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Washington Association
for Infant Mental Health
Our Purpose
Vision
All young children in Washington experience healthy development through nurturing relationships with one or more loving, capable, and consistent caregivers
Guiding Principles
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We center relationships in our work as the basis for growth and change.
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We use reflection in our work with one another and promote the use of reflective practice in work with families of young children
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We believe that every Infant and Early Childhood provider deserves recognition, professional development and the support of reflective practice so that they can be most effective in their work.
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We recognize that disparities exist for young children and their families and we promote anti-oppressive practices to eliminate these disparities.
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We value the voices of children, parents, and caregivers and actively seek to include their voices to drive our work and make policy decisions.
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We ensure the racial, ethnic, cultural, and other identities of our members and the children and families with whom they work is honored and integrated into the work we do through diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
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We believe that supporting infant and early childhood mental health is essential policy from both social justice and fiscal points of view.
Mission
We support the professionals and systems that nurture healthy beginnings in life, because early relationships matter
What We Do
WA-AIMH is Washington’s only statewide association for all professionals who support the development of children prenatally through age six. Our role is to train, credential, advocate for and strengthen Washington’s infant and early childhood workforce in a way that is relationship-based, equitable, and informed by the communities that we serve. We also advocate for public policy matters that impact young children and families and the systems of care in our State. Though our work, we help ensure healthy communities and a well-supported, effective workforce now and in the future.
Each year we serve hundreds of professionals in diverse disciplines such as early care and education, early intervention, home visiting, child welfare, community healthcare, mental health, social work, and psychology by
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Offering Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health for those who work with children birth to age three and their families and integrate IECMH principles into their practice.
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Providing a variety of professional development and continuing education opportunities to increase skills and knowledge in the field.
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Increasing provider resiliency and well-being by promoting reflective practice and coordinating opportunities for reflective supervision/consultation.
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Increasing public awareness of how early relationships and experiences impact development.
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Fostering partnerships, policies and best practices to better support healthy development in infants, young children and their families.
Endorsement
We are dedicated to supporting those who care for infants, young children and families by ensuring they have the tools, supports, and professional development needed to provide high quality, developmentally-informed, and relationship-based services. The Endorsement credentialing system recognizes and supports infant and early childhood mental health-informed skills, knowledge, and experience among professionals that serve families of babies and young children through direct services, support services, administration, policy, or research.
Reflective Practice, Supervision, and Consultation
We provide training and ongoing supports for reflective practice and reflective supervision/consultation. These practices support infant and early childhood professionals in their work and guide them in providing optimal services to children and families, as well as increasing provider resilience and reducing burnout and turnover. We also coordinate training and reflective supervision and consultation for providers throughout the state.
Training
We offer training online and in-person, including introductory, advanced, and special topics. All of our training and professional development offerings can be applied to Endorsement and can be custom delivered for your organization.
Technical Assistance
Wondering how your team can grow its infant and early childhood mental health skill sets or how to integrate reflective practice at your organization? Our team can provide practical assistance in:
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Assessing your current trainings for alignment with infant and early childhood mental health principles
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Guiding individuals or teams through the Endorsement process
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Assisting in creating plans for organization-wide reflective practice changes
