The primary goal of the MassAIMH Competency Guidelines Task Force has been to crosswalk IMH competencies to existing state, local, and regional trainings. These trainings are designed to build a more skillful and confident workforce with experiences, materials, and learning tools that support early relationship development. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Early Education and Care and MassAIMH, and a number of additional state agencies and private partners have a strong interest in building the competence of the early childhood and family support workforces around young children’s social emotional development and mental health as demonstrated by the following:
There are four categories of competency within this system:
- Infant/Early Childhood Family Associate
- Infant/Early ChildhoodFamily Specialist
- Infant/Early ChildhoodMental Health Specialist
- Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Mentor (CLINICAL, POLICY, RESEARCH/FACULTY)
Each category recognizes the educational experiences, specialized in-service training experiences, and
work experiences appropriate for best service outcomes for infants, very young children, and families.
The above is an introduction to the Massachusetts Competency Guidelines for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health®. The complete guide is available to MassAIMH members only.