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).
The Competency Guidelines® are comprised of 8 domains:
The Competency Guidelines® are comprised of 8 domains:
- Theoretical Foundations
- Law, Regulation & Agency Policy
- Systems Expertise
- Direct Service Skills
- Working with Others
- Communicating
- Thinking
- Reflection
The PA-AIMH COMPETENCY GUIDELINES® are divided into four categories to represent the "role" a professional may have in our early childhood system of support and services: promotion, prevention, treatment/intervention and leadership. 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.
If you are interested in receiving a copy of the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health’s Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health® Competency Guidelines please email us at pa-aimh@pa-aimh.org. Please do not copy or distribute the Competency Guidelines (see protection statement below and within the document). Individuals are encouraged to send other interested professionals to this website to request a copy of the Competency Guidelines.
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.
If you are interested in receiving a copy of the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health’s Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health® Competency Guidelines please email us at pa-aimh@pa-aimh.org. Please do not copy or distribute the Competency Guidelines (see protection statement below and within the document). Individuals are encouraged to send other interested professionals to this website to request a copy of the Competency Guidelines.
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.
History of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Competencies in PA
- February 2006- BUILD Infant-Toddler Task Force: To improve social-emotional outcomes for young children by developing leadership in the Department of Public Welfare, coordinating increased communication regarding the importance of social-emotional health in state programs, and establishing training programs in infant mental health.
- December 2007- Infant-Toddler Mental Health Symposium: Stakeholders in early childhood mental health came together for the purpose of fostering relationships and connections as Pennsylvania builds its policy leadership agenda for young children.
- May 2008: First meeting of the statewide Early Childhood Mental Health Advisory Committee charged with the development of a set of recommendations for the PA Department of Public Welfare to improve social-emotional outcomes for young children, coordinate increased communication regarding the importance of social-emotional health, and establishing training programs in infant mental health.
- September 2009: Presentation to PA DPW Secretary Richman included the following Key Recommendation related to Professional Workforce Development: Adopt and promote a set of early childhood mental health competencies for all professionals and across all levels of service provision for families with children from conception through age five.
- November 2010: First meeting to begin the establishment of the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health
- October 2014: PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was awarded a $4 million-dollar Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Children’s Health) cooperative agreement. Their strategic plan included a goal area related to workforce development strategies related to infant and early childhood mental health. PA-AIMH was invited to be represented at the State and Local level.
- September 2015: The PA Project LAUNCH Partnership generously provided funding for the purchase of the license for PA-AIMH to implement the Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health®
