This course will provide an historical, theoretical, and empirical overview of the field of infant mental health.

The different definitions and parameters of infant mental health will be explored, from promotion to prevention, intervention and treatment. Classic literature will be revisited, including the evolution of the concept from infant early care psychiatry to the pioneering work of Selma Fraiberg to modern conceptions that focus on the promotion of social emotional development and well being in the early years.

The empirical basis to practice will also be examined, focusing on how important theories of social development (e.g., attachment, temperament) are applied to infant mental health work. Emphasis is placed on how infant mental health principles provide a foundation for work with infants, toddlers, and families across all settings and disciplines.

Observing infants and toddlers over time in the context of their families and homes is the foundation for understanding parent-child relationships and for mental health assessment and intervention.

This two semester course guides participants through a process of observation, which includes visits to the family of a newborn twice each month, recording descriptive notes, and discussing the observations in a monthly seminar.

The intent of this process is to be able to describe as completely as possible what one sees, to understand the complexities of “seeing” through the lens of one’s personal experience, and to witness the narrative of a baby evolve over time.

As a foundation for infant mental health practice across settings, this course reviews a range of approaches to developmental intervention with young children with social/ emotional, behavioral and developmental concerns and their families, and addresses how the child’s and family’s strengths and vulnerabilities inform the intervention process. Emphasis is placed on the Developmental Individual differences, Relationship-based model (DIR) paradigm and DIR Floortime strategies as a comprehensive approach covering developmental capacities of the child, children’s individual differences in sensory, motor, and reactivity and the relationships that support early learning and development. Participants will learn to observe functional emotional developmental levels, understand individual sensory profiles, and implement Floortime strategies in different settings. Participants will also learn to integrate behavioral health strategies as needed to assist parents with their child’s development and with challenging behavior problems and common regulatory issues such as sleeping, feeding, toileting, discipline, and coping with stress. The course is accompanied by a clinical seminar and can be credited toward some of the requirements for a DIR certificate.