Clinical Skills In Infant Mental Health

Provides an evidence-based and practical approach to assessment of young children and their families across diverse settings.

Clinical skills in infant mental health: the first three years provides an evidence-based approach to assessment of young children and their families. The impact of various adverse circumstances is clearly explained and the quality of parenting and the importance of early relationships are addressed.

The definitive reference in the field--now significantly revised with 75% new material--this volume examines typical and atypical development from birth to the preschool years and identifies what works in helping children and families at risk. Foremost experts explore neurobiological, family, and sociocultural factors in infant mental health, with a major focus on primary caregiving relationships. Risk factors for developmental problems are analyzed, and current information on disorders and disabilities of early childhood is presented. The volume showcases evidence-based approaches to assessment and intervention and describes applications in mental health, primary care, child care, and child welfare settings. New to This Edition: *Chapters on genetic and epigenetic processes, executive functions, historical trauma, and neglect. *Chapters on additional clinical problems: hyperactivity and inattention, sensory overresponsivity, and relationship-specific disorder. *Chapters on additional interventions: attachment and biobehavioral catch-up, video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting and sensitive discipline, parent–child interaction therapy, and home visiting programs. *Existing chapters all rewritten or revised to reflect a decade's worth of empirical and clinical advances.

This comprehensive and highly useful guide offers students and practicing clinicians who work with infant and preschool populations a much-needed resource for developing and honing their professional skills and clinical experiences. The book contains vital information about general training issues and highlights the skills that are needed to be considered a competent professional. Written by top experts in the field from a wide range of disciplines, the authors address basic areas of training and practice with very young children, including observation, assessment, diagnosis, dyadic therapy, and reflective supervision, in addition to unique areas of clinical work such as reunification and adoption evaluations. The book also offers examples of innovative models of training and practice for the delivery of services in nontraditional settings such as homes, day care centers, and preschools, and special strategies for delivering clinical services and providing supervision in rural and remote settings, including the use of technology.

This book has been replaced by Handbook of Infant Mental Health, Fourth Edition, ISBN 978-1-4625-3710-5.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Core Concepts and Clinical Practice is a groundbreaking book that provides an overview of the field from both theoretical and clinical viewpoints. The editors and chapter authors -- some of the field's foremost researchers and teachers -- describe from their diverse perspectives key concepts fundamental to infant-parent and early childhood mental health work. The complexity of this emerging field demands an interdisciplinary approach, and the book provides a clear, comprehensive, and coherent text with an abundance of clinical applications to increase understanding and help the reader to integrate the concepts into clinical practice. Offering both cutting-edge coverage and a format that facilitates learning, the book boasts the following features and content: A focus on helping working professionals expand their specialization skills and knowledge and on offering core competency training for those entering the field, which reflects the Infant-Parent Mental Health Postgraduate Certificate Program (IPMHPCP) and Fellowship in Napa, CA that was the genesis of the book. Chapters written by a diverse group of authors with vastly different training, expertise, and clinical experience, underscoring the book's interdisciplinary approach. In addition, terms such as clinician, therapist, provider, professional, and teacher are intentionally used interchangeably to describe and unify the field. Explication and analysis of a variety of therapeutic models, including Perry's Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics; Brazelton's neurodevelopmental and relational Touchpoints; attachment theory; the Neurorelational Framework; Mindsight; and Downing's Video Intervention Therapy. An entire chapter devoted to diagnostic schemas for children ages 0--5, which highlights the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood: Revised (DC:0-3R). With the release of DSM-5, this chapter provides a prototypical crosswalk between DC:0-3R and ICD codes. A discussion of the difference between evidence-based treatments and evidence-based practices in the field, along with valuable information on randomized controlled trials, a research standard that, while often not feasible or ethically permissible in infant mental health work, remains a standard applied to the field. Key points and references at the end of each chapter, and generous use of figures, tables, and other resources to enhance learning. The volume editors and authors are passionate about the pressing need for further research and the acquisition and application of new knowledge to support the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Core Concepts and Clinical Practice should find a receptive audience for this critically important message.

Widely regarded as the standard reference in the field, this state-of-the-art handbook offers a comprehensive analysis of developmental, clinical, and social aspects of mental health from birth to the preschool years. Leading authorities explore models of development; biological, family, and sociocultural risk and protective factors; and frequently encountered disorders and disabilities. Evidence-based approaches to assessment and treatment are presented, with an emphasis on ways to support strong parent–child relationships. The volume reviews the well-documented benefits of early intervention and prevention and describes applications in mental health, primary care, childcare, and child welfare settings. The chapter on psychopharmacology has been updated for the paperback edition.