Infant Mental  Health coalition

Mission
The mission of the Hancock County Infant Mental Health Coalition is to maximize the well being of 0-5 year old children and their caregivers by improving the coordination of services, increasing community awareness, and providing education to professionals and laypeople.

About Us
The Infant Mental Health Coalition was formed by local organizations to improve and coordinate services available to Downeast parents and healthcare providers.

Infant Mental Health Coalition Member Organizations

• Child Development Services

• DTA Center for Learning & Growing

• Maine Coast Memorial Hospital

• Downeast Health Services
  -Parents Are Teachers, Too (PATT)
  -Maternal & Child Health
  -Hancock County Children's Council

• The Next Step

• Concerned Community Members

Parents

• What is Infant Mental Health?
  Infants learn about the world around them through their relationships with parents, other family members, and care providers. Babies who grow up feeling secure and loved are able to develop the social and emotional skills they need in order to become successful adults. These skills include the capacity to love, to feel, to develop a sense of self, and to adapt to ones environment. Infant metal health focuses on the social and emotional well-being of very young children by helping infants, toddlers parents and caregivers develop nurturing relationships beginning at birth and extending through the pre-school years.
   

• Why Is Infant Mental Health Important?
  Research in the area of early brain growth and development has shown that what occurs during the first 3 years of life has a life long impact on a child. Intervention in the early years helps to ensure a young child develops the growing capacity to relate to others. Early intervention is the best way to prevent future problems such as violence, difficulties with learning and other school problems, drug and alcohol abuse and other problems.
   

• How do I know if my child needs help?
  Infant mental health specialist focus on the relationship between infants and toddlers and their parents, family, and other caregivers. You may want to seek professional help if your child:

  1. Shows very little emotion.

  2. Seem to be withdrawn.

  3. Is extremely fearful.

  4. Is extremely fussy or difficult to calm.

  5. Has sleeping problems.

  6. Has feeding problems.

  7. Seems extremely sad.

  8. Has extreme temper tantrums.

  9. Does not meet developmental milestones at the expected age.
     It is important to remember that there is a range of what is considered normal development in your children. If you are concerned about your infant or toddler, a professional can help you sort out what may just be normal for your child from what may indicate that your child would benefit from intervention.

• Where Can I Find Help
  Please refer to the resource section.
   

• What Can I do as a Parent?
  One of the most important things you can do is to provide your infant or toddler with a stable and predictable environment. You can do this by responding to your child in a consistent and predictable way and by being alert and sensitive to your baby’s signals and behaviors. Your own emotional health as a parent is important too. How you react to your child has a lot to do with how you feel. If you are experiencing a great deal of stress or depression, you are more likely to not respond to your infant or toddler in a nurturing manner.