This course is part of a larger series of sessions that combine to make up the Orientation to the Illinois Model of Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC). There are four sections to this course that must be complete prior to the start of the live zoom sessions:
- Vignette Assessment (assesses the familiarity with the competencies in the Illinois Model of I/ECMHC and an individual plan on how to increase knowledge of those competencies)
- Introduction to the Illinois Model of I/ECMHC
- Introduction to the Pyramid Model
- Community Systems Partnerships & Early Childhood Systems.
It is estimated to take approximately 3-4 hours to complete this online course.
All portions of the Orientation to the Illinois Model must be finished (this online course and all live Zoom sessions) for full credit of completion to be given.
Contact Hours: 4 hours Gateways Content Areas: PPD (4 hours) CDA Content Areas: PRO(4)
What is Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation?
This training will define Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (/IECMHC), and explore various aspects of the history, components, and effects. This module will explain how I/ECMHC operates through a systems perspective, providing a range of services and strategies to create, strengthen, and maintain a supportive environment that enhances the social and emotional development of all infants and young children. I/ECMHC works within and across all child-serving settings (e.g., early care and education, home visiting, child welfare, child care, and at times primary care settings.)
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (2hours) CDA Hours: 6(2 hours)
A Systems Framework: Understanding the Process of I/ECMH Consultation
This module addresses the systems that I/ECMHC interfaces with. Participants will learn about system’s perspectives generally and begin to understand the settings that I/ECMH consultants work within, both formal and informal. The module explores how learning and change take place and supports consultants toward understanding their role and their relationships as change agents toward better child and family outcomes within a systems context.
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (2hours) CDA Hours: 6(2 hours)
The Role of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Professional
This module will discuss the services
offered by infant and early childhood mental health informed professionals as
well as the skills and strategies used by infant and early childhood mental
health professionals in working with infants, young children, and
families.
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (2hours) CDA Hours: 6(2 hours)
Exploring the Types of I/ECMH Consultation
This module will introduce the learner to the key types of infant/early childhood mental health consultation services and the various settings and contexts to which they apply. The learner will gain strategies for discerning the level and type of service appropriate for specific referrals for I/ECMHC in different settings to be most effective. The learner will have the opportunity to look at consultation through a varying lens of services by observing a child/classroom setting through video recording.
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (2hours) CDA Hours: 6(2 hours)
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant’s Way of Being
The “Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant’s
Way of Being” training offers an individual instruction in providing
consultation to early childhood professionals in home visiting, center-based,
family child care homes, and school-based early childhood programs. This training describes the set of competencies
required by I/ECMH Consultants that are based on Georgetown University’s Center
of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. Participants will also explore the Consultative Stance adopted for use by
I/ECMH Consultants using the Illinois Model for Consultation.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Considerations
This module is an extension of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion module of the Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant orientation and to further explore Competency 3 of the IL Model of I/ECMHC, an Ability to Work Effectively Throughout Diverse Cultures and Communities. This module will investigate what diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) mean for the I/ECMHC and how to put these considerations into practice. This module places a heavy emphasis on self-reflection and journaling.
Contact Hours: 3 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (3 hours) CDA Hours: 6(3 hours)
Thinking Through the Business Aspects of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
This training provides Infant/Early Childhood
Mental Health Consultants with information and resources to assist them in
working successfully as an independent contractor. Key concepts include the
differences between working as an agency employed consultant and providing your
services as an independent contractor. We will explore ways you can assess your
preferred style of work, specific information on the essential business aspects
of independent consulting, and ways to keep accurate records and documentation
of your work. After this training, participants will have a deeper understanding of these
key concepts and others that will help you make decisions and get started in
the work as an independent consultant in Illinois.
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (2hours) CDA Hours: 6(2 hours)
Supporting the Stressed-Out Early Educator: Managing Stress and Children’s Behaviors in the Early Education Setting
This training is designed for Illinois Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants wishing to deepen their understanding of stress and how it impacts the early educator and the children that they serve. In addition, participants will explore the importance of having a trauma-informed and relationship-focused approach when managing children’s behaviors often associated with stress or adding to the stress that educators experience. Participants will utilize reflective practice as a means to explore these topics and will require participants to challenge their current perspectives on challenging classroom behaviors.
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (2hours) CDA Hours: 6(2 hours)
Supporting Teachers in Consultation by Mastering Principles of Adult Learning Theory
Designed to introduce an understanding of the Principles of Adult Learning in the I/ECMH Consultant’s role. Because adult learners receive information differently, it is important to understand what is required when working with them in consultation. Consultants in this training will build a foundation for their work with teachers by exploring the various types of learning theories and discovering strategies for their use. Information learned in this training will assist the consultant in supporting teachers’ goals of enhancing children’s social, emotional, and mental development by enhancing the social, emotional, and mental climate of their classroom.
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Gateways Content Area: PPD (2hours) CDA Hours: 6(2 hours)Attachment Theory: Recognizing
Patterns and Behaviors
This module will introduce the learner to attachment theory and its history. Attachment patterns and how they are assessed will be reviewed. The learner will have the opportunity to observe children with both secure and insecure patterns of attachment through video recordings. Characteristics of infants and young children with each of the four primary attachment patterns will be described as well as characteristics of caregivers of children in the four primary attachment categories.
Contact Hours: 3 Hours Gateways Content Area: Personal and Professional Development (2 hours) and Observation and Assessment (1 hour) CDA Hours: 6- Professionalism (2 hours) and 7-Observing/Recording Behavior (1 hour)
