North Carolina Infant Mental Health Association

Workforce Development

NCIMHA has facilitated the development of a set of core Competencies for infant and young child social-emotional health for our state’s current and future workforce. The Competencies reflect the expected standards for the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for effective practice with infants, young children and their families, and are intended to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration.

We offer these Competencies for integration into pre- and in-service curricula. Sorted into categories, the Competencies are geared for a wide variety of professionals ranging from anyone working with infants, young children and their families to licensed mental health therapists—and everyone in between.

Attention early childhood professionals and community members working with young children ages 5 and under in any capacity:

A free, on-line, self-guided training version of Nurturing the Brain!

Whether as an introduction or as a refresher, participants will learn about early brain development, social and emotional health and the development of resilience in children birth to 5. Click here for a summary of the three training modules.

Developed and updated by Dr. Betty Rintoul, the modules are available through the NC Early Learning Network at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC Chapel Hill. Click here to access these training materials.

For brief background about Nurturing the Brain, click here.

Make a difference!

We have established an Annual Conference Scholarship Fund to provide full-time students and other deserving groups with deep discounts to our annual conference. This fund was inspired by a seed donation early in 2018 by Melissa Johnson, past NCIMHA board president and infant mental health advocate. To subsidize registration fees, we need to keep this fund replenished. The more donations, the more accessible we can make our conference in 2019 and beyond. Give today!

Social and emotional problems impair up to 10-14% of children nationally and the consequences impact society beyond measure. Prevention and early intervention are the solution. Working for the positive emotional, social and cognitive development of children from birth to age five is the purpose of the North Carolina Infant & Young Child Mental Health Association. At the heart of it is our state’s most precious resource. And a more prosperous future for all.

A developing story

The national research is startling: emotional health problems impair 10-14% of children from birth to age five. In North Carolina, this equates to approximately 91,000 children. [About]

Early connections are critical

“Early nurturing, learning experiences and physical health from ages zero to five greatly impact success or failure in society.” – James Heckman, Professor, University of Chicago, Winner of the Nobel Prize.  [Resources]

This is a cry for help

Your support of North Carolina’s infants and young children will help underwrite a more productive and healthy society. [Give]