A shared understanding of professional competencies contributes to the formation of a strong and unified IECMHC workforce. Please visit the new Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CoE IECMHC). This center is continuing the work begun under the first CoE for IECMHC. Vision Statement on Competencies The Center’s vision is that there will be nationwide agreement on the core competencies of consultants, which will lead to a widespread understanding of the practice of infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) and its unique value. The core competencies will standardize practice and training around IECMHC and guide the development of new IECMHC in locations where it is not yet offered. The core competencies will provide the framework for a national credentialing system that enables consumers of IECMHC to easily evaluate the qualifications of consultants, ultimately leading to greater use of the practice and better outcomes for children and families. Additional information on working with tribal communities. Toolbox Resources Competencies encompass the abilities, knowledge, and skills that every infant and early childhood mental health consultant must have to be effective. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Competencies – 2017 (PDF | 873 KB) contains comprehensive standards based on a national consensus about the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities of infant and early childhood mental health consultants. These standards apply in the early care, education, and home visiting settings, along with other early childhood settings such as pediatric offices and homeless shelters. The competencies can be used for a number of purposes. For example: Qualifying an infant and early childhood mental health consultant Supplementing, extending, or guiding existing IECMHC workforce development efforts Assisting new efforts to create and support such a workforce in places where one does not exist Influencing the hiring, supervision, and evaluation of infant and early childhood mental health consultants Clarifying the difference between IECMHC and other types of consultation offered in support of young children and families Promoting the enhanced quality and increased professional credibility of IECMHC Find additional resources in the IECMHC Toolbox, including guidance on: Systems and Policy Models Research and Evaluation Workforce Development Communications Financing