Screening and assessment of young children's mental health is complex yet imperative to ensure children are able to access supports and services tailored to their unique needs. These screenings and assessments need to be done within the context of the child's primary relationships. In the following webinar, we will introduce participants to the importance of screening and assessing for infant and early childhood mental health. We will use case vignettes to explore the importance of a relationship-based approach with families. This session will include discussion on the importance of a whole-child perspective that considers them in the context of their family and culture.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to articulate the importance of screening and assessment for infant and early childhood mental health disorders
Participants will understand how a relationship-based approach supports a whole-child perspective in screening and assessment
Participants will be able to name 1 tool for screening and/or assessing mental health with infants and/or young children
Our Presenters:
Mary Wise-Kriplani, PhD, LCSW, is Project Director of the Advancing Resources for Children (ARCh) Project: Connecting NC’s Systems to Strengthen Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Outcomes and clinical faculty with the NC Child Treatment Program at the Center for Child and Family Health, and a DC:0-5™ trainer endorsed by ZERO TO THREE. Her work focuses on developing a state workforce skilled at assessing and treating mental health disorders experienced in early childhood. She has particular interests in supporting young children who have experienced trauma, grief, and family death.
Karen Appleyard Carmody, PhD, LCSW, is the Director of Early Childhood Prevention Programs at the Center for Child and Family Health and a licensed psychologist and Associate Professor in the Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. For over 25 years, her clinical and research focus has been on infant mental health, child-parent attachment, early childhood trauma, and evidence-based practices to address these issues. Dr. Carmody directs three evidence-based home visiting programs serving over 1,500 families annually. She co-leads several training and evaluation efforts to in early childhood mental health assessment (including being a certified ZERO TO THREE DC:0-5TM trainer) and early childhood evidence-based interventions (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy).
