Infant Mental Health Concepts in Home Visiting

Rebecca Hein, MS MFTEarly Head Start, Green County

Nora Bacher, BAUniversity of California, Berkeley

Project Overview

Pre-production: EHS, Certificate program

Aim: To see how IMH concepts were present or absent from home visiting

Production: Video recorded interviews and home visits

Post-production: Identified and connected common themes that arose naturally in interviews

Ongoing product: Share as a tool to think more deeply about our work and improve integration on IMH concepts

Goals of Today

1. Co-construct meaning vs directive lecture

2. Show concepts from real-life staff and families to deepen thinking

3. Reflect on our work—how are you using these concepts and where might add more?

4. Consider challenges to implementation

5. Promote vulnerability

Foundational Concepts

Infant Mental HealthRelationship-Based PracticeReflective Practice

Infant Mental Health

"Infant Mental Health" is defined as the healthy social and emotional development of a child from birth to 3 years; and a growing field of research and practice devoted to the:Promotion of healthy social and emotional

development;Prevention of mental health problems; andTreatment of the mental health problems of

very young children in the context of their families.

-Zero to Three

Reflective Practice & Supervision

Reflective PracticeThe ability to examine one’s thoughts and feelings related to professional and personal responses within the infant and family field.

(Adapted from Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health)

Reflective Supervision“The process of examining, with someone else, the thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions evoked in the course of working closely with young children and their families.” (Eggbeer, Mann, and Seibel 2008).

Relationship-Based Practice

Early developing relationships between parents and young children are the foundation for optimal growth and change.

The working relationship between parents and professionals is valued as the instrument for therapeutic change.

All relationship experiences, past and present, are valued as significant to one’s capacity to nurture and support others.

(adapted from Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health)

Other Concepts and Techniques

• Ecological Thinking• Developmental Guidance• Parallel Process• Strengths Based• Individualized• Child Focused and Family

Centered• Scaffolding• Holding• Emotional Support• Speaking for baby• Modeling• Mirroring

Infant Mental HealthRelationship-Based Practice

Reflective Practice/Supervision

Ecological Thinking

Based on Bronfenbrenner, U. 1979. The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press

Ecological Thinking

Ecological Thinking

Katie Home Visitor

Ecological Thinking

Katie Home Visitor

Developmental Guidance

NikkieEarly Head Start

Participant

Developmental Guidance

NikkieEarly Head Start

Participant

Developmental Guidance

AshleyEarly Head Start Participant

Developmental Guidance

Katie Home Visitor

Developmental Guidance

Jamie, Taylor, Tristan & NoraHome Visit

Parallel Process

Brittany & LukeEarly Head Start Participants

Parallel Process

Brittany & LukeEarly Head Start Participants

Parallel Process

Katie Home Visitor

Relationship-Based Practice

Katie Home Visitor

Relationship-Based Practice

AshleyEarly Head Start Participant

Relationship-Based PracticeHolding

Brittany & LukeEarly Head Start Participants

Relationship-Based Practice

Relationship-Based PracticeSupporting Family Relationships

Reflective Practice

Katie Home Visitor

Jill’s Story

JillHome Visitor

Reflective Supervision

JillHome Visitor

Relationship-Based PracticeDevelopmental Guidance

Jill Home Visitor

Sarah’s Story

Sarah Home Visitor

Reflective Supervision

Sarah Home Visitor

Reflective Supervision

SarahHome Visitor

Reflective Supervision

SarahHome Visitor

Reflections

Challenges to Implementation

Acknowledgments

Green County EHS Families and StaffDane County Parent Council, Inc.Infant, Early Childhood, and Family Mental

Health Capstone Certificate ProgramWisconsin Department of Children and

Families

Bonus: Goal Setting

Bonus: Crackers and Crumbs

Bonus: Cute