Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health’s Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health®:
Competency Guidelines®​

The Competency Guidelines® create a shared framework or "map" for professional development across all sectors and disciplines of the infant, early childhood and family field across the full spectrum of service delivery, including promotion, prevention, treatment and intervention, and macro.  Additionally, they outline the requirements for Endorsement® by guiding one's development of knowledge, skills & best practices, gained through specialized experiences (education, work, in-service training, and reflective supervision/consultation).

They are a nationally recognized set of competencies that help define best practice and guides professional growth.  All professionals who have experience working with our on behalf of infants, toddlers, young children, parents and/or caregivers and meet the educational, work, training, and reflective supervision/consultation requirements as specified at each level are encouraged to seek endorsement. 

Download the Competency Guidelines®​ Here:

You can download a copy of the Competency Guidelines® by category using the following links:
As you explore the pathway that fits best for your scope of work, please consider the following points.   Family Associate categories are primarily for professionals who have a promotion scope of work with either the 0-3 or 3-6 population.  Family Specialist categories are for professionals who generally have a prevention scope of work with either the 0-3 or 3-6 population.  Mental Health Specialist categories are for professionals who have an intervention/clinical scope of work with young children (0-3 or 3-6) and their family.  Mental Health Mentor categories are for professionals who are in macro level leadership roles in clinical, research/faculty or policy scopes of work.

*Please note there are an addendum documents below that should be downloaded that illustrate any modifications to the original documents.
rsc_requirement_changes_for_ifs-ecfs_8-2021.pdf
File Size: 199 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
pa-aimh_endorsement_time_limited_exceptions.pdf
File Size: 404 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
addendum_to_competency_guidelines®_02_02_2021.pdf
File Size: 126 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
​Copyright protection of Competency Guidelines®:
The materials supporting the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health’s Competency Guidelines® are copyrighted by the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH). The Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health (PA-AIMH) is able to make these materials available to our membership and collaborators through a licensing agreement with the MI-AIMH.

Copyright law does allow individuals to print out or make ONE copy of copyrighted material for personal, non-commercial purposes only. None of the copyrighted, endorsement documents included here may be reproduced, displayed, distributed or otherwise used in any format, including electronically, without the express written consent of MI-AIMH. Legal action will be taken against those who violate the copyright.