Canada's current approach to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing fails to recognize Infant and Early Mental Health (IEMH) concerns and invest in early interventions before school age. Canadian practitioners receive little to no training on IEMH and access to professional development in this area is extremely limited. Also, with no clear direction on how to navigate the supports addressing IEMH, young children that require services may not be referred to the right resources or receive them at the right time.    

As such, the main purpose of the Infant and Early Mental Health Care Pathways: Establishing Community Systems of Care (IEMH Care Pathways) Initiative is to work collaboratively with local organizations that serve families with children under the age of 6 to follow a 5-phased approach to create navigable systems of care pathways for IEMH in Canada that improves equitable access to the appropriate services in a timely manner.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the importance of IEMH and the role of IEMH Care Pathways in promoting optimal development.
2. Learn about the development process and key components of IEMH Care Pathways.
3. Explore the effectiveness of implementing IEMH Care Pathways in enhancing community capacity to support IEMH and respond to vulnerability in early childhood.