Graduate Certificate Program in Infant Mental Health
The Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University offers an interdisciplinary graduate Certificate Program in Infant Mental Health (IMH) in cooperation with the faculties of education, social work, psychology, nursing and sociology. The program is designed to prepare graduate students and professionals from a variety of disciplines to work with infants, toddlers, parents and caregivers in social service agencies, community mental health programs, clinics, hospitals, and early childhood programs.
The goals of the program:- To increase the understanding of infant behavior and development within the context of family, community and culture.
- To enhance the understanding of early relationship development and the complexity of early parenthood.
- To provide an interdisciplinary framework for graduate students and professionals to recognize and strengthen capacities; to identify and reduce risks.
- To reflect on the details of development.
- To integrate IMH principles into all practices with families.
- To enhance IMH practice through structured observations, the use of infant and family assessment instruments, skillful listening, and empathic response.
- To offer opportunities for reflection through supervisory and collegial relationships.
- Academic Coursework (12 graduate credits)
- Psychology 6420 (3 credits) Infant Behavior and Development
- Psychology 6470 (3 credits) Infancy: Assessment
- Sociology 6430 (3 credits) or an alternative in Family Studies
- ED 6090 (1 credit) Introduction Infant Mental Health
- SW 7010 (1 credit) Infant Mental Health Theory and Practice
- NUR 7890 (1 credit) Special Issues: Infant Mental Health
Supervised Clinical Internship (10 graduate credits) The clinical practicum provides students with supervised experiences in relationship-focused observation, assessment and intervention with infants, toddlers and their families. All placements are arranged through the Merrill-Palmer Institute, in cooperation with the Wayne State University School of Social Work and the Colleges of Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing, and Science.
The Program may be completed either (a) concurrently with a graduate degree in education, nursing, psychology or social work; or (b) after having completed an advanced degree in any of the same areas.
For further information or to request an application packet please call (313) 872-1790.
THE LORETTA ZIEGELMAN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
We are very pleased to invite applications from graduates who have earned their MSW or are currently enrolled in the MSW Program at Wayne State University's School of Social Work students and are enrolled in the Graduate Certificate Program in Infant Mental Health. This scholarship is available through the generous support of Sy and Loretta Ziegelman who established the endowed fund to encourage social work students to pursue specialization in infant mental health. All applicants should briefly describe their interest in the field of infant mental health and state their reason for requesting scholarship support.
Please direct your letter of inquiry to: Ann Stacks, Ph.D. Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute 71 East Ferry, Detroit, MI 48202
For additional information please call (313) 872-1790 or FAX (313) 875-0947
INFANT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Infant Mental Health Services are supportive interventions designed to strengthen the optimal development of an infant within the context of the family and community. Infants and families served include premature, underweight, medically fragile or chronically ill babies; infants with identified disabilities or developmental delays; adolescent parents; depressed parents; parents who are unprepared or overwhelmed by the care of a baby; and parents at social or emotional risk in the caregiving role. Strategies include: concrete service support, emotional support, developmental guidance, advocacy and infant-parent psychotherapy. The intent of these services is to offer relationship-focused support to reduce the risk of developmental dysfunction and delay and to enhance the emotional well-being of children and families.
