UMH (0627) 601 - Infant Mental Health and Developmental Practice: Foundations

Credits: 2.00

In this introduction to Infant Mental Health and Developmental Practice (IMH-DP), students will learn the historical, theoretical and conceptual bases of the field, including guiding principles and significant research findings, and will begin to apply theory to clinical reasoning, formulation and intervention planning.

Free Note: Required for students in IMH-DP program.

1. Identify and explain the core content areas, scope and ethical parameters that define Infant Mental Health and Developmental Practice (IMH-DP)

2. Describe the conceptual principles that frame and guide the practice of IMH-DP from a developmental- relational perspective

3. Appraise the principles and models of child development

4. Construct a developmental timetable and identify the core mechanisms, functions and implications of early brain development and the factors that promote and imperil the formation of early brain architecture

5. Construct an historical survey identifying, explaining and comparing and contrasting key concepts of psychotherapeutic and behavioral theories of change specific to infant mental health and developmental practice from Freud to the present

6.Appraise the conceptual tenants of psychotherapeutic and behavioral theories of change specific to IMH-DP against empirical findings when existent

7. Explain, compare and contrast Bowlby and Mahler’s paradigms and appraise attachment theory, classification/nomenclature and research

8. Generate competing hypotheses from differing theoretical perspectives to explain IMH-DP clinical case material and extrapolate from theory to a beginning formulation of relationship-based intervention strategies from relevant case material