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KAIMH Connections
Resources for Early Childhood Mental Health Advocates
Updates | August, 2023
Highlights in this newsletter include information on the NAMI Mental Health Summit, and a variety of free resources: Dolly Parton Imagination Library, KAIMH Fall Learning Series, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire tool, and Pyramid Model training. Also included is information on Kansas Racial Equity Collaborative’s efforts to advance the Grand Challenge: Eliminate Racism and a Reflective Supervision/Consultation course offered through the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health.
Infant Mental Health Endorsement® benefits . . .
You: It offers a way to demonstrate your expertise in working and advocating for children's mental health. Employers: It demonstrates that professionals have attained level of understanding and functioning in regards to infant mental health and infant mental health practices. The Field: It creates a common framework, language, or lens by which all professionals can view and understand the important work being done. It supports the creation of a workforce that is better equipped to create positive outcomes for the pregnant people, infants, toddlers, and families they serve. Babies & Families: Endorsement® supports the provision of high quality, culturally informed, reflective, and relationship based services.
Want to apply for Infant Mental Health (IMH) Endorsement®? Contact our Endorsement Coordinator, Beth, at beth@kaimh.org to discuss how your experience aligns with the categories and support you in beginning the application process.
Fall Learning Series
We are excited to announce our free fall learning series presented by Amittia Parker, PhD, LMSW, MPA, IMH-E®. She will be facilitating two exciting online professional development events August 24th and September 7th. Read below for more details and links to register.
Managing Emotions in Conversations on Race, Racism, and Equity.
Difficult conversations in the workplace are inevitable. In recent years there have been more discussions on race, racism, and equity, and many individuals are uncomfortable and become activated. Our fight, flight, and flee responses hijack us of the opportunity to become more aware, connect, and dialogue. Our best intentions fall short and many of us experience guilt, shame, anger, and discouragement during, and after talking about race and racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. This session will focus on sharing practical skills to interrupt this dynamic process. Steps to manage one’s emotions in difficult conversations on race, racism, and equity will be discussed. Also, participants will be invited to develop a self-regulation plan.
Event Date: Thursday, August 24th, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Centering Black Mothers and Supports for Mental Health.
Join us for this interactive discussion on Black maternal mental health, centering the voices and experiences of Black mothers. After setting the stage, a research poem developed will be shared. The poem was created to be disseminated with anyone who interacts with Black mothers and tell a story of the Black mothers’ experiences with their mental health and supports across contexts. Additionally, the poem highlights the strengths of Black mothers and their solutions. This experience will inspire critical self-reflection and action to enhance existing supports, consultation and also create better supports for Black mothers.
Event date: Thursday, September 7th, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Standing in the Gap: Rural and Frontier Access to Mental Health Care - NAMI Kansas If you are a Rural and Frontier Stakeholder and are interested in Mental Health and Access to Care within our Rural and Frontier communities in Kansas, you do not want to miss this Mental Health Summit. Join the Conversation When: AUGUST 22ND, 1PM - 5PM Where: Boot Hill Museum 500 W. Wyatt Earp Blvd, Dodge City, Kansas 67801
Sponsored by PsychU, CareSource, UCare, United Health Care, and Boot Hill Museum
Racial Equity is Our Work
A panel hosted by the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare's Center for Community Engagement & Collaboration along with Kansas Strong for Children and Families, featuring the Racial Equity Collaborative
Join us!
Please join us on Wednesday, August 16 from 10:30 to 12:30 for a discussion of the Kansas Racial Equity Collaborative’s efforts to advance the Grand Challenge: Eliminate Racism. Panelists will share stories of the Collaborative’s origins and their racial equity journey and talk with other leaders about their efforts to elevate racial equity in their domains. Participants will be inspired to center racial equity within our own organizations and arenas, because Racial Equity is Our Work. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions, share their own racial equity efforts, and reflect on how they—and all of us—can contribute to meeting this Grand Challenge.
LIVE INTERACTIVE PANEL Kansas Racial Equity Collaborative Members Merideth Rose, Cornerstones of Care Dr. Sharla Smith, University of Kansas Medical Center Dr.TyroneBates,Diversity,Equity,InclusionConsultant/Educator Moderator: Kortney Carr, KU School of Social Welfare
Free Online ASQ Subscription
Any program that provides developmental screenings or would like to start providing developmental screenings is welcome to join! To sign up or for more information, contact your local community Part C Account Administrator. You can locate yours on this ASQ contacts list. If you have any other questions, please reach out to Stacy Clarke, sclarke@ksde.org.
The magic of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is open to any child in Kansas from birth to their 5th birthday. Children receive free, age-appropriate books mailed directly to their home every month. Our goal is for every Kansas child to nurture a love for reading that will continue to enrich their lives throughout school and beyond!
There is a direct link between the IMH-Endorsement® process and Reflective Supervision/Consultation:
RSC is good for the workforce. It offers a space for professionals to consider the impact of their work on families and on themselves. It provides emotional support to the practitioner so that they, in turn, can offer that support to families so that families can offer it to their infants and young children.
RSC is a requirement for most categories and a strong recommendation for all categories of the Infant Mental Health (IMH) Endorsement® credential; it offers a reflective “relationship for learning” through which professionals integrate infant and early childhood mental health knowledge & skills into relationship-based practice.
RSC is linked to Endorsement® so that more professionals ask, “What about the baby?” which places the experience of the infant/young child at the center of the work.
The IMH Endorsement credential provides best practice standards that define the qualifications for RSC facilitators. RSC qualifications ensure that facilitators participate in professional development (initial & ongoing) and are supported by their own RSC.
Infant Toddler Package: $49 for 18 hours of instruction Birth to Five Package: $49 for 18 hours of instruction.
Culturally Responsive Practices to Reduce Implicit Bias, Disproportionality, Suspension, & Expulsion ePyramid Module: $29 for 2 hours of instruction.
Trauma-Informed Care and the Pyramid Model: $39 for 5 hours of instruction
Wellness: Taking Care of Yourself: $29 for 2 hours of instruction.
To request reimbursement, contact Lana at lana@kaimh.org.
The Florida Association for Infant Mental Health is sponsoring a training on Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC) Join national leaders in RSC in an experience that will help you build the critical self-awareness needed to re-envision your authentic voice to leverage current opportunities in your role as a reflective supervisor. Examine your own social location and its impact on professional relationships. Increase comfort with discomfort related to dialogue around ethnoracial and societal realities to find your own authentic voice. Then apply these new insights to your leadership roles.
This course is designed to meet the required 3 hours of training in the provision of Reflective Supervision/Consultation (RSC) for Endorsed Reflective Supervisors when renewing their Endorsement®. Also perfect for those training to become Endorsed Reflective Supervisors as an Infant Family Reflective Supervisor or Infant Mental Health Specialist or Mentor.
