The Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC)

Mission: To promote the mental health of young children, their families, and staff in early childhood settings across the country through high-quality infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC). The Center aims to support the growth and advancement of the IECMHC profession via training, technical assistance, and resource development. Equity and diversity are central to IECMHC, with a focus on battling racism and promoting fair, positive, and equitable learning experiences for children and families. The Center helps IECMHC leaders and practitioners understand systemic racism, bias, and culturally responsive practices, embedding equity into their programs and practices.**

Services:

• Programmatic Support: Provides technical assistance to state, local, territorial, tribal, and national stakeholders through educational sessions, webinars, and targeted approaches.
• Professional Development: Offers resources and training for current and aspiring IECMHC professionals, guided by national competencies.
• IECMHC Clearinghouse: Serves as a repository for best practice resources related to developing and maintaining IECMHC programs.
• Fostering Connections: Promotes networking among IECMHC professionals via conferences, listservs, virtual communities, and newsletters.

Impact:

• Disseminated over 70 reports, training modules, videos, and resources.
• Hosted over 30 webinars and two national conferences.
• Registered over 11,000 subscribers to its listserv, raising awareness of IECMHC best practices and professional development opportunities.

Additional Information:

• Operates in partnership with Tulane University, the Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State University, and other national IECMHC leaders.
• Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under grant number 1H79SM082070-01.
• Focuses on embedding equity, diversity, and culturally responsive practices into early childhood mental health services.