On Parents Who Are Supported and Valued By Society: They give rise to mentally healthy children

When parents are supported and valued by society, they are able to be fully present with their children, in turn helping to grow healthy brains. Children who grow up in an attuned caregiving environment are flexible, resilient, and empathic. In contrast, when children experience toxic stress, or stress in the absence of a safe, secure caregiving relationship, the parts of their brains responsible for emotional regulation do not develop normally. What results are symptoms that are then labeled "mental illness."

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/childinmind/2013/05/to_cdc_on_childrens_mental_hea_2.html

So often mental illness has its basis in early childhood experiences. The opposite is also true -- mental health has its basis in early childhood experiences. -gw

On the 3rd Regional Washington State Parent-Child Interaction Conference: Complete pics and video

3rd Regional Washington State Parent-Child Interaction Conference

Above is the link to the collection of all sets of photos and videos from the 3rd Regional Washington State Parent-Child Interaction Conference held early last month in Des Moines, Washington. There is so much to draw from here, so much that speaks to the central focus of this blog. -gw

Arriving at aLandmark

13 photos | Edit

Fancy place tohave a training

31 photos | Edit

1st Day Photos - PCIT...

156 photos | Edit

Welcome andintroductionof...

2 photos, 2 videos | Edit

KeynoteSpeaker: PCITfor...

38 photos, 32 videos | Edit

Supporting PCIT Fidelity...

41 photos, 6 videos | Edit

Round tableworkshop...

37 photos, 13 videos | Edit

Be Direct!

23 photos, 4 videos | Edit

PCIT in theLummiNation:...

15 photos, 1 video | Edit

Block ByBlock:...

5 videos | Edit

2nd Day Photos - PCIT...

219 photos | Edit

GreatExpectations:.. .

20 photos, 48 videos | Edit

From Lab toLiving Room:...

46 photos, 28 videos | Edit

"I Like How You Are...

12 photos, 12 videos | Edit

CoachingTechniques: How to...

13 photos, 4 videos | Edit

Lunch & break

9 photos | Edit

Coding andCoaching

24 photos, 12 videos | Edit

PCIT andAutism:Lessons...

58 photos, 29 videos | Edit

DPICS IVExtravaganza

19 photos, 19 videos | Edit

Ask the Experts

10 photos, 26 videos | Edit

On the State of Illinois' Approach to Home Visiting: Addressing unmet mental health needs of young children

http://icmhp.org/icmhpproducts/files/ICMHP-HFI%20model%203.2.13.pdf

Those of us here in Washington State can learn from the approaches taken to addressing early childhood mental health needs in the other 49 states. Here is Illinois' approach. -gw

On the 2020 Mom Project: For screening and treatment of maternal mental health disorders

It is National Women's Health Week, an appropriate time for the launch of this initiative. -gw

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative (http://www.camaternalmentalhealth.org/), a non-profit organization committed to increasing and improving maternal mental health awareness, diagnosis and treatment, is launching its national campaign, the 2020 Mom Project (www.2020MomProject.com), to bring screening and treatment for maternal mental health disorders by the year 2020. The 2020 Mom Project is a national call to action that sets forth an aggressive new path for solving what some have called one of the biggest public health concerns of our time: the silent maternal mental health crisis which impacts up to 20 percent of expecting and new moms. It is being launched in recognition of National Women's Health Week, May 12 through 18, 2013

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/15/5422175/national-2020-mom-project-campaign.html

On Finding Felicity Through Fidelity: It's the "commitment" to effective therapy

Supporting treatment fidelity in the use of Parent Child Interaction Therapy within Child Welfare was the subject of a presentation by Georganna Sedlar, Ph.D., and Andrea Negrete, M.Ed. at the recent 3rd Regional Washington State Parent-Child Interaction Conference. What is fidelity anyway?

Fidelity is the "commitment" in relationship. It is also what makes evidence-based therapies work. If you, the therapist, follow what on-going research says should work, you'll get good results. If you deviate, you won't. Striving for fidelity in day-to-day practice is not always easy.

Therapies to improve outcomes in child welfare should veritably work. Evidence-based practices have come to Washington State "big time." The use of these practices for publicly funded services is now actually called for by law, as conference keynoter Lucy Berliner explains.. -gw

On Highlights From the Keynoter: Lucy Berliner on PCIT

Lucy Berliner's keynote talk at the 3rd Regional Washington State Parent Child Interaction Therapy Conference covered the future of PCIT with an eye to research that points the way, not surprising given the evidence-based nature of PCIT. -gw