Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism
CT VIEWPOINTS -- opinions from around Connecticut

Caring professionals — the key to promoting children’s mental health

  • CT Viewpoints
  • by Judith Meyers
  • March 9, 2015
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Neuroscience provides significant insight into how a baby’s brain develops and the importance of social-emotional development (also referred to as infant mental health) in this process.

Infant and early childhood mental health hinges on a child’s relationship with a caring and nurturing adult beginning at birth and sets the stage for a child’s lifelong cognitive, social, emotional and health outcomes. Successfully cultivating this attachment would prevent so many other ills that follow in its absence.

Last month the Connecticut Mirror ran a four-part “Starting Early” series on childhood trauma by Arielle Levin Becker. The series offered an in-depth look at childhood trauma, neglect and chronic stress, as well as Connecticut initiatives to help young children and families overcome significant adversity and prevent deeper problems from developing later on.

Becker noted that secure attachments for infants and toddlers and their caregivers promote optimal social-emotional development and serve as a buffer to toxic stress. These attachments can mitigate the negative consequences often associated with young children’s exposure to trauma, poverty, violence and other risk factors.

All professionals in the range of settings that provide care for young children are in the unique position to help families develop stable, nurturing relationships, promote social-emotional development and help families identify concerns early and to make connections to intervention services when necessary.

Collectively considered the infant mental health workforce, this includes childcare providers, pediatricians, home visitors, occupational and speech therapists and mental health professionals. Among these professionals there is a great need and strong desire for training in how to best promote social-emotional development, recognize when there are concerns as early as possible and connect families to supports and services.

Unfortunately in Connecticut and nationally, most pre-professional education and training programs lack courses related to infant and toddler mental health.

A new IMPACT report from the Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) entitled: The Infant Mental Health Workforce: Key to Promoting the Healthy Social and Emotional Development of Children, calls for the development of a statewide system to ensure professionals working with infants, toddlers and their families are skilled in promoting social-emotional development, preventing the negative effects of toxic stress and providing appropriate services and supports when needed. The IMPACT addresses:

  • Research on infant mental health and early brain development
  • Current gaps in the education and training of Connecticut’s infant mental health workforce
  • Local and national examples of workforce development approaches
  • Strategies and recommendations to ensure a competent infant mental health workforce

Connecticut is making progress on building a skilled infant mental health workforce. The Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health (CT-AIMH) adapted a system of infant mental health training and credentialing from Michigan AIMH. Fifty-three Connecticut professionals have earned or are in the process of earning the CT-AIMH Endorsement®.

In addition, CT-AIMH has provided training in infant mental health for approximately 500 child care providers, home visitors, child welfare workers, mental health clinicians, occupational and speech therapists and health providers in Connecticut through partnerships with CHDI, Early Head Start, the Office of Early Childhood, the Department of Children and Families, Birth to Three and Elm City LAUNCH.

Similar to legislation passed in 2013 (P.A. 13-178, Section 2), the state legislature is once again considering a bill directing the Office of Early Childhood to provide professional development training to pediatricians and child care providers to help prevent and identify mental, emotional and behavioral health issues in children by utilizing the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Competencies or a similar model. Training professionals and parents is also a key part of the Connecticut Children’s Behavioral Health Plan submitted by the Department of Children and Families to the Legislature last October.

This is a strong start, but we must continue to support those working with our youngest and most vulnerable children to help change the trajectory of their lives. Recommendations in the report include:

  • Requiring infant mental health training for relevant professionals working with young children and their families;
  • Integrating infant mental health training into higher education and professional development courses;
  • Ensuring public sector programs serving the most vulnerable young children and their families have access to highly trained specialists in infant and early childhood mental health;
  • Increasing support for reflective supervision – a key ingredient for effective work in the infant-family field.

Judith Meyers is a psychologist and president and CEO of the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut. 

Visit www.chdi.org to download the IMPACT or to read more about CHDI’s work related to infant mental health. Parents and caregivers can learn more about infant mental health at www.kidsmentalhealthinfo.com.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
A healthcare system too broken to fix
by Sosena Kedebe MD

On March 25, the White house announced that it was going to invest over $6 billion in health centers that are funded through the Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in order to expand COVID-19 vaccinations and other health services provided to vulnerable populations. As a chief medical officer for a health center that is strained to reach some of the most disenfranchised patient population in Hartford, this was great news. Yet there was a part of me that took the news with a deep concern. Why you might ask?

The Connecticut Juvenile Training School and the lie that built it
by Colleen Shaddox 

Sitting in the paddy wagon, I was afraid – maybe apprehensive was a better word, since I rightly suspected that white privilege would guarantee me good treatment.  Still, I said a prayer of thanksgiving. After years of advocating for people in our carceral system, I was given a chance to develop more empathy.

Data on race, ethnicity and language is critical to making real healthcare progress
by Vicki Veltri, Tekisha Everette and Matt McDermott.

There are significant disparities in health status based upon race, ethnicity, and other factors that deprive many Connecticut residents of an equal opportunity to enjoy good health and well-being. That some Connecticut residents live without proper treatment of illness and injury due to disparities in health care access, affordability, and outcomes based upon race, ethnicity, and language (REL) is self-evident to many but not to all.

SB 1018: Connecticut’s effort to increase prosecutorial accountability and why it will not work
by Olivia Louthen

Senate Bill 1018 does not solve Connecticut’s largest criminal justice problem: outcomes for crime victims and defendants vary based on zip codes because judicial districts operate independently of one another.

Debunking the CBIA’s takedown of the public option healthcare bill
by Bill Shortell

I am writing to those struggling to defend the public option healthcare plan, under the burden of a mass of disinformation put out by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA). The latest version of the Public Option (SB 842) will offer a state-run healthcare package to small businesses, individuals, and not-for-profits.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion A healthcare system too broken to fix
by Sosena Kedebe MD

On March 25, the White house announced that it was going to invest over $6 billion in health centers that are funded through the Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in order to expand COVID-19 vaccinations and other health services provided to vulnerable populations. As a chief medical officer for a health center that is strained to reach some of the most disenfranchised patient population in Hartford, this was great news. Yet there was a part of me that took the news with a deep concern. Why you might ask?

Opinion The Connecticut Juvenile Training School and the lie that built it
by Colleen Shaddox 

Sitting in the paddy wagon, I was afraid – maybe apprehensive was a better word, since I rightly suspected that white privilege would guarantee me good treatment.  Still, I said a prayer of thanksgiving. After years of advocating for people in our carceral system, I was given a chance to develop more empathy.

Opinion Data on race, ethnicity and language is critical to making real healthcare progress
by Vicki Veltri, Tekisha Everette and Matt McDermott.

There are significant disparities in health status based upon race, ethnicity, and other factors that deprive many Connecticut residents of an equal opportunity to enjoy good health and well-being. That some Connecticut residents live without proper treatment of illness and injury due to disparities in health care access, affordability, and outcomes based upon race, ethnicity, and language (REL) is self-evident to many but not to all.

Opinion SB 1018: Connecticut’s effort to increase prosecutorial accountability and why it will not work
by Olivia Louthen

Senate Bill 1018 does not solve Connecticut’s largest criminal justice problem: outcomes for crime victims and defendants vary based on zip codes because judicial districts operate independently of one another.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO