| General professional resources |
General Professional Resources in Infant Mental Health
Many Infant Mental Health (IMH) professionals are hard at work in their efforts to support infants and their families amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges are immense; the demands to respond unceasing. WAIMH acknowledges that this is an incredibly stressful, worrying, and anxious time for the IMH specialists and allied colleagues as they walk beside young families whose challenges and worries are currently magnified. The resources listed here are designed to provide information and suggestions about how best to respond, manage, and cope, during this incredibly difficult time. Please note: WAIMH provides members and visitors additional material relating to COVID-19 and Infant Mental Health. WAIMH is not responsible for changes or missing items on external sites.
Fathering in Challenging TimesParenting Tips for Dads during COVID-19 crisis by Wayne State University. Something Strange Happened in My CityA social story about the coronavirus pandemic for children by By: Dr. Shu-Chen Jenny Yen, California State University, Fullerton. Tips for Supporting Infants & Young Children’s Transition as we Re-openPDF-file by Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health. Reopening Child Care & Early Education Programs during the COVID-19 PandemicInfant and Early Childhood Mental Health Focused Best Practice Recommendations by The Society for the Protection and Care of Children. Birdie and the VirusCovid-19 resources for young children created by Queensland Centre for Perinatal
and Infant Mental Health as part of Children's Health Queensland, Australia. Should Infants Be Separated from Mothers with COVID-19? First, Do No HarmShould Infants Be Separated from Mothers with COVID-19? First, Do No Harm. By Alison Stuebe. An open source paper published in Breastfeeding Medicine. To site this paper: Alison Stuebe. Breastfeeding Medicine ahead of print http://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2020.29153.ams Online Ahead of Print: April 9, 2020. The link to the paper. Helping Children to Understand the COVID-19 pandemic - Georgie and the Giant GermAn interactive story colouring book for young children: Georgie and the Giant Germ
A COVID 19 interactive story colouring book for young children: Georgie and the Giant Germ was developed to support caregivers in their conversations with young children about COVID 19 as well as providing a way for children to express their worries. It has been written by: Julie Ribaudo, Paige Safyer, Sara Stein and Kate Rosenblum. Illustrated by Maija Rosenblum-Muzik. It is generously made free and available for download at: https://tenderpressbooks.com/. Also available for download at: https://zerotothrive.org/covid-19/ Infant Mental Health JournalThe Editorial team at the IMHJ in conjunction with Wiley have compiled the following: Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New CoronavirusJoy Osofsky (Honorary President of WAIMH, LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, USA) has generously shared the following resource with WAIMH. The resource was created following an interview where she was a guest on National Public Radio in the United States, along with Tara Powell at the University of Illinois School of Social Work, and Krystal Lewis at the National Institute of Mental Health. Following the interviews, Joy shared that "the National Public Radio Interview team developed the attached Comic for children and families that has been very helpful to many and also translated into several languages. The editors took the information from our interviews for the content of the Comic that is directed to children for adults to hear. It is very creative and helpful". Comic made by NPR editor Malaka Gharib.
How to Deliver Relationship-based Services via TelehealthThis is a very user-friendly 2-page guide for home visitors who continue to provide services to families with young children via telehealth. This resource was developed collectively by MI-IAMH, Zero to Thrive, The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, and Starfish Family Services. Ashley McCormack (Endorsement & Communications Director at The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health), stated that: “Although this document specifically identifies infant mental health home visiting, this resource is relevant for ANY IECMH professional who is continuing to provide relationship-based services right now."
"As a wise IMH therapist recently noted, "This is NOT 'business as usual.'"
"We invite you to use and share this broadly!”
Supporting Families and Caregivers of Infants and Young Children Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic: A WebinarJoy Osofsky and a colleague, Gerard Costa, engaged in a webinar for the NYC Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center. Links to the Introduction, the Webinar Recording and the Presentation Slides. WHOLink to the Poster: Helping Children Cope with Stress during the coronavirus outbreak
UNESCOHow to talk to your children about coronavirus (COVID-19) - Eight tips to help comfort and protect children
Save the ChildrenAustraliaAustralian governmentChildcare subsidies, child support Emerging MindsTalking to children about natural disasters, traumatic events, or worries about the future CanadaOntario Centre of Excellence for Child & Youth Mental HealthEnglandMental Health FoundationUniversity of Sussex and Sussex Partnership NHS TrustAnna Freud FoundationSupporting schools & colleges. A guide to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and students during periods of disruption. IrelandHealth Service ExecutiveTalking to children and young people (at Minding your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak) New ZealandMinistry of Education
Mindheart graphicsA book with diagrams to help children understand about Covid-19 ScotlandScottish Government“Our Parent Club website offers valuable tips for families on managing the impact of Covid-19 and ways to support children through this uncertain period. I would also highlight the excellent advice already provided by many organisations like Young Scot or Children 1st that talk directly to young people about their concerns.”
SwedenSupport on how to support children in matters related to COVID-19. BRIS (Children´s Rights in Society, in Swedish)Att prata med barn om Corona-viruset Rädda BarnenSå pratar du med barn om coronaviruset The Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten)USACDCGuidance for Schools and Childcare Programs Child TrendsNational Assn of School Psychologists and National Assn of School NursesUniversity of MichiganHelping Young Kids Through the Coronavirus Crisis: An Infographic, handout in English, in Spanish and in Arabic.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Kerrie Fanning, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Unites StatesResource for Families with Young Children & COVID-19. A public Google Drive folder
Two childcare centers on translating and sharing a short story they created to support families and young children in understanding school and childcare center closures and social distancing amidst COVID-19.
LSU Health, New Orleans. Joy D. Osofsky, Ph.D. & Howard Osofsky, M.D., Ph.D.
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The World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) is a not-for-profit organization for scientific and educational professionals.
WAIMH's central aim is to promote the mental wellbeing and healthy development of infants throughout the world, taking into account cultural, regional, and environmental variations, and to generate and disseminate scientific knowledge.
WAIMH Central Office
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Phone: +358 44 2486945
E-mail: office@waimh.org
US contact
World Association for Infant Mental Health
Room 7 Human Ecology Building
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824
United States