Professional Development and Trainings

Our infant mental health (IMH) faculty regularly provide on-site training to staff at human services and early intervention agencies and speak at professional development conferences across the state. All of our faculty are actively engaged in research that is described in more detail on the IMH Research Page. Most of our faculty hold the highest level of endorsement from the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health and worked as IMH clinicians and home visitors prior to earning their Ph.D. Our faculty draw on these research and clinical experiences to provide training for professionals that is understandable and usable. To inquire about having one of our faculty members conduct a training at your site you can contact individual faculty members or the IMH Program Clinical Coordinator, Carla Barron at carlacbarron@wayne.edu or (313) 664-2500.

Recent trainings and presentations:

• Meeting the Developmental and Relational Needs of Infants and Toddlers in the Child Welfare System: Presented at SCAO's 2014 conference, Working Towards Wellness in Child Welfare: Exploring Practices to Promote Well-Being, Safety, and Permanency
• Domestic Violence and Pregnancy: Understanding, Screening, Referring: Presented at Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association
• Magic Moments and Early Development: Supporting Infant and Toddler Learning Through Relationships: Keynote presented at the Coalition for Infants and Toddlers Annual State Conference, Iselin, NJ
• Reflection and its Importance in Work with Infants and Families: Macomb County Intermediate School District
• Understanding and Promoting Positive Fathering: Presented at the Forging Justice Conference. Sponsored by HAVEN, UpRoot, and the National Organization for Men against Sexism
• Pregnancy and the Adjustment to Parenthood: Early Head Start, St. Clair County
• Wiggles, Giggles and Bubbles: Supporting Social and Emotional Development in Infant and Toddler Classrooms: Woodward Early Childcare Center Consortium Conference
• Early Childhood Relational Trauma: Implications for Mental and Physical Health: Keynote presented at the Upper Peninsula Children's Coalition 2014 conference, Fostering Resilience.
• Well-Being of Maltreated Children in Foster Care: Presentation for the Wayne County Foster Care Review Board
• Domestic Violence Exposure in Early Childhood: Supporting Resilience in Young Children: Wayne Metro Head Start
• A Primer on Infant and Toddler Development: Matrix Human Services
• Implementing and Using Reflective Supervision: SCAN, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN
• Ethical and Boundary Considerations - A Focus on Home Visiting: Early Head Start, St. Clair County
• Emerging & Evidence-Based Practice in Early Childhood Mental Health: Michigan State University School of Social Work Continuing Education Series
• Turning Paperwork into Opportunity: Innovative Techniques for Sharing Assessment Findings with Families: Presented at the Upper Peninsula Children's Coalition 2014 conference, Fostering Resilience.

Collaboration and Engagement:

IMH faculty and staff are committed to improving the lives of families and young children; they regularly serve on advisory boards and committees, including the following: 

• Parenting Skills Assessment Committee; Michigan Parent-Child Visitation Taskforce
• Kids Count in Michigan Advisory Committee
• Metro-Detroit Association for Infant Mental Health Training and Education Committee
• Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Conference Committee
• Michigan Child and Family Services Review Taskforce
• Social Emotional Health Action Team, Great Start Collaborative Wayne