CT-AIMH Trainings & Events

Current Training Offerings:

Past Trainings:

2024

2024 CT-AIMH Spring Conference
Date: Thursday May 30, 2024 8:30 am – 12:30pm
Location: The Woodwinds in Branford, CT
Title: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Honoring family, culture, and community relationships between infants, young children and their adult caregivers
Description: Please, join us at our 20th annual Spring Conference as we discuss our collective and continuing efforts to honor the diversity and beauty of all children, families, and communities that we serve across Connecticut. Particular areas of focus will include reflecting on our own capacities to engage in diversity-informed practice and best ways to use the “self” to deepen our relationships with families in our work and to understand how cultural/community traditions and expectations influence early attachment, mental health, and development in very young children.
Keynote Speaker: Melissa Mendez LCSW, IMH-E®
Additional Presenter: Michele Scott, Tribal Councilor Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

2023

FREE, 6-DAY Infant Mental Health (IMH) Training Series for Home Visitors
Dates: August 1, 2023 – September 5, 2023
Time: 9am – 4pm
Location: August 1st and September 5th will be IN PERSON at ACES Head Start, 300 Washington St., Middletown, CT 06457
August 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, 2023 will be virtual on Zoom

CT-AIMH 2023 SPRING CONFERENCE (In-Person)
Date: Friday, May 12, 2023 8:30am-12:30pm 
Location:  Wood Winds in Branford, CT
Topic: From Survival to Security: Addressing the Impact of the Pandemic on Pregnant, Birthing, and Postpartum Families in Connecticut
Description: This conference will broker current data on pandemic-related stressors and their impact on both caregivers and Infant Mental Health (IMH) providers. Conference presenters will present theoretical models of the transition to parenthood and the impacts of the pandemic on these psychological tasks, define Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders and clinical implications of the pandemic.  Conference presenters will facilitate discussion on pandemic-related topics and provide guidance, strategies and resources that IMH providers can use to address pandemic-related stressors. Participants will reflect on how they were impacted by the pandemic, what they noticed in the families that they have been working with and/or the IMH staff that they have been supervising, and they will develop an action plan to implement into their practice. Widespread traumatic events (e.g.,. COVID-19, war, violence) can simultaneously disturb a vast number of relationships and people’s mental health, which can challenge providers’ knowledge and ability to respond in ways that promote the overall health, development, and social emotional wellbeing of perinatal caregivers and their early childhood families.
Presenters: Massiel Abramson, LMFT, MS and Jennifer Vendetti, LMSW, CEIM, PMH-C

FREE, 11-EVENING IMH Training Series for Early Care and Education Providers & Family Childcare Providers, in Spanish (Flyer)
GRATIS, ENTRENAMIENTO DE LA SALUD MENTAL DEL INFANTE Y EL NIÑO PARA PROVEEDORES DE CUIDADO Y EDUCACIÓN TEMPRANA Y PROVEEDORES DE CUIDADO INFANTIL FAMILIAR EN ESPAÑOL
Thursday evenings from 6-8PM / JUEVES POR LA TARDE 6-8PM
DATES/FECHAS: APRIL/ABRIL 13, 20, 27 & MAY/MAYO 4, 11, 18, 25 & JUNE/JUNIO 1, 8, 15, 22, 2023
*This training series is funded by the OEC-Preschool Development Grant, Birth through Five

2022

The 2022 CT-AIMH Virtual Fall Conference
Title: Bridging to Belonging: Understanding Power and Creating Connections, with a special focus on Diversity-Informed Tenets for Work with Infants, Children, and Families (tenet #3) 
Date: November 16, 2022 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Keynote Speaker: john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute
Moderator: Carlita Elias, PsyD, IMH-E®
Panel Presenters: Rebecca Cuevas, MSW, LMSW, Ava M. Hart, LCSW, IMH-E®, Julie Hall, BSc, PT, & Tanika Eaves, PhD, LCSW, IMH-E®
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Sponsors: CT DCF and OEC

Early Care and Education IMH Training Series (10 weeks)
Dates: Thursdays, September 8, 15, 22, 29, & October 6, 13, 20, 27, & November 3, 10, 2022
Time: Day 1 is 5:30-8:00pm, all others are 6:00-8:00pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Mindfulness Mondays (6 weeks)
Dates: Mondays, October 17, 24, 31, & November 7, 14, 21, 2022
Times: 12:00-1:00pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Reflective Supervision/Consultation Training Series (5 weeks)
Dates: Thursdays, October 20 & 27, November 3, 10, December 15, 2022
Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)

The 2022 CT-AIMH Virtual Spring Conference
Date: Thursday May 12, 2022 from 9am-3pm
Title: Honoring Diversity, Identity, and Race through Infant Mental Health and Reflective Supervision
Presenters: Karol Wilson, LMSW, IMH-E® and Deborah J. Weatherston, PhD, IMH-E®

Free CT-AIMH 11-evening Infant and Toddler Mental Health Training Series for Early Care and Education Providers and Family Child Care Providers (In Spanish)
Fechas/Dates: Las sesiones de entrenamiento son los jueves siguientes:  mayo 5,12,19,26; junio 2,9,16, 23, 30; julio 7, 14, de 6pm – 8pm.
The sessions will be held on the following Thursdays:  May 5,12,19, 26; June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; July 7 and 14 from 6pm – 8pm.
Temas incluyen/Topics will Include: Salud Mental Infantil,  El Apego, Desarrollo temprano del cerebro, Desarrollo y Comportamiento del Infante y del Nio, Comportamiento, Temperamento, Integracion Sensorial,  La importancia del juego, Trabajando con las familias, Practica Reflectiva.
Intro to Infant Mental Health, Attachment, Brain Development, Infant/Toddler Development, Behavior, Temperament, Sensory Integration, The Importance of Play, Partnering with Families and Reflective Practice.
Presentadoras/Presenters: Jolie A. Garfinkel, BA, MA, IMH-E®, Karen Martinez, BS, Marina Rodriguez, MS, IMH-E®
Sponsors: Estos entrenamientos son posibles for un subsidio de parte OEC – Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five.
This series is funded by: OEC- Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five.

March Mindfulness 101
Begin the New Year with a focus on how to become regulated and grounded while navigating our everchanging world
Location: Virtually (Zoom)
Date and Time: March 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2022 from 6-7pm
Audience: Any professional from any discipline who works with children 0-6 years and their families
Cost: $20
Sponsored by: Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health

2021

The CT-AIMH 2021 Virtual Fall Conference
Date: December 16, 2021, 9-4pm
Presenters: Dr. Marva Lewis, IMH-E® and Susan Schnitzer, President/CEO of The Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI)
Topic: Infant Mental Health and the Diversity-Informed Tenets: How the power of rituals and routines can protect infant and young children’s mental health under high-risk conditions and how widening our understanding of the rights of infants helps us to form connections and see all infants, young children and their families as both citizens of the world and of our communities.

FREE Reflective Supervision/Consultation 4.5-day training series 
Prerequisites: Minimum of master’s degree, IMH-Endorsed, or in process of becoming Endorsed in Infant Mental Health
Sponsored by: The CT Office of Early Childhood
Dates: November 17th – December 8th, 2021 from 10am – 1pm

FREE 11-day IMH childcare training series for Early Care and Education providers and Family Childcare providers
Audience: This series is designed specifically for childcare providers and family childcare providers (including early Head Start) who are working with infants and toddlers.
Dates: Sept 14 – Nov 23, 2021 6-8pm
Topics: One orientation evening and 10 topics: Infant Mental Health, Attachment, Brain Development, Infant/Toddler Development, Infant/Toddler Behavior, Temperament, Sensory, Play, Building Relationships with Families, and Reflection.
Sponsored by: The CT Office of Early Childhood, preschool development grant, Birth to Five

CT-AIMH 2021 Virtual Spring Conference
Date: Thursday, May 6, 2021 9am – 3:30pm
Presenter: Dr. Matthew Grossman, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Vice Chair for Quality, Department of Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine; Dr. Ruth Paris, Associate Professor and Chair, Clinical Practice Department of Boston University School of Social Work and a CT Panel
Topic: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and how to promote connections while working with families and their babies who have been/are being affected by substance use

CT-AIMH 11-day IMH Childcare Series in Spanish
Las sesiones de entrenamiento son los jueves siguientes:  1 de Abril – 10 de Junio, 6-8pm
Dates: April 1 – June 10, 2021 6-8pm
Este entrenamiento será dirigido por Karen Martinez, Jolie A. Garfinkel y Marina Rodriguez co-presentadoras en Español.
The workshops will be led by Karen Martinez, Jolie Garfinkel and Marina Rodriguez who will be co-presenting in Spanish.

CT-AIMH Presents A FREE Virtual Screening Series Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation
Dates: February 19 – June 18, 2021 9-10:30am

2020

CT-AIMH is hosting a FREE 4-Day Reflective Supervision/Consultation Training Series
Dates: November 23 – December 16, 2020; 9:00AM – 12:00PM by Zoom.
Requirements: Master’s level supervision, who is Endorsed or in the process of applying for Endorsed®.
This training is sponsored by the Office of Early Childhood.

FREE 11-DAY Infant and Toddler Mental Health Virtual Training Series
This series is designed specifically for childcare providers (including early Head Start) who are working with infants and toddlers.
Dates: Tuesdays: October 13, 2020 – Feb 16, 2021 from 12:30 – 2:30pm.
These workshops are available due to a grant through the Office of Early Childhood.
Topics will include:   Introduction to IMH, Attachment, Brain Development, Temperament, Sensory Integration, Partnering with Families, The Importance of Play, Child Development, Understanding Behavior, and Reflective Practice.

CT-AIMH 2020 Virtual Fall Conference
Date: November 19, 2020, 9am – 12:30am
Presenter: Roslyn Edwards, Joe Willard, and JJ Cutuli
Topic: Impact of Homelessness on Infants, Young Children, and their Families: Programs that Promote Infants/Caregiver Relationships

CT-AIMH Hosts 4 FREE Virtual Events in June 2020

1. Mindfulness Mondays: Every Monday in June join us to calm your brain and body by practicing mindfulness. We welcome professionals from any discipline that work with infants and young children and their families.
2. Workforce Development Wednesdays: Every Wednesday in June, CT-AIMH is hosting a listening session of Michael Trout’s audiobook, This Hallowed Ground, Four Decades in IMH.  In his own voice, Trout recounts his work with families and young children over a 46 year career, and uncovers how he incorporated IMH competencies into his practice. One chapter will be covered each session.
3. Live Book Talk with Drs. Ed Tronick, PhD and Claudia M. Gold, MD: On Tuesday, June 9th from 1-2pm, CT-AIMH is thrilled to welcome Drs. Tronick and Gold to a live virtual meeting to share with us the intentionality of their soon-to-be-released book The Power of Discord. In case you missed the talk, here is the recording.
4. Film Screening – The Raising of America, Episode One: Tuesday, June 23 (1-3pm), Episode 1 “The Signature Hour” (approximately one hour) of this powerful documentary will be shared followed by a film discussion by the CT-AIMH Promotion & Education Committee. Registration information to follow.

2019

CT-AIMH 2019 Fall Conference
Date: November 21, 2019
Location: Woodwinds, Branford, CT
Presenter: Carmen Rosa Norona and Kandace Thomas
Title: Embedding The Diversity-Informed Tenets in Your Work with Infants, Children and Families:  Increase Your Self-Awareness, Reflection & Respect About Diversity, and Discover How to Become a Champion for Infants and Children

4 tardes Entrenamiento de la Salud Mental del Infante y el Niño Este entrenamiento es para proveedores de cuidado de niños (en Español) 4-evening Infant Mental Health Child Care Provider Training Series (in Spanish).
Ubicacion/Location: Institute for the Hispanic Family, 45 Wadsworth St., Hartford, CT 06106
Las sessiones de entrenamiento son los jueves siguientes: 17, de octubre y  – 14 de noviembre, de 5:15pm-7:45pm.
Dates/Time: Thursdays: October 17 – November 14, 2019, 5:15pm-7:45pm
Temas incluyen:  Introducción a la Salud Mental Infantil, Entender el Apego, Entender el Desarrollo del Cerebro, y el Desarrollo y Comportamiento del Infante y del Nio.
Topics: Introduction to Infant Mental Health, Attachment, Brain Development, and Child Development and Behavior. 

7-day Infant Mental Health Child Care Provider Training Series
Location: Slocum Child Care Center, Waterbury (in English)
Dates: October 22 – December 4, 2019
Topics: Introduction to IMH, Attachment,  Brain Development, Temperament, Sensory Integration, Separation, Partnering with Families, The Importance of Play, Attachment Environments, Child Development and Behavior, Screening and Reflective Practice.

CT-AIMH  2019 Spring Conference
Date: May 9, 2019
Location: Woodwinds, Branford, CT
Presenter: Dr. Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD 
Title: The Power of Early Childhood Experience in Shaping Risk and Resilience

2018

CT-AIMH 6-day IMH Training Series for Home Visitors
Dates: August 22 – Sept. 21, 2018
Location: Greater New Haven United Way, 370 James Street, 4th floor, New Haven, CT.
Audience: ONLY for home visitors who work with families in the New Haven Area

CT-AIMH 2018 Fall Conference
Date: November 15, 2018
Location: Branford, CT
Presenter: Eva Marie Shivers, J.D., Ph.D.
Title: Promoting Racial Equity and Disrupting Bias: What does IMH have to do with it?

CT-AIMH Early Childhood Obesity Prevention 2-day Training Series
Date: June 11 and June 18, 2018
Location: YWCA, Hartford Region, 135 Broad Street, Hartford, CT

CT-AIMH 6-Day IMH Training Series for Home Visitors
Dates: March 22 – June 7, 2018
Location: HFPG, 10 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT
Audience: ONLY for home visitors who work with families in the Hartford Area

CT-AIMH 2018 Annual Spring Meeting & Seminar
Date: May 17, 2018
Location: Woodwinds, Branford, CT
Presenters: Walter Gilliam, PhD, Melissa Mendez, LCSW, INH-E, Maria Penedo Warren, and Jeremiah Haruna
Title: Infant Mental Health: Early Relationships in the context of family, community and culture, with a focus on implicit bias.

2017

CT-AIMH 2017 Stakeholders Meeting
Date: December 14, 2017
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Glastonbury, CT
Presenters: Heidi Maderia, MS, IMH-E, Margaret Holmberg, PhD, IMH-E, JoAnn Robinson, PhD, IMH-E, Heather Bonitz Moore, ATR-BC, LPC, IMH-E and Anne Giordano, MA, IMH-E

CT-AIMH 2017 Fall Conference
Date: November 16, 2017
Location: Woodwinds in Branford, CT
Presenter: Suzi Tortora, EdD, BC-DMT, LCAT, LMHC, CMA
Title: The Underlying Meaning of Infant and Young Children’s Behavior: How the embodied experiential nature of our interactions can build emotional expression, social engagement, and strengthen the attachment relationship between infants/young children and their caregivers

CT-AIMH 6-Day IMH Training Series for Home Visitors
Dates: Sept. 8, 22, 29 and Oct. 13, 20, 26, 2017
Location: Greater New Haven United Way New Haven, CT
Audience: ONLY for home visitors who work with families in the New Haven Area

CT-AIMH  6-day IMH Training Series for Childcare Providers
Dates: September 5, 12, 19, 26 and October 3, 10, 2017, afternoon
Location: Silva’s Learning Center, 656 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT 06118
Audience: ONLY early childcare education providers in Hartford and E. Hartford

CT-AIMH 8-day IMH Training Series for Childcare Providers
Dates: July 11, 18, 25; Aug 1, 8, 22; Sept 5, 19 , 2017  evening
Location: Silva’s Learning Center, 656 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT 06118
Audience: ONLY Early childcare and family providers in Hartford and E. Hartford

CT-AIMH Early Childhood Obesity Prevention 2-day Training Series
Date: June 19th and 26th, 2017
Location: AIA, 370 James St., Suite 104, New Haven, CT

CT-AIMH 2017 Annual Meeting & Seminar
Date: April 13, 2017
Location: Woodwinds in Branford, CT
Presenter: Dr. Linda Mayes & Dr. Helena Rutherford
Topic: How Addiction Impacts the Parenting Relationship

Infant Mental Health Community Partnerships Meetings: Building Collaborations for Babies
Dates: 5 Sessions: March 9, 10, 22, 23; April 7, June 26, 2017
Locations: around the state
Audience: For any professional serving infants, toddlers, very young children and their families

2016

CT-AIMH 2016 Fall Conference
Date: Nov 17, 2016
Location: Woodwinds, Branford, CT
Presenter: Dr. Joshua Sparrow
Topic: Early Childhood Obesity Prevention: More than Calories in and Calories Out: Promoting Health in the
First Years and Before

CT-AIMH 6-Day IMH Training Series for Home Visitors
Dates: Sept. 9, 23, 30 and Oct. 7, 21, 2016
Location: Greater New Haven United Way
Audience: ONLY for home visitors who work with families in the New Haven Area

CT-AIMH 2016 Annual Meeting & Seminar
Date & Time: April 21, 2016
Location: The Woodwinds in Branford, CT
Presenter: Arietta Slade, PhD
Topic: Reflective functioning, Reflective Practice, and the Challenges of Finding the Calm in the Storm

2015

CT-AIMH 2015 Fall Conference
Date: November 19, 2015
Location: The Woodwinds in Branford, CT
Presenter: Mary Claire Heffron, PhD
Topic: The Development of Regulation in Infants: Core Processes in Effective Interventions

CT-AIMH 2015  Stakeholder Meeting
Date: October 21, 2015
Location: Middletown Inn Middletown, CT
Presenter: Deborah Weatherston, PhD, IMH-E
Topic: Endorsement & the New National Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health

CT-AIMH 6-Day IMH Training Series for Home Visitors
Dates: Oct. 5, 30 No. 6, Dec. 3, 10, 2015
Location: Greater New Haven United Way
Audience: ONLY for home visitors who work with families in the New Haven Area

CT-AIMH Art, Movement and Touch Workshop
Date: May 18, 2015
Location: Enders Island in Mystic, CT
Presenters: Heather Bonitz-Moore, ATR-BC, LPC, IMH-E; Dale Saul, PhD, IMH-E; Ashley Holmberg, MS, RPT, GCFP, Certified Child’s Space Parent Education
Topic: Art, Movement, and Touch: Creative Ways to Promote Delight in Early Relationships

CT-AIMH 2015 Annual Meeting and Seminar
Date: April 16, 2015
Location: The Lyceum in Hartford, CT
Presenter: Marilyn R. Sanders, MD, FAAP
Topic: Strengthening the Safety Circuit: Trauma Informed Care in Infancy
Presenter: Beth Russell, PhD
Topic: Supporting New Parents’ Self-Regulation – Coping with Crying

2014

CT-AIMH 2014 Fall Conference
Date: November 20, 2014
Location: Woodwinds in Branford, CT
Presenter: Dr. Phyllis Cohen and Dr. K. Mark Sossin
Topic: Risk, Primary Prevention, and Pathways of Intervention in the Wake of Disaster

CT-AIMH 2014 Annual Meeting and Seminar
Date: April 24, 2014
Location: Wilde Auditorium, Gray Conference Center, University of Hartford
Presenter: Kia Levey, MS
Topic: The Moms Partnership

2013

CT-AIMH 2013 Fall Conference
Date: November 21, 2013
Location: Woodwinds in Branford, CT
Presenter: Mary Dozier, PhD
Topic: An Overview of Attachment and BioBehavioral Catch-Up

CT-AIMH 2013 Stakeholders Meeting
Date: June 6, 2013
Location: Women’s Consortium in Hamden, CT
Presenter: Deborah Weatherston, PhD, IMH-E
Topic: Competencies in Infant Mental Health

CT-AIMH 2013 Annual Meeting and Seminar
Date: April 25, 2013
Location: Lyceum in Hartford, CT
Presenter: Dr. Kyle Pruett
Topic: How Violence can Impact our Infants and Toddlers

CT-AIMH 2012 Fall Conference
Date: November 15, 2012
Location: Woodwinds in Branford, CT.
Presenter: Kathi Bloomquist, PHN, MS, IMH-E