IMH Training Information
Community Resources for Professionals:
Training and Professional Development in Infant Mental
Health and Perinatal Mental Health
A wide range of training opportunities exist for those who would like to develop their competence in working with infants, young children and their families. Some of the courses listed are free and this has been noted in the information provided. Please be aware that apart from some seminars and workshops, AAIMHI WA is not directly involved with the training opportunities listed below and links to websites have been provided so you can contact the providers directly for further information.
If you are aware of other suitable courses that you would like listed please contact us at website@aaimhi.org
INFANT MENTAL HEALTH
Western Australian based training
AAIMHI WA Seminars
The AAIMHI WA Seminar Series is now aligned to specific competencies from the AAIMHI WA Competency Guidelines®. The
seminars have a multidisciplinary focus and are held on a bimonthly basis. They follow a developmental pathway to build skills progressively
across the core areas of knowledge, skills and practice in Infant Mental Health.
http://www.aaimhi.org/branches/wa/wa-seminars-and-training/
CAMHS Infant Mental Health Training
A series of Infant Mental Health Workshops have been developed through funding from the Mental Health Commission covering a variety of
topics.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/camhs/15544c12fcd71871?projector=1
RUAH
Perspectives on children, families and mental health: Inside a family under pressure - the impact of mental illness on
the family
This module is designed to raise awareness of the needs of families with parental mental illness, and to encourage workers to return for
further exploration of ways to address some of these needs.
http://www.ruah.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Perspectives-Training-Flyer.pdf
Circle of Security
The Circle of Security is a relationship based early intervention program designed to enhance attachment security between parents and
children. There are a variety of training courses available throughout Australia.
http://circleofsecurity.net/seminars/
Elizabeth Clinic
The Elizabeth Clinic is associated with Attachment Training Australia, which has been responsible for providing Circle of Security Training
in Perth since 2006.
http://www.elizabethclinic.com.au/training-2/
Parents Under Pressure
In order to use the PuP program, a clinician is required to have training and clinical supervision in the PuP model. The program combines
psychological principles relating to parenting, child behaviour and parental emotion regulation within a case management model. The program
is home-based and designed for families in which there are many difficult life circumstances that impact on family functioning. Such
problems may include depression and anxiety, substance misuse, family conflict and severe financial stress.
http://www.pupprogram.net.au/training--supervision.aspx
Anglicare
Attachment and Social-Emotional Development
In this one day workshop you will learn how the natural attachment process shapes social and emotional development and how the relationship
between a child and attuned caregiver evolves. We take a closer look at the building blocks of a safe attachment relationship, so we can
apply these principles in our work with children and their parents. Principles can be applied to working with children of all ages,
including teenagers, but the focus will be on children 2-12 years old. https://www.anglicarewa.org.au/training-courses/our-calendar/default.aspx
Other Australian based training
Tresillian
Tresillian hosts and supports a number of courses, including the NCAST Parent Child Interaction (PCI) Assessment Course, the Key to
Caregiving course and infant mental health workshops. These courses are suitable for a wide range of professionals including child health
nurses, psychologists, social workers and early childhood workers.
https://www.tresillian.org.au/health-professionals/courses-workshops/
Newborn Behavioural Observational (NBO) system
The NBO training program provides participants with the theoretical foundations and clinical principles necessary to enable them to use the
Newborn Behavioural Observational (NBO) system in their clinical practice. Use of the NBO in clinical practice will provide parents
with important information about their baby’s remarkable capacities and individuality. It will help parents develop a positive
relationship with their newborn child.
https://www.thewomens.org.au/health-professionals/clinical-education-training/nbo-australia/
Wait, Watch and Wonder DownUnder
Wait, Watch and Wonder is a child led psychotherapeutic approach that specifically and directly uses the infant’s spontaneous activity
in a free play format to enhance maternal sensitivity and responsiveness, the child’s sense of self and self-efficacy, emotion
regulation, and the child-parent attachment relationship. The approach provides space for the infant/child and parent to work through
developmental and relational struggles through play.
http://www.watchwaitwonderdownunder.com/
Understanding Babies – NCAST
Understanding Babies hosts and supports a number of courses, including the NCAST Key to Caregiving course. NCAST programs are regularly used
in a variety of settings including family homes, clinics, child-care centres and hospitals.
http://understandingbabies.com.au/example-diary-date.php
QEC
QEC provides accredited educational training programs to professionals working within Maternal and Child Health, Early Years, Early
Education and Intervention, Primary Health and Family and Children’s Services. The team instructs in specialised training
programs such as: Keys to Care Giving, Family Partnership Training, Nursing Child Assessment (NCAST) Teaching Scales, Nursing Child
Assessment (NCAST) Feeding Scales, Good Documentation, and Play Steps Training.
http://www.qec.org.au/professionals/training-programs
Online training
Emerging Minds
Supporting Infants and Toddlers of Parents with a mental illness:
The free introductory e-learning course helps mental health workers to identify and intervene when their clients are
parents who experience mental illness and have dependent children. Learn about the impact of mental illness on the family through the
antenatal period, explains attachment and principles of sensitive communication with parents regarding the needs of their children, and
parenting interventions and strategies to effectively support these families.
https://emergingminds.com.au/online-course/supporting-infants-toddlers/
Emerging Minds
Keeping Families and Children in Mind
This free introductory e-learning course supports learners to develop a family-sensitive approach when working with
families where a parent has a mental illness. It features six interactive learning modules that encourage learners to reflect and evaluate
their current practice and to develop strategies to support children, parents, carers and families living in these environments.
https://emergingminds.com.au/online-course/keeping-families-children-mind/
University of Warwick
Babies in Mind: Why the Parent’s Mind Matters
This free online course is aimed at everyone who has an interest in promoting the well being of their own baby, or the
parents and babies they work with. You do not need any prior knowledge of infant or child development, just a desire to learn about parents
and babies, and the way that early interaction shapes later development. The course is based on the latest research in the field and you
will be introduced to key concepts relating to infant psychology and attachment.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/babies-in-mind/2
University of Warwick
Infant Mental Health Online Training
IMHOL has been created for professionals/practitioners. The course is the baseline requirement of a planned ladder of progression in
expertise in infant mental health. There are 3 core themes that underpin the course: Neurophysiology and Biochemical Structure of the Brain,
Social and Emotional Development, Ghosts and Angels in the Nursery. One of the aims of IMHOL is to promote your understanding of the concept
and development of emotional regulation in the early years and the relationship between emotional regulation and dysregulation to
psychopathology and what this means for your practice.
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/study/cpd/cpd/imhol
Wayne State University
It’s all about Relationships! Early Parenting and Child Development from an Infant Mental Health Perspective
Approved by Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health as an online training opportunity for Endorsement®. This
course will review the processes that support social-emotional development in the young child. It will also review some of the central ways
in which parents form and nurture their relationships with their young children.
http://socialwork.wayne.edu/continuing-education/infant_mental_health_online.php
University of Minnesota
Center for Early Education and Development (CEED)
CEED offers a variety of online courses for continuing education and academic credit covering a variety of infant and early childhood
related topics, including an introductory course on Infant Mental Health.
https://www.cehd.umn.edu/CEED/onlinecourses/default.html
The Australian Government’s National Support for Child and Youth Mental Health Program was announced in 2017 with the vision to
support infants, children and young people to achieve their possible mental health. It has 2 components (1) Mental Health in Education
Program, and (2) National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health. The agencies currently providing these preograms are Beyond Blue (Be
You) and Emerging Minds.
Be You
The Mental Health in Education Program is focused on the education and training of early learning, primary, secondary and pre-service
educators. Beyond Blue has been appointed to lead Be You until 2021. This program is a combination of pre-existing programs including
Kids Matter.
https://beyou.edu.au/
Emerging Minds
The National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health has been established to assist professionals and organisations who work with children
and/or parents/families to have the skills to identify, assess and support children at
risk of mental health conditions.
A range of training has been identified for professionals and organisations.
https://emergingminds.com.au/
PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH
Western Australian based training
King Edward Memorial Hospital
Women's Health Clinical Support Programs (WHCSP) provides free perinatal and infant mental health training and short presentations for health professionals and community groups. Training includes Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Aboriginal Mental Health, and Perinatal Anxiety Disorders.
http://kemh.health.wa.gov.au/health_professionals/WHCSP/pimh_training.php
Other Australian based training
Parent Infant Research Institute (PIRI)
PIRI has been very actively involved in providing training to Maternal & Child Health Nurses, Midwives, General Practitioners, Psychologists and other health professionals. PIRI regularly runs trainings with a perinatal focus.
http://www.piri.org.au/health-professional-information/training/
Centre for Perinatal Psychology
Various trainings held throughout Australia by members of Centre for Perinatal Psychology including topics such as Perinatal and Infant Mental Health: Using a Relationship-Based Approach to Working with Parents and Infants and Perinatal Anxiety: Holding the Infant in Mind When Mum is Anxious.
http://www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/training/
Online training
Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN)Perinatal Mental Health
This is a 3-module continuing professional development program, which is open to ACMHN members free and non-member nurses and midwives at a cost. It has been designed to provide an overview of the main mental health issues surrounding the perinatal period and to introduce the concept of non-directive counselling as it pertains to this important stage of a woman's life.
http://www.acmhn.org/perinatal-elearning
Victorian Transcultural Mental Health
Cultural responsiveness in perinatal mental health:
Working effectively with women and their families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds A free basic introduction to cross-cultural considerations for engaging effectively with women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds experiencing mental health issues during the perinatal period.
http://vtpu.realitylearning.org/node/1532
Beyond Blue
Detecting and managing perinatal mental health disorders in primary care
The free program consists of six learning modules related to perinatal mental health. This online training program was developed with the Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI), in consultation with the beyondblue National Perinatal Depression Initiative (NPDI) Workforce Training and Development Committee, as well as consumer and carer representatives, and other health professional experts. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/health-professionals/perinatal-mental-health/perinatal-mental-health-training
University of Sydney
Perinatal Mental Health Course Online: An Introduction
This online course will teach you important principles in perinatal mental health, covering a wide range of clinical and psychosocial issues from preconception, to pregnancy, and through to the postpartum stage.
https://cce.sydney.edu.au/course/PMHC
Griffiths University
Perinatal Mental Health
This course is designed for health professionals wanting to use more effective prevention and early intervention approaches to perinatal mental health in partnership with women to achieve optimum mental health and wellbeing in pregnancy and the first postnatal year. https://www.griffith.edu.au/health/midwifery/short-courses/perinatal-mental-health