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The
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Program
prepares students and professionals to address the
mental health needs of children ages birth to five.
This interdisciplinary program covers
foundations of infant and early childhood mental health,
observation, assessment, prevention and intervention, and reflective
supervision. Infant and early childhood mental health is an
emerging area of scholarship, research, and outreach that can be
applied to many areas of work with young children and families. By
identifying problems and providing for treatment early during a
child’s development, professionals can promote optimal outcomes for
individuals, families, and communities.
Offered by the College’s Center for Early Education and Development
(CEED) in partnership with the Institute of Child Development (ICD),
the program is geared to the needs
of social workers, teachers, nurses, therapists, early intervention
specialists, program administrators, child development specialists,
and policy makers.
Dual Tracks
Two program tracks are
offered in the IECMH program. The Clinical Track
is geared to the needs of licensed mental health professionals
(e.g., psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family
therapists, psychiatrists) who wish to build their knowledge and
skills in infant and early childhood mental health, and reflective
consultation. The Community Track is designed primarily for
front-line professionals who work with young children and their
families (e.g., public health nurses, parent educators, child
welfare workers, early interventionists) who
often confront complex mental-health issues.
Cohort Model
The certificate program
follows a cohort model. Students are admitted only at the beginning
of a two-year cycle and progress through the program as a group.
Academic
Credit or CEUs
The IECMH Program may be taken
for academic credit or continuing education units (CEUs). The
program offers 16-20 academic credits, depending on the prior
education and interests of students enrolled. Academic credits
appear on academic transcripts. CEUs do not appear on academic
transcripts and may not
be converted retroactively to academic credit.
Curriculum
All candidates must complete
the following 16 credits of coursework, including a 1-credit
reflective supervision course (CPsy 5523 for students in the
community track or CPsy 5525 for those in the clinical track). In
addition, candidates lacking required assessment training must
complete assessment training (see below).
CPsy
5501—Foundations of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health I
(3 credits)
CPsy
5503—Foundations of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health II
(3 credits)
CPsy
5506—Infant Observation Seminar I (1 credit)
CPsy
5508—Infant Observation Seminar II (1 credit)
CPsy
5518—Prevention and Intervention
in Infant and Early
Childhood Mental Health I (3 credits)
CPsy
5511—Infant Observation Seminar III (1 credit)
CPsy
5521—Prevention and Intervention
in Infant and Early
Childhood Mental Health II (3 credits)
CPsy
5523—Reflective Supervision
in Infant and Early
Childhood Mental Health: Community-Based (1 credit) *
This course is required for students in
the community track.
CPsy
5525—Reflective Supervision
in Infant and Early
Childhood Mental Health: Clinical (1 credit) *
This course is
required for students in the clinical track.
Candidates without required
assessment training may choose to fulfill their
assessment training requirement by taking:
CPsy
5515—Assessment in Infant
and Early Childhood Mental Health: NCAST (2 credits)
Admission Criteria
Program applicants must hold
at least an undergraduate degree in a related area (e.g., child
development, social work, child psychology). If the undergraduate
degree is not in a related field, applicants must be able to
document at least two years of work experience in a related field.
At the time of
application, students must identify the appropriate track of
study—either clinical- or community-focused.
Only licensed mental health
professionals (e.g., psychologists, clinical social workers,
marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists) may enter the
clinical track. Any applicant meeting all enrollment criteria
may enter the community track.
Students admitted to the
certificate program must:
-
Hold at least an
undergraduate degree in a related area
(e.g., child
development, social work, child psychology).
If the undergraduate degree is not in a related field,
applicants must be able to document at least two years of work
experience in a related field.
-
Have documented
experience in early childhood research or practice
-
Have a TOEFL score of 550 or above if
applicant’s primary language is other than English
-
Submit a signed Agreement of
Participation Commitment form. Students are expected to progress
through the program without interruption over the two-year
course of study. Signing the form serves as a way to acknowledge
and agree to this commitment.
-
In the event of an unavoidable
interruption in study, students may re-enter the program at the
point at which they were unable to continue. Permission of the
faculty adviser is required.
Tuition
Tuition for the IECMH
program depends upon the way in which a student chooses to enroll.
1) The program may be taken
for CEUs. (Note: CEUs earned in the certificate program may
not be converted retroactively to academic credit. Academic
credits appear on academic transcripts; CEUs do not.)
2) The program may be taken
for academic credit. This method of enrollment allows students to
apply credit earned toward a degree at another institution or a
future degree at the University of Minnesota.
3) With faculty adviser
approval, the certificate may be earned as part of a University of
Minnesota degree program. Certificate tuition varies, depending on a
student’s enrollment status and residency. Tuition fees are charged
according to the following criteria:
- Students seeking the certificate
only pay the CEHD departmental master’s (M.Ed.) tuition rate.
- Students enrolled in certificate
and master of education (M.Ed.) programs pay the CEHD
departmental master’s tuition rate.
- Students enrolled in Graduate
School programs (e.g., M.A., Ph.D., Ed.D.) pay Graduate School
tuition rates.
For current tuition rates,
see the
College’s tuition and fees Web site. Tuition rates are
determined annually by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents
before fall semester each year. Students may be billed for
additional fees at the time of registration.
Residents of Wisconsin,
North Dakota, South Dakota, and Manitoba may be eligible for special
tuition reciprocity rates comparable to Minnesota resident rates.
Information about tuition reciprocity is available at the
University’s Office of Admissions Web site.
Financial Aid
General financial aid
advising and information are available from the University’s Office
of Student Finance (OSF), 200 Fraser Hall, 106 Pleasant Street S.E.,
Minneapolis, MN 55455;
612-624-1111; or on the Web
at http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/financialaid.html.
For graduate
assistantship/scholarship information (for students enrolled in
graduate degree programs), contact the Graduate Assistant Employment
office, 200 Donhowe (for mail) or 100 Donhowe (for walk in),
Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-624-7070;
fax:
612-625-9801; or on the Web at
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/gae/.
Scholarships
Information about
scholarships is included on this site when the application period
begins. |
