The Ohio Infant Mental Health Credential
For questions regarding the Ohio Infant Mental Health Credential please email OhioMHAS at [email protected]
Information on the application for Ohio Infant Mental Health Credential please contact the Ohio Professional Registry
OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss, in conjunction with Governor Mike DeWine’s Office of Children’s Initiatives, announced the launch of Ohio Infant Mental Health Credential in March 2020. The Ohio Infant Mental Health Credential is a first-of-its-kind credential for a cross sector multi-disciplinary practice of promoting infant and care giver mental health. The goal of this credential is to promote infant vitality, reduce infant mortality, and support positive health and wellness outcomes for Ohio’s youngest residents.
Early childhood system partners working in child care and early learning and education, home visiting, community health workers, early intervention, maternal health, and infant and early childhood mental health, primary health nursing and physicians, occupational therapists, and other allied health professionals are all eligible to apply. Mental Health professionals with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or higher in Social Work, Nursing, Education, Counseling, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, MD, DO, or other Advance Practice licensed health practitioner, may qualify for Ohio Infant Mental Health Practitioner Credentials.
Credential FAQs
The goal of the Ohio Infant Mental Health Credential is to implement a set of skills and core competencies that are developmentally appropriate and are anchored in relationship-based practices that support the needs of infants and caregivers to reach their greatest wellness.
Ohio’s recognizes the need for early childhood system professionals to have specialized skills and training for working with Ohio’s pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. Toward this goal, the Ohio Infant Mental Health Credentials are accessible to all early childhood professionals in Ohio and are tiered to the right scope of practice for each service delivery system partner.
After completion, submission, and approval of all documentation in Ohio’s Professional Registry (OPR) of the educational, work experience, and training requirements; candidates will be able to add the appropriate credential to their qualifications: Ohio Infant Family Affiliate (OIFA-I); Ohio Infant Family Practitioner (OIFS-II); or Ohio Infant Mental Health Practitioner (OIMHS-III). This will enable staff to work in roles that support infants and their caregivers’ positive outcomes.
Any early childhood system partner working in child care and early learning and education, home visiting, community health workers, early intervention, maternal health, infant and early childhood mental health, primary health nursing and physicians, occupational therapists, and other allied health professionals are all eligible to apply. There are no fees to apply and all approved training is offered for free through the OPR or state sponsored online resources.
No, it is not a license. It is an Ohio-based credential to supplement the Home Visitor, Early Intervention, and Early Childhood Mental Health Credentials.
No, however for Ohio early childhood practitioners it serves the same purpose.
Every 2 years (or bi-annual), renewal of the Ohio Infant Credential will require completion of 15 clock hours in the core competency areas with at least one clock hour for each core competency content area: relationship-based education, infant observation, social emotional development, cultural, linguistic and trauma informed competency.
Beginning in March 2020, applications will open through the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association’s (OCCRRA) Ohio Professional Registry. Applicants will need a to create a profile and have an OPN.
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