Requirements for Level IV

mi-aimh Endorsement (imh-e®) Requirements

Infant MENTAL HEALTH MENTOR (Clinical)
Infant mental Health Mentor (policy)
Infant mental health mentor (research/faculty)
level IV

 

Requirements: 

Education:

Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Education (MEd), Doctorate in Education (EdD), Master of Social Work (MSW), Master of Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Medical Degree (MD) or other degree specific to one's professional focus in infant mental health; post-graduate specialization or university certificate program; in accordance with MI-AIMH Training Guidelines and Endorsement Competencies.  Official transcript(s) required.

Applicants may ask to use intensive in-service training to fulfill some of the recommended course work.

Training:

Minimum 30 clock hours of relationship-based education and training pertaining to the promotion of social-emotional development and/or the practice of infant mental health.  Applicants will include as many hours as necessary to document that competencies (as specified in Competency Guidelines) have been met.

Specialized Work Experience in at least one of the three categories:

Clinical: Meets specialized work experience criteria as specified at Level III[1] plus three years post-graduate experience as practice leader in infant mental health (e.g., infant mental health supervisor, trainer, or consultant)

Policy:  Three years post-graduate experience as a leader in policy and/or program administration related to the infant/family field

 

Research/Faculty: Three years post-graduate experience as a leader in university-level teaching and/or published research related to the infant/family field

Examples of leader activities:

 

These lists are meant to demonstrate some of the activities in which leaders might engage.  These are not comprehensive lists.  Also, candidates would not need to engage in all the activities listed in order to earn Endorsement as an Infant Mental Health Mentor.

Clinical:

-Organize and facilitate reflective practice groups and/or IMH study groups

-Provide reflective supervision or consultation to IMH practitioners

-Participate in system of care planning initiatives

-Participate in planning for regional, statewide, or national IMH-specific conferences

-Represent IMH interests in planning for National Early Childhood, Social Service, Child Welfare, Behavioral Health and Public Health conferences

-Work to increase the preference for Endorsed personnel in contracts for services, child care rating schemes

-Work to address reimbursement issues for IMH services

-Leadership in local/state IMH association

 

Policy:

-Provide feedback to state agencies on current & proposed policies that promote IMH practices

-Provide presentations on IMH, its importance, and its role in all early childhood disciplines/systems

-Participate in planning groups promoting IMH within early childhood systems

-Participate in regional-, state-, & national-level policy making groups, representing IMH principles

-Publish Policy Briefs, White Papers, or Position Statements addressing IMH

-Provide analysis of the impact of proposed legislation or policy on the populations served through IMH service delivery systems

-Work to address reimbursement issues for IMH services

-Work to increase the preference for Endorsed personnel in contracts for services, child care rating schemes

-Leadership in local/state IMH association

Research/Faculty:

-Provide leadership in graduate certificate IMH programs

-Participate in inter-departmental efforts to integrate IMH competencies into appropriate syllabi

-Participate as member of doctoral candidate’s committee when IMH-related topics are proposed

-Participate in planning for regional, statewide, or national IMH-specific conferences

-Present and/or publish on topics related to the promotion or practice of infant mental health

-Leadership in local/state IMH association


[1]  2 years, post-graduate, supervised work experiences providing culturally sensitive, relationship-focused, infant mental health services.   This specialized work experience must be with both the infant/toddler and his/her biological, foster, or adoptive parent on behalf of the parent-infant relationship. Infant mental health services will include concrete assistance, advocacy, emotional support, developmental guidance, early relationship assessment, and parent-infant/young child relationship-based therapies and practices.  These therapies and practices may include but are not limited to parent-infant psychotherapy, interaction guidance, and child-parent psychotherapy.  These therapies and practices are intended to explore issues related to attachment, separation, trauma and unresolved losses as they affect the development, behavior and care of the infant/young child.

Please see Level III requirements for additional details.

Requirements, continued:

Reflective Supervision/Consultation:

Relationship-focused, reflective supervision/consultation with an approved supervisor/consultant, individually or in a group. Minimum: 50 clock hours within a 1-year minimum to 2-year maximum time frame.  (Required for Clinical; optional for Policy or Research/Faculty).

Three Professional Reference Ratings:

 

(Please note: At least one reference rating must come from someone who has earned endorsement at Level II, III, or IV)

Clinical:

1.  One from current program supervisor, teacher, trainer, consultant or colleague

2.  One from person providing reflective supervision/consultation

3.  One from a supervisee/consultee

Policy:

1.  One from current program supervisor, teacher, trainer or consultant, if applicable

2.  One from person providing reflective supervision/consultation, if applicable

3.  If no one available from first two categories, candidate may ask three colleagues

Research/Faculty:

1.  One from current department supervisor or chair if he/she is familiar with IMH.  If not, ask a colleague

2.  One from person providing reflective supervision/consultation, if applicable.  If not applicable, candidate may ask a colleague

3.  One from a student taught and/or supervised by the candidate

Code of Ethics & Endorsement Agreement:

Signed

Documentation of Competencies:

1.   Professional portfolio will document that requirements and competencies have been adequately met through specialized education, in-service training, work, and, for Clinical candidates, through reflective supervision/consultation experiences.

2.   Successful completion of the MI-AIMH written examination.

Professional Membership:

Membership in MI-AIMH or another infant mental health association.

 

Continuing Endorsement Requirements:

Education and Training:

Minimum of 15 clock hours per year of relationship-based education and training, pertaining to the promotion of social-emotional development and/or the practice of infant mental health (e.g. regional training, related course work at colleges or universities, infant mental health conference attendance).  For those who earn endorsement at Level IV-Clinical and provide reflective supervision or consultation to others, it is recommended that at least 3 of the hours of specialized training be about reflective supervision or consultation.  

Professional Membership:

Annual renewal of membership in MI-AIMH or another infant mental health association.

Effective for calendar year 2013 - Reflective Supervision:  

MI-AIMH requires that all Endorsed professionals at Levels II, III, and IV-Clinical receive reflective supervision or consultation. It is especially important for Endorsed professionals who provide reflective supervision or consultation to participate in reflective experiences (individual or group) while providing reflective supervision or consultation to others.  Professionals who have maintained endorsement at Level IV-Clinical for at least three years are no longer required to receive reflective supervision/consulation, however it is still recommended.

 

 

In order to renew the MI-AIMH Endorsement® annually, endorsed professionals will:

a) Maintain membership in MI-AIMh or another IMH association

b) Submit an E-form for Renewal that documents a minimum of 15 hours of specialized in-service training and (beginning for calendar year 2013) 12 hours of reflective supervision/consultation received.  

The E-form for Renewal covers the calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31) and is due no later than Jan 31 of the subsequent year.  To read more, go to http://www.mi-aimh.org/endorsement-policies