Program Requirements

Academic Coursework (12 graduate credits)
• Psychology 6420 (3 credits) Infant Behavior and Development
• Psychology 6470 (3 credits) Infancy: Assessment
• Sociology 6430 (3 credits) or an alternative in Family Studies
• ED 6090 (1 credit) Introduction Infant Mental Health
• SW 7010 (1 credit) Infant Mental Health Theory and Practice
• NUR 7890 (1 credit) Special Issues: Infant Mental Health

Supervised Clinical Internship (10 graduate credits)
The clinical practicum provides students with supervised experiences in relationship-focused observation, assessment and intervention with infants, toddlers and their families. All placements are arranged through the Merrill-Palmer Institute, in cooperation with the Wayne State University School of Social Work and the Colleges of Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing, and Science.

• The assignment of an infant and family to observe throughout the year
• Experiences with infants, toddlers and families at identified risk who are referred for developmental and therapeutic support
• A supervisory relationship for guidance and reflection
• A seminar that meets twice monthly throughout the internship year for developmental and clinical discussions

Prerequisites
The Program may be completed either
(a) concurrently with a graduate degree in education, nursing, psychology or social work; or
(b) after having completed an advanced degree in any of the same areas.

Frequently Asked Questions about the IMH Graduate Certificate Program
Why choose the Infant Mental Health Program at WSU/Merrill-Palmer?
• Tailored for working professionals in an interdisciplinary graduate student body
• National recognition for it's graduate specialization in IMH
• Nationally recognized graduate and IMH faculty located within Wayne State University.

Is there an application deadline?
No, applications are considered year round

How long will it take me to complete the IMH program?
Most finish the program in 2 - 4 years, part-time enrollment

What can I do with this Graduate Certificate? Some examples?
• Provide IMH services within mental health, early childhood, health and hospital settings
• Support parent education programs for teen parents and their children
• Direct child welfare programs specific to foster care and protective services
• Work with infants and families in private practice

Application Process
1. Complete the Graduate Admission Application for Wayne State University. Send these materials to the Graduate Admissions Office, Wayne State University. Request a change of status form if you have been previously admitted to the university.

2. Complete the IMH application and mail this to the Merrill-Palmer Institute, 71 E. Ferry, Detroit, 48202, attn. Graduate Certificate Program in Infant Mental Health.

3. Send one official academic transcript for undergraduate and graduate work to the Graduate Admission's Office. Send one copy of the official transcript to Merrill-Palmer Institute.

4. Direct three letters of reference to the Merrill-Palmer Institute. You may ask people familiar with your academic and professional work.

You will receive a phone call after the Graduate Certificate Program staff reviews your application materials. Please call (313)872-1790 if you have any questions

THE LORETTA ZIEGELMAN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

We are very pleased to invite applications from graduates who have earned their MSW or are currently enrolled in the MSW Program at Wayne State University's School of Social Work students and are enrolled in the Graduate Certificate Program in Infant Mental Health. This scholarship is available through the generous support of Sy and Loretta Ziegelman who established the endowed fund to encourage social work students to pursue specialization in infant mental health. All applicants should briefly describe their interest in the field of infant mental health and state their reason for requesting scholarship support.

Please direct your letter of inquiry to:
Ann Stacks, Ph.D.
Merrill-Palmer Institute
71 East Ferry
Detroit, MI 48202

For additional information please call (313)872-1790 or FAX (313) 875-0947

Infant Mental Health Services are supportive interventions designed to strengthen the optimal development of an infant within the context of the family and community. Infants and families served include premature, underweight, medically fragile or chronically ill babies; infants with identified disabilities or developmental delays; adolescent parents; depressed parents; parents who are unprepared or overwhelmed by the care of a baby; and parents at social or emotional risk in the caregiving role. Strategies include: concrete service support, emotional support, developmental guidance, advocacy and infant-parent psychotherapy. The intent of these services is to offer relationship-focused support to reduce the risk of developmental dysfunction and delay and to enhance the emotional well-being of children and families.

Clinical trainees provide in-home infant mental health services to infants (birth to 3 years) and their families in the Metropolitan Detroit community. These services include developmental and relationship assessments, as well as brief and long-term interventions. Parent(s) and infants are seen together during weekly or twice-weekly visits for emotional and concrete support, developmental guidance, and/or infant-parent psychotherapy. All trainees are carefully supervised in their work with families.

Infant Mental Health staff offer multi-session seminars, workshops and clinical discussions to professionals working with infants and toddlers at risk, and their families.

Community Consultation for the Professional Community- Consultation, developmental and clinical, is offered to enhance the understanding of healthy, as well as at-risk, infant and family development, relationship, growth and the identification of delays and treatment planning. Staff currently provide consultation to individuals and agencies.

PUBLICATIONS

The Infant Mental Health Specialist
Deborah J. Weatherston, Ph.D., Merrill-Palmer Institute/Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

The Clinical Year in the Infant Mental Health Program
Zero to Three, National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, Washington, D.C., July/August, 2000 issue
Deborah J. Weatherston, Ph.D., Merrill-Palmer Institute/Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
Betty Tableman, Ph.D., Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health(MI-AIMH)

RELATED ARTICLES

Weatherston, D. Relationships for Learning. Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, (2001).

Weatherston, D. Infant-Parent Psychotherapy, in (Fitzgerald and Brophy, Eds.) Infancy Encyclopedia, Vol 1, pp. 371-375, ABC-CLIO, Inc.: Santa Barbara, CA(2002).

Weatherston, D. Infant Mental Health Services: A Review of Related Literature, Psychoanalytic Social Work, (2001).

Weatherston, D. The Infant Mental Health Specialist. Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, Oct./Nov. 2000.

Weatherston, D., Ribaudo, J., and Glovak, S. Becoming Whole: Combining Infant Mental Health and Occupational Therapy on Behalf of a Toddler with Sensory Integration Difficulties and his Family. Infants and Young Children, 2002.

Shirilla, J. & Weatherston, D. (Eds.) Case Studies in Infant Mental Health : Risk, Resiliency, and Relationships. National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, Washington, D.C., 2002.

Weatherston, D. and Tableman, B. Infant Mental Health Services: Supporting Competencies and Reducing Risks. 2nd Edition. Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health, Southgate, 2002.