If a practitioner fails to update membership in F5A and/or annual Endorsement renewal hours by December 31st of any year, they will be removed from the Endorsement Registry.

If removed from the Endorsement Registry, a professional must:

-Log into EASy

-Add education, work, in-service training, and RSC experiences that have been accrued since removal from the registry

-Get three updated reference ratings (via EASy)

-Pay Endorsement Processing Fee

Reinstatement also requires a current membership with F5A. If the endorsee previously passed the exam, they do not have to retake the exam to be reinstated.

F5A cannot accept Endorsement applications from those who reside outside of Alabama. Even if the Applicant works in Alabama, if the applicant resides in another state, they must apply for Endorsement in the state in which they reside. If an applicant works in a state that has Endorsement but resides in a state that does not have Endorsement AND the applicant’s employer requires Endorsement, it may be possible for the applicant to earn Endorsement through the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. To see if Endorsement is available where you reside, please visit The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. Please contact Kelly Sipotz at ksipotz@allianceaimh.org if you think you might need to apply for Endorsement through the Alliance.

Applicants may desire to earn multiple categories of Endorsement based on their professional journey and scope of work practice. It is important to connect with the AIMH’s Endorsement Coordinator to develop an Endorsement plan that supports your professional goals.

To assure fulfillment of the Endorsement requirements as specified, an endorsed professional will “add a new Endorsement application” within their EASy application. F5A requires that this is done a minimum of 4-6weeks before the review deadline to assure that all of the requirements are understood, that there is adequate time for preparation for the IMHS/ECMHS or IMHM/ECMHM Endorsement exam, and that the application is updated with new information pertinent to the applicant’s current status (including contact information).

F5A maintains an Inactive Endorsement Registry for those who have earned Endorsement but have extenuating circumstances and are unable to meet annual renewal requirements, including those who have been sanctioned by a licensing board.

Inactive Status: Endorsed professional continues with on-going requirements for membership and 5 hours of specialized in-service training annually but is unable to fulfill the full training requirement of 15 hours and/or is unable to receive 12 hours of RSC. All categories of Endorsement are eligible for Inactive Status.

Endorsed professionals who move to Inactive Status will be removed from the Endorsement Registry and are no longer able to use the IMH-E® or ECMH-E® credential after their name or promote themselves as actively endorsed or as a provider of reflective supervision/consultation. A Reactivation Application, along with a $25 reactivation fee, can be submitted at any time to return to the Endorsement Registry. For those who have been sanctioned by a licensing board, the Reactivation Application can be submitted only after sanctions have been lifted along with documentation of such from the licensing board.

For IFS/ECFS, IFRS/ECFRS, IMHS/ECMHS and IMHM/ECMHM endorsed professionals who are no longer working in the IECMH field and no longer receiving RSC, but who wish to continue to remain on the Endorsement Registry, they will be offered the option to apply for IFA/ECFA Endorsement (through a new IFA/ECFA Application in EASy). These professionals will not need to complete the entire application, as they previously demonstrated fulfillment of the competencies and requirements through their previous application for Endorsement. Upon applying for and receiving IFA/ECFA Endorsement, these endorsed professionals will be required to follow the ongoing annual Endorsement renewal requirements of 15-hours of in-service training and maintenance of membership in F5A.

When the endorsed professional is ready to return to active status, they will complete and apply for Reactivation to Active Endorsement Registry and a check for $25 for the Reactivation Fee to F5A, 2595 Bell Road, Montgomery, AL 36117. Contact the Endorsement Coordinator for the application, First5al@apcteam.org.

Once reviewed and approved, the endorsed professional’s name will be moved from the Inactive Endorsement Registry to the Endorsement Registry. The number of training hours expected for annual Endorsement renewal will be prorated depending on the date that the application to reactivate is received. The Endorsement Coordinator will email you with the number of hours you will be expected to submit.

If an IMHS/ECMHS or IMHM/ECMHM Endorsement applicant would like an accommodation for either part of the examination, they must submit a written request to the Endorsement Coordinator at least eight weeks before the exam date. The request must detail the kind of accommodation being requested, as well as documentation of the need for an accommodation (i.e., assessment from a professional). The Endorsement Coordinator will respond to the request at least 10 days before the examination date.

F5A is committed to meeting the needs of all of its members but may not be able to grant every accommodation request. F5A will work closely with the applicant to develop a plan that offers a reasonable accommodation without compromising the integrity of the exam, the identity of the applicant, or the identity of the exam reviewers. In these instances, it may be necessary and appropriate to offer the exam on a different date in order to accommodate the applicant. If F5A is unsure of the appropriate accommodation for a special circumstance, F5A may contact the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health Quality Assurance Manager.

If an IMHS/ECMHS or IMHM/ECMHM Endorsement applicant’s primary language is something other than English, and the Applicant requests an accommodation, they can have up to an additional 60 minutes for each section of the exam, i.e., a total of 2 ½ hours for Part One and a total of 2 ½ hours for Part Two. In addition, they may take a dictionary into the examination to assist in translation (e.g., a Spanish to English dictionary). ESL accommodations do not require documentation except for a written request for the standard extension of time outlined above. If more time than the standard extension is requested, further documentation may be required.

Applicants must receive passing scores on both Part One and Part Two of the exam to earn F5A Endorsement. A passing score on Part One (the multiple-choice section) of the exam is 80%. Applicants who do not receive a passing score on Part Two of the exam (response to vignettes/scenarios) will be provided with feedback based on the exam reviewers’ remarks.

Regardless of outcome, all who take the exam will be provided with feedback based on the exam reviewers’ remarks. The feedback is offered in the spirit of promoting professional development and can help guide selection of specialized in-service training opportunities and continuing reflective supervision or consultation experiences.

Applicants must submit a written request to retake the exam at least eight weeks before the examination date. The request must be sent to the Endorsement Coordinator. Applicants must wait 6 months to retake part 1 and one year to retake part 2. There is no charge to retake either part of the exam the second time. If any applicant does not successfully pass the exam after two attempts, the applicant must: wait at least one year before taking the exam again, update their EASy application with three new reference ratings, new training/work/supervision experiences and submit their application for another review. If the applicant is approved to sit for the exam again, the applicant must pay the retake fee of $100.

A minimum of two trained exam reviewers must agree on whether or not an exam response (qualitative section) passes or not. There is no appeal process if the applicant does not agree with this decision. As stated in the Endorsement Agreement, signed by every Endorsement applicant: “The decision of F5A concerning whether or not endorsement will be granted is final and binding.”

Applicants are invited to consider the feedback offered by exam reviewers and sit for the exam again in one year’s time (see policy above, “Retakes”)

IMHS/ECMHS and IMHM/ECMHM applicants are expected to submit a completed application at least four weeks before exam date. Exam dates and application submission deadlines are posted within our Events Calendar. Applications must be submitted via EASy in their entirety*, by 11:59pm on the day of the deadline. IMHS/ECMHS and IMHM/ECMHM applications are reviewed by at least one professional who has earned Endorsement and has been trained to review applications.

If the application reviewer(s) believes the applicant is not yet ready to sit for the exam, the applicant will be given specific feedback related to the decision. F5A will provide an email to the applicant identifying strengths and gaps, as they relate to the competencies. The applicant will be invited to update their EASy application, including new reference rating forms, one year later and will be reconsidered to take the exam at that time.

Peer supervision (defined as colleagues meeting together without an identified supervisor/consultant to guide the reflective process), while valuable for many RSC experienced practitioners, does not meet the criteria for Endorsement, even if one or more of the peers has earned Endorsement at IFRS/ECFRS, IMHS/ECMHS, or IMHM-C/ECMHM-C. The provider of RSC is charged with holding the emotional content of the cases presented. The ability to do so is compromised when the provider is a peer of the presenter. Unnecessary complications can arise when the provider of RSC has concerns about a peer’s ability to serve a particular family due to the peer’s emotional response AND the provider and peer share office space, for example.