Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health

04/10/2026

🌸 Maternal Mental Health Month is almost here, and our first May seminar is just weeks away!

Nurturing Early Relationships: How Doulas Support Maternal and Infant Mental Health

📅 Tuesday, May 6
🕛 12:00–1:30 PM
💻 Virtual

Join expert presenters from Teen Parent Connection as they explore how doula care supports parental wellbeing, reduces anxiety, and strengthens the early parent-infant bond—one of the most foundational elements of infant mental health.

CEUs will be available for Gateways, Early Intervention, and Clinical hours.

👉 Register here: https://iafimh.wildapricot.org/event-6595374

Know a colleague who would benefit? Feel free to invite them too!

04/09/2026

This year, ILAIMH celebrates 45 years of supporting babies, toddlers, families, and the amazing professionals who care for them.

From our earliest days to today, we’ve been committed to:
💛 Nurturing strong relationships
🌱 Growing knowledge in infant mental health
🤝 Supporting providers across Illinois

We couldn’t have done it without YOU — our members, partners, and community champions. Here’s to 45 years of making a difference… and to many more years of hope, learning, and connection!

✨ Let’s celebrate together! Share a favorite memory, tip, or story about working with infants and young children in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

04/01/2026

Our Maternal Health in May seminar series continues!

Relational Pathways to Healing in Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health

📅 May 15 | 12 p.m.

Healing starts with connection. Join experts from Beyond Baby Blues—Kay Burk, LCSW; Nancy Segall, LCSW, I/ECMH-C; and Nerissa Tucker, MHA, LPC—as they share their real-world, trauma-informed experiences supporting parents through the perinatal period.

Professional Development hours will be available for Gateways, Early Intervention & Clinical CEUs.

👉 Click the link to register — we hope you'll join us!

https://iafimh.wildapricot.org/event-6595401

03/27/2026

ILAIMH is grateful to the Irving Harris Foundation for including us in the 2026 Professional Development Network—what an incredible gathering of organizations doing foundational, transformative work in Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health.

Representing ILAIMH this week were three of our incredible board members: Leslie Katch, Tracey Mikasa, and Michelle Lee — thank you for showing up and carrying our mission into these important conversations!

Being in community with so many passionate, dedicated partners doing this work is nothing short of energizing. We leave inspired and more committed than ever to the connections and collaborations that make this field stronger.

03/25/2026

Join us for a Virtual Seminar this May!

Nurturing Early Relationships: How Doulas Support Maternal and Infant Mental Health

📅 May 6 | 12 p.m.

Doula care is so much more than physical support. It's a vital emotional lifeline for new parents and their babies. Come hear from our incredible panel of experts from Teen Parent Connection as they share their experiences and insights!

Professional development hours will be available for Gateways, Early Intervention & Clinical CEUs.

👉 Click the link to register — we'd love to see you there!

https://iafimh.wildapricot.org/event-6595374

03/23/2026

Don’t forget! ILAIMH chapters create supportive, welcoming spaces where professionals can connect, collaborate, and reflect on their work with infants and families. Join a chapter to exchange ideas, deepen relationships, and help advance the field of infant and early childhood mental health throughout Illinois.

📍 Upcoming Chapter Meetings
Central Illinois Chapter: April 7, 2026 | 10:30–11:30 AM
South Suburban Chapter: May 8, 2026 | 12:00–2:00 PM

🔗 Learn more and find your chapter: https://ilaimh.org/chapters/

03/18/2026

Supporting young children and families is meaningful, but it can also be emotionally demanding.

This March, we’re highlighting how reflective supervision helps reduce stress and prevent burnout across the infant mental health workforce. Through reflective spaces, providers can:
✨ Feel seen and supported
✨ Process complex cases
✨ Set healthy boundaries
✨ Sustain their passion for the work

Self-care isn’t separate from professional responsibility. In fact, it’s part of it! When providers have space to reflect, regulate, and reconnect with purpose, children benefit.

💬 What helps you stay grounded in your work with young children and families?

03/17/2026

Don't miss tomorrow's presentation by ILAIMH's board president, Leslie E. Katch, M.S.W, Ph.D., at this week's Illinois Head Start Association Annual Conference!

https://www.ilheadstart.org/2026_ihsa_annual_conference.php

📣 "Understanding and Responding to Infant Crying and Fussing: Strategies for Caregiving"

Leslie will share how understanding infant behavior is key to providing quality caregiving, both at home and in groupcare settings. This session will cover the latest research in infant crying and the relationship to caregiver well-being. Support strategies for working with families and providers working with difficult-to-soothe infants will also be explored.

This is such an important topic for anyone supporting infants and their families. We're proud to be contributing to the conversation!

Jennifer S. Lester is a nationally recognized psychotherapist, speaker, and author known for helping leaders reconnect to their purpose and power. With more than 20 years of experience in mental health and behavioral change, she brings practical tools grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and rea...

03/16/2026

A strong infant mental health system doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through ongoing training, mentorship, and peer support. Reflective supervision is one essential piece, but it’s part of a larger commitment to professional growth.

ILAIMH supports providers across Illinois through:
✔ Professional development and training opportunities
✔ Communities of learning and peer connection
✔ Advocacy for a well-supported workforce

Join ILAIMH today to connect with peers, access training, and strengthen your reflective practice. Together, we’re building a more supported workforce for Illinois’ youngest children.

Become a member today: https://iafimh.wildapricot.org/

03/11/2026

Anyone who has traveled with young children knows that vacations can be exciting—and a little unpredictable!

As spring break approaches, whether you’re on the road or staying close to home, even short breaks are a chance to nurture curiosity, connection, and fun.

Here are a few simple ideas to make the most of your time together:
✨ Explore outside: A walk, a backyard scavenger hunt, or just time in the sunshine helps little brains grow.
✨ Read together: Storytime strengthens language and connection.
✨ Play and create: Painting, building, or pretend play sparks imagination and problem-solving.
✨ Keep routines: Even small routines around sleep and meals help children feel secure and calm.

03/09/2026

We talk a lot about reflective practice and supervision at ILAIMH.

So what is reflective supervision?

It’s a dedicated space for professionals to:
✓ Pause and process their emotional responses
✓ Build self-awareness
✓ Strengthen their relationships with families
✓ Deepen the quality of their practice

Infant mental health work is powerful — and personal. Reflective supervision ensures providers aren’t carrying that work alone. When we care for the workforce, we strengthen care for children.

03/04/2026

March reminds us that even after the longest winter, growth is possible. 🌱

We believe babies, toddlers, and their families don’t just need services–they need hope too. And hope is built in everyday moments: a caregiver’s steady presence, a provider who listens without judgment, a community that shows up.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by headlines. But here’s what we know to be true:
✨ Brains grow in relationships.
✨ Resilience is built through connection.
✨ Small, consistent acts of care change lifelong outcomes.

💬 We’d love to hear from you: What gives you hope when you think about young children and families in your community?