Application Opens on May 19!

The Online Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) provides advanced training for mental health clinicians in the specialized role of IECMHC in early childhood settings. You’ll learn approaches to promote mental health in the early childhood years and how the role of IECMH consultant is unique from other mental health clinician roles, as well as how consultation aims to build the capacity of early childhood professionals, settings, and systems to support young children’s mental health.

You’ll engage with national experts in the field of IECMHC and instructors from Thrive Center for Children, Families and Communities at  Georgetown University, home of the Center of Excellence in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. All faculty have created, implemented, evaluated or and guided national IECMHC programs. You’ll leave the program equipped with the knowledge needed to effectively support well-being for young children, families, and professionals in early childhood settings in the consultant role. You will also develop a network in the field to promote and support your professional development.

Program at a Glance

• Ideal For: early childhood mental health consultants or licensed mental health clinicians considering a specialty in IECMHC
• Duration: 9 months
• Tuition: $6,000
• Format: Online
• Schedule: Live one Friday per month & asynchronous online, 11:00-1:00 PM EST
• Semester of Entry: Fall

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the certificate, you will be able to:

• Identify infant and early childhood mental health consultation theoretical foundations and theory of change, and how those differ from dyadic or group-based mental health treatment; describe the history of infant and early childhood mental health consultation and why it is needed.
• Describe the current evidence base for infant and early childhood mental health consultation, childhood developmental milestones, and developmentally appropriate behavior.
• Recognize areas of consultation focus at the child, classroom, and programmatic levels.
• Recognize how to document consultation work so it can be quantified and develop a plan for sharing it with others, how assessment is integrated into and supported by consultation work, and develop an assessment plan.
• Describe how culture (beliefs, values, attitudes, biases, and experiences), equity, and environment shape relationships and behaviors, and how they influence settings and communities in important and meaningful ways.
• Identify the role of supervision in infant and early childhood mental health consultation beyond what is required for clinical licensure and describe approaches to supervision utilized in infant and early childhood mental health consultation.

Curriculum & Schedule

During the Fall 2025 semester, professional development and certificate classes will consist of a Live Online class and asynchronous online assignments. Live classes are taught in real-time by Georgetown instructors using Zoom video conferencing. Asynchronous online assignments are completed through Canvas, our learning management system, and can be completed at your own pace. Certificate programs are designed to provide our professional learners with a high-quality, engaging educational experience.

For more information, please contact Program Support: IECMH-Certificates@georgetown.edu .

The Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is offered in a Flex Learning environment using live Zoom video conferencing to mirror a more traditional classroom with regular interaction, engaging activities, and the dynamic exploration of topics and concepts.

Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)

You must successfully complete the required course for a total of 10.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which is equivalent to 100.0 contact hours. The course must be completed within the 9-month time frame.

What Is Live Online Learning?

Live online instruction is enhanced by incorporating various instructional practices and technology tools. Features such as Zoom video conferencing, breakout rooms, and chat allow for real-time interaction and collaboration among learners. Tools like Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Canvas Groups facilitate teamwork and information sharing within the learning community. Polling, surveys, and threaded discussion boards promote active engagement and the expression of opinions. It is important to foster social respect, privacy, and incorporate Jesuit values to create a supportive and inclusive online environment. By utilizing these practices and tools effectively, live online instruction can be engaging, interactive, and conducive to meaningful learning experiences.

Directors

Jennifer Drake-Croft

Research Instructor

Neal Horen

Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Director of Infant, Early Childhood and Relational Health, Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities

Karyn Hartz-Mandell

Adjunct Lecturer – SCS CCPE | Evaluator

Lauren Rabinovitz

Project Director

Guest Faculty (coming soon)

Expand All

  Vilma Reyes, PhD

Dr. Vilma Reyes is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco in the Child Trauma Research Program. Since 2009, she has been providing Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) services, training, clinical supervision, consultation and coordinating community-based mental health outreach services and evaluation. She is a national trainer in CPP and has co-authored articles and chapters on CPP theory and application.

The Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is a selective program with a competitive admissions process. For each cohort, an application review committee offers admission to a select and diverse group of students to enrich the classroom experience. A completed application will include the following documents:

• Completed application form
• Resume/CV
• Statement of Purpose
  

Application Dates

• Application opens May 15th, 2025
• Deadline for application: September 1, 2025
  
  

Program Prerequisites

Education

• A minimum of a master’s degree in a mental health field (e.g., psychology, counseling, social work) OR
• Enrolled in a mental health field graduate program
• Mental health licensed or license-eligible (e.g., enrolled in a graduate program with prior clinical experience)
• Please reach out if you do not meet these requirements, and we can discuss fit. We strive to be flexible while delivering an exceptional student experience.
  
  

Experience

• At least two years of supervised clinical experience (during mental health graduate training or post-graduate)
• Currently working in mental health or a related field.
  
  

International Students

A TOEFL examination is not required for non-native speakers of English. Still, students are expected to read, write, and comprehend English at the graduate level to fully participate in and gain from the program.

Students from most countries may register for our online certificate programs, however, due to international laws, residents of certain countries are prohibited from registering.

Tuition & Funding

The Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation has a limited number of tuition scholarship that may be available, please indicate on your application if you are interested in a scholarship.

Noncredit professional certificates do not qualify for federal financial aid, scholarships, grants, or needs-based aid. However, several finance and funding options do exist, as listed below.

Contact Us

For questions about the program, please contact: IECMH-Certificates@georgetown.edu .