contributed by Nadia Khan, MSW Student
COVID-19 has impacted the lives of people all over the world. While many of us are affected by economic challenges, health concerns and other stressful events, it is important to remember that children, youth and infants are highly affected by the change as well.
Did you know, infants begin to developmental and emotional health at birth? Moreover, they begin the stages for developing their attachment style between 0-8 weeks of age, and as such, are experts at reading emotional cues based on the nature of their parental and caregiver surroundings. When infants are not given the appropriate care, they begin to face challenges in their mental health, which carry on in their later adolescent and adult life. While parents and families experience distress in these tough times, infants are vicariously impacted by the tension which directly affects the progress of their development.
As service providers in the helping profession, being aware of infant mental health promotion and prevention, especially during these unprecedented times is extremely important. Let’s educate ourselves for the wellbeing of all the families, children and youth that make up Waterloo Region.
The Continuous Professional Learning Committee (CPLC) is excited to bring the Foundations in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Practice Lecture Series to the members of the Children and Youth Planning Table! This $350.00 value, 15-part series focuses on promoting early mental health and wellbeing during the first 1,000 days of life. The series aims to raise awareness and understanding of the unique needs of infants and toddlers in order to promote healthy social-emotional development in the early years and reduce the likelihood of poor mental and physical health outcomes in youth and childhood.
How to Register:
Registration is now open and will remain open until 2022, click here to learn more and register. Please ensure you register as Guest specifying Conestoga PRC (as the Host Agency). A unique email must be used upon registration for access to the session handouts, and to receive session details and reminders. You will also be required to create a personal user account at www.IMHPromotion.ca to access the recorded content. You will have access to the 15 Live webinars, which are scheduled to launch every 2-3 weeks between January and August 2020. Furthermore, you will have access to the recorded videos until September 2022 to view the lectures at your own pace or to revisit the material for your own learning. You will receive a certificate upon completing the training. Coupon code will be provided for free access.
If you have any questions, please contact Corie Schweertman (Co-Chair of the CPLC) or Shannon McIntyre (CYPT Social Planning Associate)