Endorsement
Why Endorsement?
The infant and early childhood workforce deserves specialized support, recognition and credentialing. It drives enhanced relationship-based services for babies and families and builds capacity across our workforce.
Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health® is an internationally recognized, evidence-informed system of IECMH competencies promoting your expertise and offering career development pathways.
Professionals pursuing an Endorsement designation complete specialized education, work, in-service training and reflective supervision/consultation in a specific category.
Have questions about Endorsement? Contact Endorsement Coordinator Lacretia Powell at endorsement@scimha.org.
Which category is right for you?
Family Associate
Family Specialist
Mental Health Specialist
Mental Health Mentor
Endorsement Benefits
Transform the way you view, wonder, consider, understand and respond to the infants, young children and families you serve.
- Greater knowledge about infant mental health
- Strengthened confidence in providing services
- Enhanced ability to identify needed family supports
- Lessened bias when providing services
- Heightened inspiration for the work
- Increased credibility among peers and other agencies
- Additional hiring opportunities with higher salaries
- Inclusion in peer network with ongoing professional development opportunities
Who can earn a designation?
Endorsement is open to current SCIMHA members interested in demonstrating expertise in infant and early childhood mental health. Even if your background is not in mental health, the Endorsement framework supports our very diverse, multi-disciplinary workforce and benefits fields like:
- Early childhood center professionals (child care and preschool directors, teachers, family child care home providers)
- Early interventionists
- Home visitors
- Pediatricians
- Nurses
- Mental health consultants and clinicians
- Family support specialists/case managers
- Social workers
- Child welfare
- Physical therapists, occupational therapists
- Speech therapists
- Lactation consultants
- Midwives, doulas
- Program administrators, policymakers, researchers, professors
Most professionals who start the Endorsement application process already have several hours of training and experience that can be applied to their application; very few are required to start from scratch. SCIMHA’s Endorsement team supports applicants throughout the process.
Support Endorsement at your agency.
Learn how you can advocate for the recognition and integration of infant and early childhood mental health expertise at your agency.
Endorsement Competency Guidelines
Competency Guidelines (MI-AIMH © 2017) for Endorsement provide a framework for identifying knowledge, skills and reflective practice approaches important to all workforce sectors serving very young children. Read the guidelines to learn more.
Copyright law allows individuals ONE copy of these materials 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 copyright.