Latest News
Letter of Hope with Professional Development Opportunities
Click here to read the recent CT-AIMH Letter of Hope and see the online COVID-19 bulletin board of resources for IMH professionals, along with a number of professional development opportunities.
Save the Date for the CT-AIMH 2020 Spring Conference
September 15 &16, 2020 on the topics of Substance Use and Homelessness and how they affect the infant/young child relationship with their adult caregivers.
CT-AIMH Offers an Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement®
CT-AIMH Endorsement Opportunities Expand to include an Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® (ECMH-E®). The ECMH-E® is meant to provide a path to Endorsement® for professionals who are promoting and implementing infant and early childhood mental health...
Participate in a Survey on Early Relational Health by January 20
This survey will inform the important work Dr Willis is now doing to frame Early Relational Health so that communities can more fully understand what we all know: Early relationships are critical to all health, development, and well-being. Please consider taking the survey (linked below) and sharing the link with colleagues by January 20. Thank you!
CT-AIMH Membership database
CT-AIMH is excited to announce our new Membership database. You can now sign-up, and renew your membership through MyCT-AIMH. This system helps you keep track of your own membership. Annual membership runs from January-December of each year. If you sign up for...
CT-AIMH Announces new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to begin in January 2020
CT-AIMH Announces new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to begin in January 2020. More information to follow.
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
ctaimh@yale.edu
Copyright © 2018 CT-AIMH
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