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KAIMH Connections
Resources for Early Childhood Mental Health Advocates
Updates | March, 2023
One month until the Annual KAIMH Conference - be sure to complete your registration for this exciting event! Read below to see a list of DEI focused training opportunities, an invitation to be on our IMH Endorsed® professionals visual recognition board, and meet our newest Infant Mental Health endorsee.
2023 Endorsement® Renewal requires that a minimum of 1 hour of the total 15 training hours address the topic of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.) KAIMH is committed to both offering and connecting our membership to professional development resources to meet this requirement. We have a 2.5 hour DEI focused track (LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency and Best Practices for Working with LGBTQ+ Youth and Families)beingoffered at our annual conference, April 27-28th. Below is a list of additional opportunities:
Kansas Parents As Teachers Racial Equity Awareness & Practices May 4th Register here
Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities Beyond a Celebration: Exploring Culture in Practice April 6- 13 Register here
Early Childhood Investigations
Coaching Early Educators for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging, by Anni K. Reinking, Ed.D. and Laycee Thigpen MS.Ed. April 26 Register here
First Three Years Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Early Childhood On Demand Register here
Extinguishing Bias in Early Childhood On Demand Register here
Better Kid Care 4 -part Antiracism series On Demand Register here
Cultural Understanding: Building Solid Foundations On Demand Register here
We are creating a visual recognition board of our IMH Endorsed® professionals, to be shared at our conference as well as on our website and Facebook page. If you haven't already submitted your information, please send a headshot (a photo from your phone will work great!) and how you would like your name displayed to marie@kaimh.org
Calling All Vendors and Sponsors
We are inviting vendors and sponsors to join us at our annual conference April 27-28th in Wichita, KS. Participants are home visitors, health care professionals, early educators, early childhood mental health professionals, as well as a variety of other professionals. We expect 175 attendees.
Understanding the Sensory System and Its Importance in Early Childhood Development and Social-Emotional Regulation, Allie Ticktin
11:30 - 1:00
Lunch Provided, KAIMH Annual Meeting, Alice Eberhart-Wright Visionary Award
1:00 - 4:00
Keynote continued, Allie Ticktin (snack provided)
April 28 Friday (Day 2)
8:00 - 8:15
Check in and snacks
8:15 - 11:15
Who Decides If I’m Safe: Polyvagal Theory in Infant Mental Health, George Thompson
11:15 - 12:45
Lunch on your own
12:45 - 2:00
Breakout Sessions 1&2: Nurturing the Brain Body Connection, pt. 1 Meeting the Needs of Children in Foster Care. pt.1 What We Want for Babies: The Heart of Reflective Supervision Be A Voice for Babies: Overview of Infant Mental Health LGBTQIA: Cultural Competency: Best Practices for Working with LGBTAIA Youth and Families pt.1
2:00 – 2:15
Snack break
2:15 - 3:30
Breakout Sessions 3&4: Nurturing the Brain Body Connection, pt. 2 Meeting the Needs of Children in Foster Care. pt.2 Orientation to Endorsement® Supervision: Reflective or Clinical LGBTQIA: Cultural Competency: Best Practices for Working with LGBTAIA Youth and Families pt.2
Where: Wichita State University Metroplex
5015 East 29th St N, Wichita, KS 67220
11.5 total hours of KDHE approved in-service.
Early Bird discounts are available through April 12th. Member price: $225 Non-member price: $275
Hotel rooms are available until April 12th at Hyatt Place at Wichita State University, 4703 E. 19th Street North, Wichita, KS To book your room, click here
Keynote speaker, Allie Ticktin, MA, OTD, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist & Founder of Play2Progress will be offering a 6 hour presentation on Thursday, April 27th, Understanding the Sensory System and Its Importance in Early Childhood Development and Social-Emotional Regulation.
George S. Thompson MD will be offering a 3 hour presentation on Friday, April 28th, Who Decides If I’m Safe: Polyvagal Theory in Infant Mental Health.
Breakout sessions will be offered Friday afternoon
Be a Voice for Babies: Overview of Infant Mental Health
Understanding infant mental health is foundational to the KAIMH Infant Mental Health Endorsement®. This presentation will provide an overview of infant mental health including the basics of brain development, definition of infant mental health, trauma and its impact on infant mental health, and strategies to support positive mental health for babies, families and caregivers.
What We Want for Babies: The Heart of Reflective Facilitation
Joy Hoofer, Ph.D., IMH-E® and Jessica Mostaffa, LCPC, IMH-E® independent practitioners, have had the blessing of being Reflective Consultants for individuals and groups working in the early childhood field across Kansas. In this session, they will share their knowledge and experience around what they believe is the heart of reflective consultation/supervision and how it produces what we truly want for all babies. Through moments of experiential learning, the session will provide opportunities to increase self-awareness, demonstrate the importance of the parallel process in our work and provide two RS/C frameworks. Be prepared to observe, listen, wonder and respond to all this session has to offer.
Orientation to Endorsement
The KAIMH IMH Endorsement® is a credential that supports and recognizes the development of professionals who work with or on behalf of infants, toddlers and their families. This credential uses a nationally recognized set of competencies that define best practice and guides professional growth. This presentation will discuss the process of completing Endorsement®, the value of IMH Endorsement®, an overview of KAIMH, and how Endorsement® can benefit professionals in the early childhood field.
LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency and Best Practices for Working with LGBTQ+ Youth and Families
Being culturally competent means learning new patterns of behaviors, research trends, and social cues of a specific community and then effectively applying them into our personal and professional lives. This training covers the experiences, values, and belief systems specific to LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Participants will gain a heightened sense of personal awareness to encourage a safe and positive environment for sexual and gender minorities and will identify achievable strategies and adaptations for increasing confidence when working with LGBTQ+ youth and families.
Nurturing the Brain Body Connection Physical activities that promote body integration strengthen neural pathways, which enable us to process new information and changing situations better. This workshop will help participants recognize these important connections and select activities to enhance the brain-body connection. This course is appropriate for all early care and education professionals.
Meeting the Needs of Children in Foster Care This training is designed to support providers who care for children that are in the foster care system. This training will provide a brief overview of trauma, trauma triggers, and toxic stress and how it impacts children. It will also help providers understand and support the unique needs of children in foster care and develop an understanding of how to support children with complex emotions related to trauma and family transitions. This course is appropriate for all early care and education professionals.
Supervision: Reflective or Clinical
Infant Mental Health professionals frequently focus on collaborative relationships to improve program quality and strengthen practice. However, when psychopathology creates complications, clinical supervision becomes part of the reflective supervisory approach. In such cases, supervisors must focus on four core clinical roles: Teacher, Consultant, Coach, and Mentor/Role Model if optimal outcomes are to be obtained. This presentation focuses on implementation of these roles in a clinical setting.
Congrats to our newest Infant Mental Health Endorsee!
Kelley Brummett, IMH-E®
Kelley is an early interventionist for Infant Toddler Services of Riley County. She has worked with infants and toddlers and their families for 19 years. "I am excited to complete the Infant Mental Health Endorsement as it reinforces what we do to strengthen the relationship between infants and toddlers and their families"
Are you curious about the Infant Mental Health Endorsement® (IMH-E®)? We invite you to take 11-minutes and watch a brief webinar that addresses WHAT is Endorsement®; WHY it’s beneficial to babies and families; WHO should apply; and HOW to apply. You can find the webinar here: https://vimeo.com/747705870.
We need KAIMH members interested in leading our organization into the future! If you are interested in serving, we are soliciting nominations.
How? Send us a letter of interest and your resume/vita, or fill out this handy online form and let us know why you want to serve on the KAIMH board and what skills and knowledge you would bring. Contact us at info@kaimh.org with any questions!