RIAIMH upcoming events

IECMH in ECE Learning Collaborative (06/01/2026)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Learning Collaborative in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health for Early Childhood Education Professionals

March/April-September 2026

Join our 2026 learning collaborative to integrate infant/early childhood mental health principles into your early childhood practice!

REGISTER

Why IECMH in ECE?

Early care and education providers have unique opportunities to promote infant/early childhood mental health by building and nurturing relationships that support social and emotional development, healthy attachments, and family engagement. This work impacts early brain development and is critical for the child’s lifelong health, mental health, and learning. We know that the work in ECE settings is as rewarding as it is weighty. IECMH principles and practices are crucial to guide ALL work that involves infants’ optimal development and social/emotional well-being. This project supports providers to promote IECMH through training, reflection, creation of a community within ECE, and support to earn IECMH-Endorsement^® credential .

What’s involved in the initial phase (year 1) of this pilot project?

Attend 2 Trainings (CELP approved)- 42 total hrs

1) IECMH Core Principles and Practices (12 hrs)

Dates: Thursdays, 3/5/26, 3/12/26, 3/26/26, 1:00-5:00p, Virtual

Dates: Fridays, 4/3/26 & 4/24/26, 9:00-3:30, Center for Early Learning Professionals Warwick, RI

AND/OR

2) Touchpoints: The How of Child and Family Engagement (28 hrs)

Date/Time/Location:

Session 1: 6/1/26, 12:30 - 4:00p, Virtual via Zoom

Session 2: 6/11/26. 9:00-4:00p, Meeting Street, 1000 Eddy St., Providence

Session 3: 6/18/26, 12:30 -4:00p, Virtual via Zoom

Session 4: 6/25/26, 9:00-4:00p, Meeting Street, 1000 Eddy St, Providence

6 additional Virtual Reflective Sessions: TBD*

NOTE: An additional Touchpoints Series will begin in late July/early August. Stay tuned for details.

Support to submit your IMH Endorsement^® application (requires approximately 10 hrs) that affirms specialized knowledge, skills, and experiences working with infants, young children and their families.
Participants offered: RIAIMH 2026 membership and $500 professional payment upon earning the Endorsement credential

Registration for training at NO COST to participants

Registration is limited to 40 participants

REGISTER

Additional information about activities above will be provided after registration.

Who’s Eligible?

Staff working directly with infants and/or toddlers and their families
Staff employed in programs that accept CCAP subsidies OR family home visitors working within EC programs/systems
Participants will need approval from their supervisors/administrators to support time required for participation in the project
Questions? Contact Sheila Grant Orphanides, info@riaimh.org, (401) 346-9450.

We look forward to learning and growing community with you!

This work is supported in part by RI DHS.

Parent Engagement through TOUCHPOINTS™ (06/01/2026)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

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Parent Engagement through Touchpoints™

A training offered to Early Childhood Education Professionals

“Parent Engagement through Touchpoints” is a learning collaborative on the Touchpoints approach, an evidence-based model linked to building strong family-child relationships from prenatal through age 5. Participants who implement Touchpoints in their practice partner with families to lay the vital foundation for children’s early learning and healthy development. Touchpoints provides a practical, preventative approach that supports professionals in forming strengths-based partnerships with families. This learning collaborative centers on reflection and cultural humility to support infant/early childhood mental health, early learning, and development. In addition to 4 hybrid training sessions, this training includes 6 1-hour bi-weekly virtual reflection sessions after the training sessions. Attendance at 4/6 virtual reflection sessions is required for training completion.

Register HERE

This training is offered only to members of the IECMH in ECE Learning Collaborative, and is offered by RIAIMH in partnership with Meeting Street. Registration is limited to 20 participants. Priority for registration is given to those who work within the Early Childhood Education sector.

Date/Time/Location:

Attendance at all sessions is required to receive a certificate.

Session 1: 6/1/26, 12:30-4:00p, Virtual via Zoom

Session 2: 6/11/26. 9:00-4:00p, Meeting Street, 1000 Eddy St., Providence

Session 3: 6/18/26, 12:30-4:00p, Virtual via Zoom

Session 4: 6/25/26, 9:00-4:00p, Meeting Street, 1000 Eddy St, Providence

6 additional Virtual Reflective Sessions: TBD*

* Participants must attend at least 4/6 Reflective sessions

This intensive is designed as a 26-28 hour learning collaborative. Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Please contact info@riaimh.org with training date/time conflicts.
Registration is offered at NO COST to participants (includes NASW CEUs & CELP credits, as desired).
The 6 Reflective sessions following the training can be counted as reflective consultation hours when applying for Endorsement, if provided by an approved reflective consultant.
Suggested IMH-Competencies®: Pregnancy & early parenthood, Infant/very young child development & behavior, Infant/family-centered practice, Cultural Humility, Observation and Listening, Responding with Empathy, Life skills, Building Maintaining Relationships, Supporting others, Contemplation, and Emotional Response.

If you have any questions, please reach out to info@riaimh.org

The Learning Collaborative is supported, in part, with funds from RI DHS

Community Conversation Series 2026 #4 (06/16/2026)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:30:00 GMT

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SERIES 2026

IECMH Approaches to CARE: Keeping the Baby in Mind

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Session #4:

Focus on Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation in ECE Programs

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Virtual Event

8:30-10:30am Presentation and Discussion

*Note: Return to morning time!

REGISTER

Description: This session will feature a summary of a national study on the state of IECMH consultation and challenging behaviors. This study considered what’s working within IECMH Consultation (IECMHC) in Early Care and Education settings, where the gaps are, and what consultants and programs are saying is needed. This session will also include an overview of the SUCCESS (Supporting Children's Competencies in Social and Emotional Skills) Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation program in RI. SUCCESS consultants will discuss how SUCCESS fits into the RI IECMHC in ECE landscape, trends they have seen in this work, as well as success, challenges, and recommendations.

Featured speakers:

Neal Horen, PhD, Director Infant and Early Childhood Development and Early Relational Health, Georgetown University Thrive Center for Children, Families and Communities

Rebecca Newland Kilch, PhD, IMH-E & Rachel Herman, PhD, Clinical Psychologists & IECMH Consultants, SUCCESS, Bradley Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Research Center

Registration fee:

- RIAIMH Members: NO COST with active 2026 membership

- Non-Members: $40/session

- Undergraduate and Graduate Students: NO COST with valid student email entered during registration

CEUs:

- NASW (Social Work) Continuing Education Units : $30/session (small online CC fee applied)

- CELP (Center for Early Learning Professionals) 2 contact hours (no cost for participants)

IECMH-Competencies toward IECMH-Endorsement® - Working with Others: Collaborating; Reflection: Personal/Professional Development - suggested competencies noted on event participation certificate. IMH Endorsement® applicants may select other appropriate IMH Competencies®

With generous support from:

Community Conversation Series 2026 #5 (08/04/2026)

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:30:00 GMT

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SERIES 2026

IECMH Approaches to CARE: Keeping the Baby in Mind

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Session #5: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Program at Family Service of Rhode Island

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Virtual Event

8:30-10:30am Presentation and Discussion

REGISTER

Description: This session will introduce participants to the IECMH dyadic therapy strategy known as Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an in-person program designed to improve parent-child (caregiver) relationships and address behavioral and emotional issues for children from 2-6 years of age. The session will review why relationship based (dyadic) interventions are most effective for young children who are experiencing behavioral and emotional challenges, and families. Members of the PCIT team at Family Service of RI will give an overview of the how the RI version of this program fits into the RI IECMH landscape, examples of strategies and approaches used with families, and how the PCIT is a community resource for children, families, and providers.

Featured speaker: McKayla Dove, Clinical Supervisor, Family Service of RI

Registration fee:

- RIAIMH Members: NO COST with active 2026 membership

- Non-Members: $40/session

- Undergraduate and Graduate Students: NO COST with valid student email entered during registration

CEUs:

- NASW (Social Work) Continuing Education Units : $30/session (small online CC fee applied)

- CELP (Center for Early Learning Professionals) 2 contact hours (no cost for participants)

IECMH-Competencies toward IECMH-Endorsement® - Theoretical Foundations: Relationship-focused Therapeutic Practice; Infant/Young Child/Family Centered Practice - suggested competencies noted on event participation certificate. IMH Endorsement® applicants may select other appropriate IMH Competencies®

With generous support from: