Infant Mental Health Certificate

Our hybrid certificate program prepares students and professionals to address the social-emotional and mental health needs of very young children and their families through the promotion of high-quality interactions and environmental experiences.

Infant Mental Health is a cross-disciplinary field of study and practice. This certificate will provide you with specialized knowledge and skills that will allow you to practice within your discipline with very young children and families from an evidence-based infant and early childhood focus.

Our program is organized to meet the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health set of core theoretical principles of infant and early childhood development and mental health practice: that all work with children, families, and the individuals who work with them should be relationship-based, culturally sensitive, grounded in an understanding of developmental theory and research, and supported by reflective practice.

Program Facts

Program Type

Graduate Certificate

Enrollment Term

Summer or Fall

Format

Online and/or Hybrid

Credits

12

Application Deadline

Rolling Admissions

Admissions Requirements

GRE exam not required

Duration

3 semesters (Fall, Spring, and Summer)

Time Commitment

Part-Time

Program Overview

The Certificate in Infant Mental Health (IMH) provides the academic and skills developmental necessary for Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health® through the Pennsylvania Association of Infant Mental Health at the Infant Family Specialist (Prevention/Early Intervention), Infant Mental Health Specialist (Treatment/Intervention), and Infant Mental Health Mentor (Clinical, Faculty, or Policy Leadership) levels.

Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites for this program. See below for admission requirements.

Admission Requirements

Program requirements include:

  • Bachelor’s Degree

Additionally, applicants must complete the School of Education online admissions application that will include:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Goal statement
  • Contact information for three professional references
  • Academic transcript

View full admissions requirements

Curriculum

The Certificate in Infant Mental Health is a 12-credit program.

You will learn:

  • Principles of infant and early childhood mental health
  • Skills to support the social-emotional development of very young children and their families
  • The scope of infant-mental health practice and opportunities for advocacy and action
  • Collaboration opportunities for researchers and community-based faculty engaged in the early childhood workforce
  • Applications for putting infant mental health theory into practice.

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This certificate does not lead to licensure

Career Pathways

Infant Mental Health is a multidisciplinary field of study and practice. IMH knowledge and skills are applied across all disciplines that serve very young children and their important people.

  • Early Intervention
  • Community-based program Administrators, Directors and Supervisors
  • Home Visitors
  • Pediatrics
  • Child Life Specialists
  • Behavioral Health Specialists
  • Early Education
  • Health Sciences
  • Public Policy
  • Research Associates
  • Faculty in Community and 4-year Colleges
  • Child Protective Services