Infant Mental Health and Diversity: Working Through the Lens of Development, Relationships, and Culture

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Description of Event and Learning Objectives:

As a field, infant mental health is an interdisciplinary approach to research, practice, and public policy concerned with maximizing the well-being of infants, young children, and their caregivers through promotion, early identification, preventive intervention, treatment, and support. All in the context of family, community, and cultural expectations for young children.

At the end of the event, participants will be able to: 

• Identify core components of infant mental health 

• Identify aspects of cultural diversity that are relevant for working with young children and families 

• Define privilege as it relates to cultural experiences of young children and families 

• Apply a relationship-based model of cultural sensitivity that emphasizes cultural awareness, curiosity, and humility 

Participant Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Level

Fee:

IMPA Member: No Cost (Membership through 12/31/20 Payable at Door for $35!)

Non-IMPA Members: $45 (for those not eligible for IMPA membership)

Students: No Cost (please have valid Student ID)

Registration:

For those wishing to be IMPA members and Students: Please register for the event by going to: (website) 

For non-students who do not plan become IMPA members, please register by emailing pvisser@frontierhealth.org 

On-site registration starting at 8:30 a.m. 

We will be happy to accommodate special needs requests.  We ask that you contact us at the IMPA email (impa.email@gmail.com) at least 1 week prior to the training event to ensure sufficient time to make any necessary arrangements.  

Meet the Presenters:

Diana Morelen, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at East Tennessee State University and is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialization in infant mental health, child/adolescent mental health, and perinatal mental health. Dr. Morelen completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan with specialty training in women and infant’s mental health.  Statewide, Dr. Morelen is a member of the Association for Infant Mental Health in TN (AIMHiTN) Infant Mental Health Endorsement® Leadership Cohort to promote state-wide capacity in the knowledge and practice to support healthy families. As a clinical scientist, Dr. Morelen seeks to bridge research and practice to better understand how early adverse childhood experiences impact development, and how to prevent and mitigate the impact of trauma through evidence-based prevention and intervention.  Dr. Morelen is actively seeking to support families in the Northeast TN region through training and supporting community partners as they implement Mom Power. Mom Power is a relationship-based and trauma-informed parenting and self-care skills group designed for mothers and their young children (ages 0-6). Mom Power has been shown to help all sorts of families, but can be particularly helpful for mothers who have been impacted by adverse childhood experiences. Mom Power focuses on promoting family strengths and resilience. Dr. Morelen is also honored to be a founding board member of the Appalachian Perinatal Mental Health Alliance (APMHA), a non-profit branch under Postpartum Support International. APMHA's mission is to raise awareness and decrease stigma around perinatal mental health problems and to increase the community's capacity to meet the needs of women and families experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties.

Michele R. Moser, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University.  She has served as the director of the East Tennessee State University Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody (ETSU COE) since 2006 and has been a psychologist with the ETSU COE since its inception in 2002.  Dr. Moser has been part of the COE Best Practices Collaborative leadership which has worked together since 2007 implementing approximately l0 learning collaboratives with four different evidenced based treatment models.  She co-led the Tennessee Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative from its inception in 2010 until 2016 when the group formalized to become the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHiTN).  She served as President of the Founding Board of Directors for AIMHiTN and currently serves as Secretary.  She has been a member of the Tennessee Young Child Wellness Council and the Council on Children’s Mental Health.  She is a Building Strong Brains curriculum trainer and part of the ETSU BRAIN (Building Resilience through ACEs Informed Networking) Trustees.  Dr. Moser completed her Ph.D. and M.A. in clinical psychology at Miami University (OH).  She did her clinical child internship at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.  Prior to relocating to TN from OH in 2002, she worked in private practice in a rural area treating children, adolescents, adults, and families as well as consulting with child welfare and the juvenile court.

Continuing Education:

Frontier Health is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  Frontier Health maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  Participants will receive 3.0 hours of credit for attending. Variable credit may not be given per APA guidelines.  Full attendance is required. 

Note that this program is designed to meet Tennessee continuing education requirements in the area of cultural diversity for licensure renewal in psychology. 

PO Box 9054

Gray, Tennessee 37615

1-888-291-1935

www.frontierhealth.org