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The Working Model of the Child Interview is a structured clinical interview that assesses a caregiver’s internal representations, or working models, of their relationship with a particular child. It helps clinicians better understand how caregivers think and feel about their young children. The Working Model of the Child Interview can be one very helpful component of a larger, comprehensive relationship assessment that informs dyadic IECMH clinical treatment.

The Crowell Procedure provides a method of assessing caregiver-young child interactions in a clinical setting. The procedure is designed to elicit behaviors that allow the clinician to focus on the relationship between a child and their caregiver in a setting that is unstructured enough to allow for “real-life” or spontaneous interactions. Observational assessment of a dyad using the Crowell can be one very helpful component of a larger, comprehensive infant/young child-caregiver relationship assessment that informs dyadic IECMH clinical treatment.

DC:0-5™ is the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood published by ZERO TO THREE. DC:0-5 was created to provide developmentally specific, relationship based and contextually grounded diagnostic criteria and information about mental health disorders in infants and young children. There are two different trainings to meet the needs of all infant and early childhood professionals:

• The DC:0-5 Clinical Training Institute is designed for advanced practitioners such as mental health clinicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, nurse practitioners and early interventionists who are responsible for clinical diagnosis. The training allows clinicians to have in-depth knowledge of the approach and content of DC:0-5 and to practice application of this nosology with the support of peers and certified ZTT trainers through activities and case examples.
• The DC:0-5 Overview training is designed for allied professionals who work with infants, young children and their families and want a better understanding of infant and early childhood mental health and the emotional and behavioral challenges very young children may experience. These workshops will support professionals to spot the early signs of distress in young children and feel more comfortable and confident in making referrals to mental health services, when indicated.

Circle of Security has established a parenting reflection program offering the core components of the evidence-based and internationally acclaimed Circle of Security protocol. This 4-Day seminar trains professionals to use an eight-chapter video to reflect with parents and caregivers. The program presents video examples of secure and problematic parent/child interaction, healthy options in care giving, and animated graphics designed to clarify principles central to COSP. COSP implements decades of attachment research in an accessible step-by-step process for use in group settings, home visitation, or individual counseling.

This program works with parents and caregivers to help them:

• Understand their child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
• Support their child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
• Enhance the development of their child’s self esteem
• Honor the innate wisdom of and desire for their child to be secure

Awareness and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are a vital component of infant and early childhood mental health. We offer the following options in collaboration with Postpartum Support International:

2-day Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care
This two-day course, taught by expert and engaging faculty, uses a thorough, evidence-based curriculum designed for psychiatrists, nurses, physicians, social workers, mental health providers, childbirth professionals, social support providers, and anyone interested in building skills for assessment and treatment of perinatal mood disorders.

Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy
PSI’s Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy Training is an evidence-based curriculum designed for mental health and psychotherapy providers who have previously completed at least fourteen hours of perinatal mental health training. This advanced training covers differential diagnosis, evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches, and advanced therapeutic issues. It combines expert presentation with case studies, group discussion, and practical examples of treatment approaches.

Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychopharmacology
The PSI Perinatal Psychopharmacology Advanced Training, provided by perinatal psychiatric experts, is an evidence-based training on psychiatric prescribing during pregnancy and lactation. It is designed for psychiatric prescribers who have previously completed at least fourteen hours of perinatal mental health training. This advanced training combines expert presentation with case studies, group discussion, and practical examples. It is an interactive, case-based advanced seminar, covering differential diagnosis, medication challenges, and your questions.

The Diversity-Informed Tenets for Work with Infants, Children, and Families are a set of guiding principles that raise awareness about inequities and injustices embedded in our society. The Tenets empower individual practitioners, agencies and systems of care to identify and address the social justice issues intricately intertwined with all infant mental health work. The Tenets are rooted in belief that self-awareness and intentional action are the cornerstones of principles of equity and inclusion. The Tenets are a product of the Irving Harris Foundation Professional Development Network.

The Colorado Foundations of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health for Early Childhood Professionals and Partners is an 8-module foundational training to provide participants with a shared understanding and common language of infant and early childhood mental health principles. The training is geared toward allied professionals such as early intervention providers, early care and education providers, home visitors, and other early childhood providers across a broad array of disciplines. (However, it is not intended to replace advanced clinical knowledge and training that would prepare a professional to provide evidenced-based clinical treatment). Further, the curriculum content supports the Competencies associated with the IMH Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health IMH-E®, which facilitates the growth of necessary knowledge for those professionals seeking Endorsement.

This broad, foundational level training is customizable based on the audience. Topics include definition of infant and early childhood mental health, the importance of relationships in the early years, brain development in the first five years, and impact and symptoms of trauma and adverse childhood experiences.