-service training, and reflective supervision/consultation experiences (as defined in Endorsement® criteria) that have led to competency in the promotion and/or practice of infant/early childhood mental health. Endorsement® does not guarantee the ability to practice as a mental health professional, although many who have earned Endorsement® are licensed mental health professionals. 

​

Endorsement® offers career paths that focus on principles, best practice skills, and reflective work experiences that lead to increased confidence and credibility. Endorsement® will inform prospective employers, agencies, and peers about culturally sensitive, relationship-focused practice promoting infant/early childhood mental health.

​

The categories of endorsement are tied to your scope of practice. 

          

                       Promotion                                   Prevention/Early Intervention                 Clinical Intervention/Treatment

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                    Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Mentors - Leaders in the IECMH Field (Macro)

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Infant/Early Childhood Family Associate (IFA/ECFA): Professionals who work directly with pregnant people, infants, toddlers, young children, and their families, or within a program that supports this population in order to promote optimal social emotional development and/or early relational health. This category includes early care and education providers, administrators, case managers, child welfare staff, healthcare professionals, and more.  

​

​

​

Infant/Early Childhood Family Specialist (IFS/ECFS): Professionals who work directly with pregnant people, infants, toddlers, young children and their families, or within a program that supports this population in order to prevent relationship disturbances or disorders of infancy/early childhood. This category includes early care and education professionals, home visitors, early intervention providers, mental health consultants, infant-toddler/young child technical assistances, childcare coaches, and more.  

​

​

Infant/Early Childhood Family Reflective Supervisor (IFRS/ECFRS): Professionals whose scope of work falls within the Prevention/Early Intervention field of IECMH, and who serve as mentors, leaders, and providers of reflective supervision/consultation. 

​

​

Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist (IMHS/ECMHS): Professionals who work directly with pregnant people, infants, toddlers, young children, and their families, or within a program that supports this population, and  provide treatment and/or intervention when relational disturbances or disorders of infancy and early childhood arise. This category includes infant/young child-parent psychotherapists, private practice therapists, clinical home visitors, other mental health providers, and more. Mental Health Specialists may also be providers of reflective supervision/consultation. [The Mental Health Specialist - Deborah Weatherston, Ph.D.]

​

​

​

Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Mentor (IMHM/ECMHM): These are Leaders in the field with many years' experience providing reflective supervision or administrative oversight within programs, teaching in higher education settings, shaping policy, and/or conducting research that addresses social emotional development, early relational health and/or the treatment of infants, toddlers, young children, and their caregivers.

​

​

a. Clinical: Leader in infant/early childhood mental health (e.g., I/EC mental health supervisor, trainer, or consultant);

​

b. Policy: Leader in policy and/or program administration related to the infant/young child-family field;

​

c. Research/Faculty: Leader in university-level teaching and/or published research related to the infant/young child-family field.

​

Endorsement® is meant to honor professionals who apply infant and early childhood mental health principles to their practice. It is granted through documentation and verification of the required specialized education, work, in-service training, and reflective supervision/consultation experiences. Endorsement® is not a license, but an overlay that complements one's professional license and/or other credentials.