January 23, 2025 RSP Newsletter
To the Regional Service Providers (and those working to decide which organization in their region will be the RSPs)
We, Nichole & Sondra, feel so grateful to be connecting with all of you in groups like our Community of Practice and in 1:1 meetings. It is an honor to hear about the thoughtful and intentional planning that you are doing for successful implementation of IECMH Consultation in your communities! During 1:1s, we offer guidance and concrete assistance on the Implementations Plans that are required by DELC. Please email Nichole at nichole@or-imha.org to schedule some 1:1 time with us! We are holding the times below, but if none of those work, please reach out and we will find one that does.
Fri Jan 31 8-9am
Fri Jan 31 9-10am
Fri Jan 31 10-11am
Tue Feb 11 2-3pm
Fri Feb 14 8-9am
Fri Feb 14 9-10am
Fri Feb 14 10-11am
Fri Feb 14 1-2pm
Fri Feb 14 2-3pm
Thu Mar 6* 11am-12pm
Thu Mar 6 12-1pm
Thu Mar 6 1-2pm
*We are changing the Mar 6 CoP back to 9-11am (instead of 9am-2pm) in recognition of the time you are spending coordinating regional response networks (RSNs) and completing the Implementation Plan. We are offering these 3 opportunities for 1:1 meetings for Implementation Plan support from 11am-2pm instead.
Important Information and Updates
What is reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C)? (First installment in a series)
Reflective supervision/consultation is an important professional development tool and IECMH Consultants will be required to participate in it once hired (through ORIMHA or through a reflective supervisor/consultant hired by the RSP). So what’s with the “/”? Typically reflective supervision refers to when the reflective supervisor is also the program supervisor or another person within the same organization. Reflective consultation typically means that the provider is an outside contractor or consultant, not one of the organization’s employees. Whatever the name, the practice is the same.
Hi! I’m Tobiah Brown, from ORIMHA. My work with ORIMHA will include providing reflective consultation groups for IECMH Consultants. So what can this reflective consultation look like? Let’s do a 6 part series in this newsletter where we explore this idea. This month I will drop some resources establishing what reflective consultation is. Next month I will share an example from a current consultant - one that we will also review during our Community of Practice on March 6. These resources and examples will give you a foundational understanding of the practice. Please keep in mind that reflective consultation may look different in every county. Reflective consultation should enhance IECMH Consultants’ capacity to serve providers. Providers’ needs and contexts are fairly region specific. For example, when I started to work in a small rural community in central Oregon. It was commonplace for boys to urinate on the playground. The cultural belief was that that’s where they are potty trained, and it just wasn’t a big deal. It also positively impacted ratio needs during outdoor time. True story and a reminder that norms and expectations will vary across communities. Cultural sensitivity is critical in reflective consultation particularly as we seek to support IECMH Consultants across Oregon.
6 Part Series at a glance
Definition
Case Examples
Videos
Considerations for hiring a reflective consultant (if you won’t be using ORIMHA for this purpose)
Frequently asked questions
Reflections
January’s Drop: ORIMHA’s Issue Brief (linked here) offers some helpful definitions of the practice.
Save the Dates
Training opportunities
ORIMHA is offering a 10-part series on infant and early childhood mental health foundations in partnership with ZERO TO THREE. Each virtual live session is 90 minutes and will be held twice a month from February through June 2025. If you would like to participate, ORIMHA is offering a discount code to bring you this series free of charge! Reach out to andrea@or-imha.org if you would like a code before registering. We anticipate that many newly hired IECMH Consultants will benefit from this series too, so it will be offered again in 2025, beginning in July. Stay tuned for more details.
Group Support for RSPs
Feb 6 from 9-11am: Virtual CoP
Mar 6 from 9-11am*: Virtual CoP
Apr 3 from 9-11am: Virtual CoP
Apr 30-May 2: In-person CoP in Bend
*We are changing the Mar 6 CoP back to 9-11am (instead of 9am-2pm) in recognition of the time you are spending coordinating regional response networks (RSNs) and completing the Implementation Plan. We will offer opportunities for 1:1 meetings for Implementation Plan support from 11am-2pm instead.
Big Picture
The Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well‑Being
We understand that the wellbeing of providers impacts the use of exclusionary practices. Workplace wellbeing is a focus of the US Surgeon General and this graphic and concepts may be useful as we consider how best to support them through Every Child Belongs.
Centered on the worker’s voice and equity, these Five Essentials support workplaces as engines of well-being. Each essential is grounded in two human needs, shared across industries and roles. Creating a plan to enact these practices can help strengthen the essentials of workplace well‑being.
Resources
Hiring resources now available!
On the ORIMHA website, in the section specifically for RSP resources, you will find a document called Interviewee Guidance that is based on equitable hiring practices and can be edited and shared with prospective IECMH Consultants ahead of their interview. There is also a spreadsheet with suggested interview questions and scenarios with accompanying scoring rubrics for each question. And coming soon: Onboarding Guidance that will offer a plan assuring access to training for new IECMH Consultant hires that is linked to the essential competencies.
Potential resource investments for your new IECMH Consultant
Looking for ways to invest now in the work that IECMH Consultants will engage as they start delivering services in your area? Consider the following as a possible way to use some of your Implementation Grant funds (must be approved by DELC as part of your implementation plan):
Mental Health Consultation in Child Care
This book is strongly recommended by Georgetown’s Center of Excellence on IECMH Consultation. It is a comprehensive book that offers practical suggestions for improving relationships between program directors, staff, parents, children, and IECMH consultants, and identifying and removing obstacles to quality care. This book serves as a useful guide for professionals at all levels - including IECMH Consultants, early childhood educators & trainers, and policy makers - who desire to make positive changes in the child care environment. Cost is $41.95
Honoring Voices Within Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Relationship-Based Stories from the Field, Edited by Carla Barron, PhD, LMSW, IMH-E® and Karol A. Wilson, LMSW, IMH-E®
Grounded in foundational IECMH theory, “Honoring Voices” illuminates the complex yet rich process that professionals engage in when delivering IECMH services for diverse infants, toddlers, young children, and their families. Using personal stories, the book examines relationship-based practice within various contexts, family structures, and cultures. In spaces where relationships are central, professionals dig deep to reflect, wonder, make sense of, deepen, and at times seek to repair ruptures in relationships—all while keeping the child in mind. It can be a powerful tool in grounding new consultants in IECMH-informed equitable practice. Cost is $43.95
Social Emotional Development Wheels
All development takes place in the context of a relationship. These wheels are easy reference tools for educating parents, caregivers, and professionals about early social and emotional development. Each stage provides a glimpse into the world of the infant, toddler, or young child and guides interactions that promote nurturing relationships and healthy social-emotional development in children. Available in English or Spanish. For orders of less than 1,000, the cost is $5 per wheel. Shipping included for US orders.
An organization can include their own logo / QR code on the front and back of the wheels with an order of 1,000 or more wheels. Cost starts at $3000 and does not include shipping. Go to https://www.allianceaimh.org/store for customized orders.
These wheels offer a 3-step approach to understand and manage behaviors such as biting and tantrums effectively. Each package includes 10 bilingual (English and Spanish) wheels. These are tools that can be used with providers and then given to them to generate conversations about behavior as communication. Cost per package of 10 is $26.95.
Your IECMH Consultation Implementation Support Team,
Nichole Paradis, nichole@or-imha.org
Sondra Stegenga, sondra.stegenga@utah.edu
Erin Kinavey Wennerstrom, erin@or-imha.org