Infant Mental Health (IMH) and the Pyramid Model (PM) are two frameworks with an important common goal: supporting the mental health and social-emotional well-being of infants, young children and their families. For the first time ever, one book integrates these two frameworks to create a more effective, knowledgeable, and responsive early childhood workforce.
Developed by a team of visionary early childhood experts, this timely book debunks misunderstandings around IMH and PM and clearly illustrates how these two approaches can combine to support better outcomes for children and families. This book reviews the core concepts of both approaches and explores how integrating them can help programs and professionals:
Strengthen professional development by implementing an integrated reflective practice approach
Work effectively for diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice
Use a trauma-informed approach to support healing in young children and families
Apply evidence-based strategies to address behaviors that parents and teachers find challenging
Act as both “stress detective” and co-regulator when children are dysregulated
Understand and respond to children’s needs rooted in multidisciplinary perspectives
Increase parental confidence and strengthen the parent–child relationship
Enhance data-informed decision-making
Use the best of mental health consultation and Pyramid Model coaching to meet infants’ and young children’s needs
PRACTICAL MATERIALS: Get how-to guidance on blending these frameworks, authentic examples and case studies that illustrate effective practices, and dozens of online support materials (available on the Brookes Download Hub).
Dr. Neal M. Horen is a clinical psychologist who has focused on early childhood mental health for the last twenty years. He is Director of the Early Childhood Division for the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. Dr. Horen has worked closely with all 50 states, numerous tribes, territories, and communities in supporting their development of systems of care for young children and their families. He is the co-director of the Head Start National Center on Health, Behavioral Health and Safety, director of the Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health TA Center, co-director of the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Childrena (TM)s Mental Health, and Georgetown lead for the MIECHV TA Center, the HRSA Evidence to Impact Center, the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems TA Center and the Early Intervention Personnel Center. In that capacity he has delivered hundreds of trainings across the country and has co-led development of nationally recognized materials. He leads Georgetowna (TM)s Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate programs and has helped to developed innumerable materials related to infant and early childhood mental health consultation including books, training guides, evaluation guides, monographs and he also continues to be active in providing mental health consultation as part of his clinical practice. In addition, Dr. Horena (TM)s primary interest is in early childhood mental health and he has lectured extensively on infant and early childhood mental health, challenging behaviors in young children, social skills development, as well as the impact of trauma on child development.
Robert M. Corso, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Pyramid Model Consortium and a Senior Research Associate at Vanderbilt University. Previously, he served as Project Coordinator for the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. Additionally, he was on the leadership team for the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning and served as Principal Investigator for the Head Start Disability Services Quality Improvement Center.
