Endorsements

What is Endorsement®?  

Endorsement® demonstrates specialization and competency in the rapidly developing field of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH). It supports and recognizes the development of professionals who work with or on behalf of pregnant people, infants, young children, and their families. Endorsement® is cross-sector and multidisciplinary, consisting of professionals from child and/or human development, education, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, social work, counseling, early intervention, advocacy, child welfare, etc.

Endorsement® was developed by Michigan's Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) in 2002 and is now used by 35 state associations of infant mental health (AIMHs) and two international associations as of January 2024. Each AIMH is a member of the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.

Pathways to Endorsement

Infant Mental Health Endorsement (IMH-E®)

Each IMH-E® category has specific work, education, in-service training, leadership, and reflective supervision/consultation requirements for pregnant people, infants/toddlers (aged 0-36 months), and their families. In addition, Endorsement applicants will demonstrate achievement of competencies as defined in the desired category. This chart summarizes the IMH-E® categories.

Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement (ECMH-E®)

Each ECMH-E® category has specific work, education, in-service training, leadership, and reflective supervision/consultation requirements for children 3 through 6 and their families. In addition, Endorsement applicants will demonstrate achievement of competencies as defined in the desired category. This chart summarizes the ECMH-E® categories.

Professionals endorsed in all categories are required to participate in a minimum of 15 clock hours of specialized in-service training specific to culturally sensitive, relationship-focused practice promoting infant and early childhood mental health each year after Endorsement. It is possible for endorsed professionals to count coursework toward this requirement if the course(s) are related to the Competency Guidelines. If the endorsed professional provides Reflective Supervision/ Consultation (RS/C) to others, 3 of the 15 hours annually must be about the provision of RS/C. Ongoing membership with GA-AIMH is also required.

Professionals endorsed as IFS, IFRS, IMHS, and IMHM-C are also required to receive a minimum of 12 hours annually of Reflective Supervision/ Consultation (RS/C) from a qualified provider about the direct service, and if appropriate, the RSC they provide to others.

Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC)

RSC is distinct due to the shared exploration of the parallel process. That is, attention to all of the relationships is important, including the ones between practitioner and supervisor, between practitioner and parent, and between parent and infant/toddler. It is critical to understand how each of these relationships affects the others. Of additional importance, RSC relates to professional and personal development within one’s discipline by attending to the emotional content of the work and how reactions to the content affect the work. Finally, there is often greater emphasis on the supervisor/consultant’s ability to listen and wait, allowing the supervisee to discover solutions, concepts, and perceptions on their own without interruption from the supervisor/consultant.

Resources:

• Best Practice Guidelines for Reflective Supervision/Consultation
• Guidelines for Beginning and Maintaining a Reflective Supervision/Consultation Relationship via Distance Technology
• Digging Deeper: Decolonizing Our Understanding and Practice of Reflective Supervision Through a Racial Equity Lens with Indigo Cultural Center
• Reflective Supervision Wheel 

Endorsement Fees

Core Competencies

The Competency Guidelines for Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health® (Endorsement) are internationally recognized credentials that support and recognize the development and proficiency of professionals who work with or on behalf of pregnant people, young children, birth up to 6-years-old, and their families.

Both the Infant Mental Health Endorsement® (IMH-E®) and the Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® (ECMH-E®) are based on a set of competencies designed to support and enhance culturally sensitive, relationship-focused practice within the framework of infant and early childhood mental health. An Endorsement applicant demonstrates the acquisition of these competencies through education, work, specialized training, and reflective supervision experiences.

Working with our youngest requires specialized training and experience, and IMH-E® ensures professionals have attained a certain level of expertise with 0-3-year-olds and their families. ECMH-E® ensures that professionals have attained a specific level of expertise with 3 up to 6-year-olds and their families. Both IMH-E® and ECMH-E® are relevant for professionals across disciplines, including early care and education, prevention and early intervention, home visitation, medicine, child welfare, mental health, policy, academia, and others.

https://ga-aimh.myeasy.org/competency-guidelines