About us
You’ve found your people
ORIMHA exists to walk alongside the people—professionals, family members, and caregivers—who nurture Oregon’s babies and young children. We provide professional development, continuing education, resources, and community-building opportunities. And we’re passionate advocates for babies, young children, and those who care for them.
Our mission
Building a community of healthy support
We’re a statewide network of parents and professionals committed to supporting the emotional health and well-being of all Oregon babies, toddlers, and their families in safe and thriving communities.
We’re dedicated to:
- Promoting broad awareness and understanding of the importance of early nurturing relationships.
- Building Oregon’s capacity to support emotional health and well-being through interaction, study, and collaboration across systems.
- Providing Oregon with access to current resources from around the world.
- Informing policy makers, funders and other key stakeholders across systems of care of infant mental health principles and best practices.
- Advocating for the application of infant mental health principles and best practices.
Our vision
Envisioning a future of healthy children and families
- Our vision of mental health for infants and toddlers in Oregon: All of Oregon’s young children—prenatally through 3 years old—and the adults who care for them are thriving and experiencing emotional well-being and optimal development through universal access to current and reliable information, resources, and support.
- Our vision of the infant and toddler mental health professional arena in Oregon: Professionals from all fields and disciplines who work with infants, toddlers, and their families form an interconnected “meta field” of professional practice in infant/toddler mental health.
- Our vision for the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association: ORIMHA is Oregon’s central, trusted resource for information, advocacy, and professional development related to the social-emotional health and well-being of infants, toddlers, and their families in safe and thriving communities.
Racial equity
Our commitment
As members and staff of ORIMHA, our goal is to ensure that every child experiences the fundamental right and opportunity to a safe and secure world through culturally responsive and attuned relationships.
Recognizing that discriminatory policies and practices often harm adults, as well as the infants and children in their care, we engage in collective efforts across systems to remove such barriers to high quality services.
ORIMHA encourages self-reflection on our thoughts, beliefs, and unconscious biases that contribute to the oppression of children and families, addressing issues related to racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, xenophobia, and transphobia.
Our history
Meet our team
Board of directors
Lisa Harnisch
she/her
Board President
Tania Bailey
she/her/ella
Secretary
TBA
Treasurer
Jeanne McCarty
she/her
Member at large
Board Members at large
Tonya Coker
Member at large
Martha Ochoa-Leyva
Member at large
Candelaria Romero
Member at large
Staff
Erin Kinavey Wennerstrom
she/her
Executive director
Andrea Pignatiello
she/her
training and outreach coordinator
Dona Lopez Tinoco
she/her
administrative coordinator
Job opportunities
Engage in work you believe in
Professional education resources
Trusted resources for inspired care and empowered teaching.
Regional provider support
ORIMHA is your connection to the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care’s Every Child Belongs program.
Information library
Explore our knowledge library focused on best practices, support, and training around infant and early childhood mental health.