Latest News: CT-AIMH Offers Education and Expertise in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Thank You to All Who Participated in Giving Tuesday!
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide movement to encourage giving and celebrate generosity. This year, CT-AIMH will be asking you to please join the “generosity movement” and donate as much as you are comfortable giving.
Register Now for the CT-AIMH Virtual Fall Conference
The CT-AIMH Fall Conference will be held on Thursday December 16, 2021 from 9am-4pm. The Guest Speakers with be Dr. Marva Lewis and Susan Schnitzer. Register now!
Hear Her. You Can Help Save Her Life.
CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health is committed to healthy pregnancies and deliveries for every woman. The Hear Her campaign supports CDC’s efforts to prevent pregnancy-related deaths by sharing potentially life-saving messages about urgent warning signs.
Endorsement Updates: Language Matters
Within the Competency Guidelines and Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship Focused Practice Promoting Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health, cultural competence has been replaced with cultural humility. Cultural humility requires less emphasis on knowledge and competency and places a greater emphasis on a life-long commitment to learning through self-evaluation and critique.
Watch this Ted Talk: How Every Child Can Thrive by 5
Watch Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers, break down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children’s healthy brain development.
CT-AIMH Releases a Statement of Solidarity
Read the CT-AIMH Statement of Solidarity and join the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
What is Infant Mental Health?
Infant Mental Health concerns the relationships that infants and young children develop with their primary attachment figure, which may be a parent or other primary caregiver. Infant Mental Health, sometimes referred to as Infant Brain Health, has been defined as the developing capacity of the child from birth through age five to: experience, regulate, and express emotions; form close, secure interpersonal relationships; and explore his/her environment and learn–all within the context of family, community, and cultural expectations (Zero to Three Infant Mental Health Task Force Steering Committee, 2001).
Promoting, supporting and strengthening these early relationships in a culturally sensitive context is the work of professionals from many disciplines including health, human services, and education. When these earliest relationships are positive, responsive and predictable the stage is set for all future learning, growth, and development.
We have a shared stake to make sure babies develop sturdy brain architecture because this foundation supports a lifetime of learning and productive participation in society. A reliable caregiver who is responsive to a baby’s needs is the base for secure attachment, which allows an infant to explore and learn.
Toxic stress from broken caregiver-infant relationships can push a baby’s stress hormones into overdrive. When constantly present, these hormones disrupt brain and physical development. And babies can’t learn if their brains and bodies are working against them. The antidote to toxic stress? Affection and protection by a nurturing caregiver.
Secure attachment is a fundamental building block of social function. Children need relationships with sensitive caregivers to self-regulate, get along with others, solve problems, and be productive — the basis for civic and economic prosperity.
Who We Are
The Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health (CT-AIMH) is a professional statewide non-profit organization that offers education and expertise in infant and early childhood mental health. We promote and hold a set of Competency Guidelines®, that when they are met, lead to an Endorsement in Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant or Early Childhood Mental Health®.
Mission
CT-AIMH works to promote, support and strengthen nurturing, quality relationships for infants, young children and their caregivers, within the context of family, community and culture through education, advocacy, and professional development.
It is CT-AIMH’s hope that all infants and young children in Connecticut will experience nurturing, responsive care through strong relationships that ensure optimal social and emotional growth and development.
Mission Related Priorities
1. Increase the competency and capacity of the workforce serving infants and young children and their families.
2. Engage increasingly and visibly in public policy and advocacy.
3. Raise public awareness of the importance of promoting the mental health and wellness of the most vulnerable young children in Connecticut.
Our Affiliations
Alliance for Advancement of Infant Mental Health
World Association for Infant Mental Health
Zero to Three
For Our Babies
Contact Us
Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health, Inc.
c/o Yale Child Study Center
Attn: Linda Isakson
230 South Frontage Road
New Haven, CT 06520
Phone: 203-737-6422
[email protected]
Copyright © 2018 CT-AIMH
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