Infant Mental Health (IMH) and Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Endorsement® for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health (IMH-E®) and (ECMH-E®) are internationally recognized credentials that support and recognize the development and proficiency of professionals who work with or on behalf of young children, ages zero through five, and their families.

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Each is 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 applicant demonstrates acquisition of these Competencies® through education, work, specialized training, and reflective supervision experiences.

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Working with our youngest citizens requires specialized training and experience, and IMH and ECMH Endorsement® ensures professionals have attained a certain level of expertise with very young children and their families. IMH and ECMH Endorsement® is 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.

 

Endorsement is available across diverse specialties spanning the promotion, prevention, intervention continuum of care. Individuals apply for the IMH and ECMH Endorsement® that best matches their knowledge, skills, and experiences.

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Why pursue Endorsement?

• For Yourself: Endorsement enhances your professional credibility and your confidence in working with pregnant people, infants, young children and their families.

• For Children and Families: Endorsement supports the provision of high quality, culturally informed, reflective, and relationship based services to pregnant people, infants, toddlers and their families across a variety of disciplines, systems, and early childhood workforce sectors.

• For Communities: Endorsement provides assurance to families, agencies, employers and the public at large that the endorsed professional meets high standards of care.

• For Employers: Endorsement signifies that professionals have attained a specified level of functioning and understanding about the promotion of IMH and relationship-based approaches.

• For the Field: Endorsement supports professional development and career planning within an organized framework and creates a supported, competent, high quality workforce that is better equipped to create positive outcomes for the pregnant people, infants, toddlers and families they serve.