RIAIMH - What is IECMH-Endorsement®?

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Endorsement®
What is IECMH-Endorsement®?

Endorsement® is an internationally recognized credential used to demonstrate specialized knowledge and skills in the infant/early childhood mental health field. Endorsement® supports and recognizes the development of professional's work with or on behalf of pregnant people, infants, young children, and their families.

¿Qué es el Endorsement®?

What is Endorsement?

Endorsement® involves a standardized application process to determine that a professional has accumulated specialized experiences in the infant and early childhood field.

Endorsement® was developed by MI-AIMH (Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health) in 2002 and is now used by 36 state associations of infant mental health (AIMHs) and two international associations (Ireland and Australia). Each of those AIMHs is a member of the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. Through the Alliance, IECMH-Endorsement® in Rhode Island is recognized in each of the 38 AIMHs!

Why apply for Endorsement®?

Applying for Endorsement® offers an opportunity to grow and develop as a professional in the rapidly expanding field of infant, young child, and family services. It provides recognition from employers and peers, validating your competency in culturally humble, relationship-focused practices that promote infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH).

Moreover, it enhances your ability to support infants, young children, families, students, agencies, and institutions in fostering and advancing IECMH.

What are the benefits of Endorsement®?

Recognition as an expert in the field of IECMH
Recognition for your commitment to high-quality practice and for your specialized education, work experiences, training, and reflective supervision/consultation experiences.
Career and professional development
Develop your skills to apply infant mental health principles and practices to your work.
Part of a national/international credential
Supports families and enhances credibility

What are our members saying?

What Endorsement^® means to professionals, they told us:

Endorsement® has allowed them to have a better understanding of infant mental health work, that they are better prepared to work with families with very young children, that they obtained more relevant training and reflective supervision than they would have otherwise,
and that it increased their credibility.

How the Endorsement^® process benefits families, professionals told us:

They are more "well-rounded" providers due to requirements for reflective supervision and training, that they are better informed about 0-6 yr old development, attachment, and disorders because of studies for the Exam, that they are better advocates in court, and that they have increased breadth of theory and treatment approaches for 0–6-year-olds.

Do you have questions? Visit my office hours.

Virtual Office Hours:
Tuesday 12:00-1:00 pm & Thursday 9:00-10:00 am

Meeting Link

If you wish to schedule a non-office hour time, email endorsement@riaimh.org

Reciprocity

RIAIMH IECMH-Endorsement® is reciprocal across all Associations for Infant Mental Health in the Alliance.

The members of the Alliance honor reciprocity of Endorsement® across states/countries, i.e., if a professional earns IMH-E® as an IMH Specialist (IMHS) in Arizona and then later moves to Rhode Island, the IMH-E® as IMHS will be honored by the professional’s new state. If an endorsed professional moves to a non-Alliance state/country, the individual can maintain their IMH-E® with that first state/country, i.e., keep up with renewal requirements in the first state/country. When/if the endorsed professional’s new state/country joins the Alliance, their Endorsement® can be transferred at that time.