AIMH (UK) Membership, Special Offer for Children's Centres
Children's Centres are models of integrated service provision, where Primary Care Trusts, Local Authorities, Jobcentre Plus, Education and Childcare Providers, Social Services, and Community and Voluntary Agencies work together to deliver seamless holistic services. They are here to ensure that every child gets the best start in life and to give parents more choice about how to balance work and family life.

AIMH (UK) wishes to support Children's Centres and those who work in them and with them - Download offer details here

'Watch, Wait and Wonder - A Profound Approach to Parenting, AIMH (UK) Workshop, Saturday 26 June 2010
Feedback from this latest workshop, delivered by Dr Michael Zilibowitz, has been extremely positive and we are very pleased to hear that delegates have gained so much from it. Michael has left us with two Order Forms for the DVD's shown at the workshop; 'Watch, Wait and Wonder' is based on a child's play; the child initiates the play and the parent is encouraged to follow their lead and 'Getting to Know You' which recognises baby's earliest communications and aims to help babies and parents get to know each other. Download 'Watch, Wait and Wonder' Order Form here, Download 'Getting to Know You' order form here

Guardian Article - 'Vital First Steps' - it seems only logical - infant mental health has a stong bearing on adult well-being. What is being done to identify and treat problems early on? click on link below

www.guardian.co.uk/society2009/feb/18/mental-health-children

AIMH (UK) Conference and AGM 2010 - 'The Invisible Child : How do Children Cope with Domestic Violence?'

We have had wonderful feedback from our conference in Newcastle on Friday 14 May and wanted to thank all who attended and many, many thanks to our speakers. We will gain such a lot from our new members who bring with them a diverse array of professions from all sectors within the areas of infant mental health and all that it encompasses. This will ensure a stronger voice that will carry the vital messages through the North of England and beyond!

Conference presentations are now available to download from the Publications Page

AIMH (UK) Conference 14 May 2010, Newcastle - 'The Invisible Child: How do Children Cope with Domestic Violence?' AIMH (UK)
AIMH (UK) Chair's Report
Advocacy Sub-Group Report
Education Sub-Group Report

The Guardian - Article, Wednesday 21 April 2010, Sarah Boseley, Health Editor
'Leaving Baby to cry could damage brain development, parenting guru claims'
Neurobiologists say high levels of stress hormone cortisol are 'toxic' to the developing brain, according to Penelope Leach. Access article through link below.
www.guardian.co.uk  

GMTV and Amanda Jones
GMTV have recently produced a series of short programmes (25 in all) called The Baby Breakfast Club.
AIMH Committee Member and Psychotherapist, Amanda Jones is involved in two of these that relate to bonding and post-natal depression. Click on the links below for access to the programmes 'Bonding with your Baby' and 'Post-Natal Depression'
www.gm.tv/bonding-with-your-baby/
www.netmums.com/postnatal-depression

AIMH (NI) Northern Ireland

The newly formed Association for Infant Mental Health (NI) had its formal launch at the Long Gallery in Stormont on November 19th 2009 and was hosted by Carmel Hanna MLA, John McAllister MLA and Dolores Kelly MLA.

Invited guests included Dr Liz McDonald (AIMH (UK)) and London based consultant in Perinatal Psychiatry). Guests were addressed by Chairperson Eamon McMahon, Family Therapist and by the Association Secretary Dr Angela O'Rawe, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Paediatrician. The Association for Infant Mental Health (NI) has been established by a wide range of professionals and practitioners from the primary care sector, from mental health services as well as from community and voluntary sectors. AIMH (NI) have come together to establish the association in order to highlight the need for infant mental health services in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland lags behind much of the developed world in terms of infant and perinatal mental health services - this is despite many decades of research indicating that the most effective and economically efficient way to improve social and emotional wellbeing in society is to begin at the stage of pregnancy and infanthood.

Update July 2010

Establishment of a strong committee with representation from voluntary, community and statutory services, from different professional groups and from different regions in N.I.

Production and distribution of a glossy brochure publicising the association, as well as our founding document and rationale. We will be producing an IMH information pack.

Established close working relationship with the Association in the South (Republic of Ireland).

Have held a major conference on Roots of Empathy with Mary Gordon as key speaker.

Are planning two further conferences in the Autumn of 2010, one in Belfast and one in the border region.

Are planning a major two-day IMH cross border conference for late spring 2011.

Plan to hold a series of evening seminars throughout NI to promote the Association and an IMH perspective. The first seminar has already been held in the Craigavon area.

The chair of the Association has been invited to participate in the drafting of the new Mental Health Promotion Strategy. The chair has also been asked to contribute to the work of the Public Health Agency (a major commissioning body) on early intervention.

The Association has been represented on a local radio talk show.

The Association has already engaged with our local politicians, are seeking to meet with the parliamentary Health Services Committee, and have already had a question tabled for the Health Minister on Camhs provision for the under fours.

eamon_mcmahon@dltrust.n-i.nhs.uk

WAIMH 2014