IECMH Resources
Trauma and Toxic Stress
Neuroscience has shown that trauma and toxic stress experienced by infants and young children can have negative consequences on early brain development and can lead to negative lifelong developmental, mental, and health outcomes. IECMH practices and services can promote a child's resilience, as well as developmental and mental health outcomes, through supporting nurturing relationships with parents and other adults in the child's life.
For more information on trauma and toxic stress, see:
- National Chld Traumatic Stress Network — Early Childhood Trauma
- Center for the Developing Child — A Guide to Toxic Stress
- Child Maltreatment: Referral Requirements under CAPTA and IDEA
National Organizations
Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
AIMH supports over 33 member Affiliated Associations for Infant Mental Health (AAIMs), including licensing of the endorsement process and competencies. State AAIMs provide a range of professional development, supports and advocacy related to the promotion of IECMH policies and funding mechanisms.
The California Association for Infant Mental Health (CalAIMH) is an independent AIMH.
See also: Specific Disability Populations and Children At-Risk: Mental Health and Challenging Behaviors
Center of Excellence for IECMH Consultation (IECMHC)
IECMHC provides technical assistance to increase access to high-quality mental health consultation across an array of early childhood programs and includes resources and professional development.
The Children's Bureau Learning and Coordination Center (CBLCC)
The ACF Video Series on Early Childhood Social Emotional Development and Mental Health and Caregiver Well-Being spotlights the importance of integrating support well-being of caregivers, and includes a module on Building Systems to Meet the Social-Emotional Needs of Every Child.
Why Does It Matter?
Parent Well-Being Matters
Caregiver Well-Being Matters
Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families
- Medicaid Policies to Help Young Children Access Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Services: Results from a 50-State Survey (2003) — reports on state Medicaid agency leaders' policies related to screenings and services designed to identify, prevent, and treat infant-early childhood mental health problems.
National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
- PRiSM: Promoting Research-informed State Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Policies and Scaled Initiatives (2019) is a searchable collection of research-informed IECMH policies and research on key IECMH strategies
- Child Welfare and Early Intervention: Policies and Practice to Promote Collaboration and Help Infants and Toddlers Thrive (2022) examines strategies and policies to support access to Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers involved in Child Welfare based on case studies from Colorado, Rhode Island, and Texas
The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI)
NCPMI supports the capacity of state systems and local programs to implement the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. NCPMI is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs, and provides a range of tools and resources, professional development, and technical assistance.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Mothers' Difficult Childhoods Impact Their Children's Mental Health (2023) — this study indicattes how difficult times during childhood can affect mental health an an adult during pregnancy and after giving birth, and suggests breaking the transmission of risk by providing intervention and support during these critical time periods.
ZERO TO THREE
ZERO TO THREE provides an array of resources through their Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Policy Series.
Webinars
IECMH and Early Intervention (Part C) (2022)
Theo webinars presented in collaboration with Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (CCHD), National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI), and ZERO TO THREE address IECMH policies and practices to promote the social-emotional development and mental health of infants and toddlers in the context of relationships.
Part 1: IECMH Screening, Assessment, and Eligibility
Part 2: IECMH Practices and Services
Resources
- Early On Michigan Established Conditions
- Social and Emotional Health A Guide for Families with Children Birth to Age 8 (Michigan Department of Education, 2019)
- Medicaid-funded Behavioral Health Services: Ages 0–6 (Georgia Department of Community Health, 2022)
Supporting Social-Emotional and Mental Health Needs of Young Children Through Part C Early Intervention: Results of a 50-State Survey (2022)
This webinar presents key findings from a 50-state survey from the National Center for Children and Poverty (NCCP) and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF) on supports for social-emotional and mental health needs in Part C Early Intervention.
Topics include: screening, referral, and evaluation; eligibility; services for eligible and ineligible children; and collaboration, including referrals under CAPTA and Medicaid funding.
Presenters from NCCP, CCF and ECTA use the survey to discuss opportunities for strengthening state Part C policies and their implementation. They also highlight examples of promising state policies and practices.