The Kansas Association for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health is an association of professionals in Kansas who are concerned with the emotional development of infants. KAIMH has three main goals:
To encourage the realization that infancy is a critical period in the psychosocial/emotional development of individuals,
To disseminate knowledge to its members as well as to combat the sense of isolation of those disciplines working in the infancy field,
To provide information to the general public, which will enhance awareness and bring to public attention the psychosocial/emotional needs of children in the first years of life.
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KAIMH is an affiliate of the World Association for Infant Mental Health.
KAIMH Hires Director of Programs
Starting Monday, August 2nd, Lana Messner joined the staff at the Kansas Association for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health as its Director of Programs
Lana has been a longtime champion and leader in Kansas in promoting the positive social/emotional development of infants and toddlers. Most recently, Lana has been a Technical Specialist for ICF International, where she provided training, coaching and technical support to the Kansas Head Start/Early Head Start community. Previously, Lana was the Infant/Toddler Project Director for the Kansas Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. Lana has degrees in Special and Elementary Education and a Masters Degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Early Childhood Education. She also was one of an initial delegation of KAIMH members to attain Endorsement when she achieved her Infant Mental Health Mentor Endorsement in 2008.
As KAIMH’s Director of Programs, Lana responsibilities will include directing all aspects of KAIMH’s Endorsement Program, as well as KAIMH’s education programming, and will be involved in all aspects of the association. “KAIMH is very fortunate Lana has chosen to bring her considerable talents to advancing the important mission of our association. I very much look forward to working with her to better serve the KAIMH membership.” said KAIMH Executive Director Terry Leatherman.
Submitted by Alice Eberhart-Wright, LCMFT & IMH-E ®(IV)
In the Apr-Jun 2010 newsletter of The Signal (newsletter from WAIMH), the lead article talks about the importance of using video for observation and intervention in infant mental health. It reviews many approaches throughout the world.In the late 90’s Abbey Griffin and I developed a video approach called Focus and Reflect that captured beautiful moments between young children and their caregivers (parents, child care providers, etc.) asking them to reflect on what they viewed with us.We presented workshops on the approach at WAIMH in Amsterdam, the Birth to Three Institute in Washington DC, and at Zero to Three in New Orleans as well as working intensively with programs in Region VII Early Head Start.
With growing awareness of the power of video and new inexpensive technology, I am now individualizing the use of video and calling it Beautiful Moments.
Training that I now offer builds exciting new skills that helps you:
·Reflect on your work with people (as a front line worker or as a supervisor) and be ready to build new skills focused on strengths based work
·Brainstorm about that work through conversation, going out into the field, or bringing in video
·Gain an understanding of Beautiful Moments through a library of video clips that opens the door to your own creative thinking
·Plan what kind of equipment you will have, beginning with still photographs or even painting Beautiful Moments with words or handwritten lists and discussion
·Dare to begin, utilizing guidance for mastering equipment,getting permission to film, sharing clips, and knowing how to talk about the experience with your participants
·Plan and participate in follow-up development of your skills
Possible next steps in your use of video:
·Join WAIMH and get access to The Signal, with its Apr-Jun 2010 article, “The Era of Using Video for Observation and Intervention in Infant Mental Health”
·Let Terry Leatherman (
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) or Alice Eberhart-Wright (
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)know that you are interested in joining Alice’s next beginning 3 hour training on Capturing and Using Beautiful Moments.
The first KAIMH video training group requested a follow-up to continue working on their own ideas and hear about and view one another’s projects.It would be exciting to have others have an orientation and join a follow-up group.If there is enough interest, another training may be offered soon.
