Introduction to Infant Mental Health - Systems of Care Model

Course overview

Learn methods for promoting comprehensive, culturally competent, and family-centered support, emphasizing home and community-based services. This training will explore the System of Care (SOC) approach, introduced in the mid-1980s to reform the mental health system for children and youth. The SOC framework promotes comprehensive, culturally competent, and family-centered support emphasizing home and community-based services. This training will cover the history of SOC in early childhood mental health, the principles of Infant Mental Health, and strategies for nurturing relationships between young children and their families. The learning objectives are 1. Understand the historical development and significance of the Systems of Care approach in providing prevention, intervention, and treatment services for infants, young children, and their families., 2. Learn the key elements and definitions of infant mental health., 3. Explore and discuss strategies for promoting infant mental health across various systems. The presenter is Kathryn Shea, LCSW and FASD United Board Member. Ms. Shea is a licensed clinical social worker with over 40 years of experience working with children with serious emotional and behavioral disorders and fetal alcohol and drug effects. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and her Master's degree in Social Work from the Univeristy of Kentucky. Kathryn is a past president of the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health and has been very involved in developing and expanding Florida's Cearly Childhood Court initiative. Ms. Shea currently serves on the board of FASD Univered (formerly NOFAS) and is an independent consultant at the local, state, and national levels. Kathyrn has received numerous awards for her work in infant mental health, FASD, and child advocacy.