What is Endorsement®?
I/ECMH Endorsement® is an internationally-recognized credential that demonstrates specialized knowledge and expertise for professionals working with or on behalf of infants, toddlers, and families with young children.
NYS-AIMH Endorsement® serves as one of the first and most comprehensive efforts in the country to define best practice and to guide professional growth at multiple levels and across disciplines in the field of infant and early childhood mental health. NYS-AIMH Endorsement® promotes culturally sensitive, relationship-focused practice and is supported nationally by the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.
Categories
Endorsement categories are not hierarchical. Instead, they recognize skills, knowledge, training, and scope of work / job responsibilities that align with the best practice standards.
Each Endorsement category is designed to capture the different perspectives in this multidisciplinary field of I/ECMH.
NYS-AIMH offers Infant Mental Health Endorsement® (IMH-E®) for those working with prenatal – age three and Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® (ECMH-E®) for those who work with ages 3-6. Endorsement reflects each professional’s scope of work in the following categories:
Infant/Early Childhood Family Associate
Infant/Early Childhood Family Specialist
Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist
Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Mentor : Clinical. Policy. Research/Faculty.
- Family Associate applicants need to meet the Education OR the Work requirement they do not need to meet both
- Family Associate applicants: volunteer experience may meet the work criterion if it was a) supervised experience with women during pregnancy or with infants, toddlers, & families AND b) included specialized training. Examples include CASA, Doula, Child Life Specialist.
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Which Endorsement Category is right for you?
Directory of Reflective Supervision Providers
Exam Prep Training is offered by the Alliance. This is intended for IECMH Specialist and IECMH Mentor Clinical applicants to prepare for the vignette portion of the IECMH-E® exam. Click HERE.
COMPETENCY GUIDELINES:
NYS-AIMH’s Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health® has established specific competencies which are the foundational “best practices” for working with infants, children and their families.
These guidelines are further explained at the following link: https://nysaimh.myeasy.org/competency-guidelines
EXAM INFORMATION:
- All exams are administered by the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, with an exam registration fee of $200 paid to the Alliance. ($240 effective Jan 1, 2025)
- Your Endorsement Coordinator will provide more information regarding exam registration once your application has been submitted. Effective for all new applicants February 1, 2024 – Applicants are processed on an ongoing basis and exams are now administered on a monthly basis.
- Starting January 1, 2025, there will no longer be an exam to become endorsed as I/ECMHS.
Exam Resources:
Endorsement Exam Preparation: What to Expect, How to Prepare, and Resources
