To the Regional Service Providers and IECMH Consultants:

IECMH Consultation, to some degree, is in motion in many regions! Some RSPs are participating in Phase1 (early access) of the ECB Connect Launch. Others do not yet have access to ECB Connect, but have hired and are onboarding IECMH consultants, some of whom are getting out to do outreach and begin building relationships with programs. And still others are gearing up to hire. This month’s newsletter has something for everyone!

Important Information and Updates

Reminders about Endorsement

There is a lot of information for newly hired IECMH consultants to take in! Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to clarify the expectations for earning the Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health credential.

Consultants are not required to earn Endorsement before beginning to deliver IECMH consultation. All that is required is that they have started their Endorsement application.
All IECMH consultants are expected to eventually earn Endorsement as Infant Family Specialist or Early Childhood Family Specialist. This is the category that aligns with the IECMHC scope of work (prevention). If the consultant has a background as a mental health clinician doing relationship-based therapy with infants, young children, and families, Endorsement as an Infant Mental Health Specialist or Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist may be a better fit.
Many newly hired consultants already meet the criteria for Endorsement as Infant Family Associate or Early Childhood Family Associate - the category aligned with a promotion scope of work, such as a TA provider in early care and learning. Consultants can apply for Family Associate as an interim step or wait to apply for Endorsement until they meet all requirements for Family Specialist.
Endorsement as a Family Specialist requires that consultants provide support to parents as well as teachers/providers. This will be a part of the model and the training that ECB IECMH consultants will receive. Support for parents will include facilitating communication and coordinating between teachers & parents. In some cases, consultants may help families connect with other services or supports they need beyond IECMH consultation, be available to support home visits, and co-create and share social emotional support plans.
And great news! ORIMHA has hired Angelica Molina as their new Endorsement Coordinator. Angelica started on September 15 and is being onboarded with Amber Keeler’s support. Amber will be supporting Oregon Endorsement applicants alongside Angelica through December. Angelica is able to support applicants in Spanish and English. To request support for your Endorsement, email endorsement@or-imha.org

ECB Connect Supports

Once a region gains access to ECB Connect, training to respond to requests for support is coordinated by DELC, ELSI, and ORIMHA. This includes training to navigate the two data systems: Smart Sheet and PIDS. You can expect to hear more from DELC soon about the next phase of the ECB Connect launch and the readiness criteria for that phase.

In sum, these trainings become available once your region has been granted access to ECB Connect. Dates for these trainings will be provided once you have access.

Onboarding Expectations

In this early stage of Every Child Belongs, there is a LOT of training, reflective consultation, and other professional development supports in which IECMH consultants will participate. The Foundations of Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health (sometimes referred to as the “MI-AIMH” or “Michigan” series) includes 20 biweekly sessions stretching from November 2025 through August 2026. The series guarantees that participants will meet all the competency requirements for Endorsement as a Family Specialist. The time for this training, when added to reflective consultation (both group and 1:1), monthly Community of Practice for IECMH Consultants, asynchronous training from the Onboarding Manual, and other RSP training and meeting expectations, can add up to 20 hours a week in professional development during this early stage. Which is a LOT! We acknowledge that this will take away from responding to requests for support. AND we acknowledge this is a new and complex service. IECMH consultants need and deserve this intensive onboarding period to deliver high quality services with consistency and in ways that will result in optimal outcomes for young children, teachers/providers, and families.

Opportunities for 1:1 Implementation Support for RSP Leaders in Late October / Early November

Nichole will be away from work and out of the country from Oct 13-24. If you need support during that time, you can reach out to Sondra for implementation-related questions at sondra.stegenga@utah.edu, Caroline for hiring or onboarding questions at caroline@or-imha.org, or Erin for general questions at erin@or-imha.org. And when Nichole returns, this sign up sheet is for reserving 1:1 time with Sondra and Nichole in late October and early November.

Big Picture

Save the Dates

Virtual CoPs for RSP Leaders

9-11a, First Thursday of the month

October 2
November 6
December 4

Northwest Early Learning and Pyramid Summit

November 19-20, 2025
Riverside Hotel, Garden City, Idaho

Plus:

Online Pre-Conference Workshops: November 12, 13, & 14
In-Person Pre-Conference Workshops: November 18

Reflective Supervision Symposium

International event with opportunities to explore and grow skills in the provision, promotion, and/or evaluation of reflective supervision/consultation
Co-hosted by ORIMHA and the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
July 21-23 in Portland, OR