Why An Alliance?
What was once a small, grass roots effort had grown to be a sizable national and international movement.
By the year of 2013, 13 associations for infant mental health (AIMHs) had licensed the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) Competency Guidelines and Endorsement. The oversight and quality assurance demands for a small MI-AIMH were considerable. The MI-AIMH leadership and leaders in other member states recognized that future strength and growth would require organizational change. The MI-AIMH Board of Directors subsequently engaged in a strategic planning process with knowledge and support from non-MI-AIMH leaders and proposed the creation of a separate organization, the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. In 2014, in order to establish the Alliance as an independent organization, the MI-AIMH Executive Committee approved the selection of a planning board. The Alliance Planning Board consisted of 6 members from MI-AIMH and 5 representatives from other Alliance AIMHs, one from each Founding Partner AIMH. The organization was incorporated as the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.
By June 2016, the Alliance shareholders approved an 11-member Board of Directors, officers, member qualifications and a set of by-laws to govern the organizations. What was once a small, grass roots effort developed by MI-AIMH had grown to be a sizable national and international movement, a new leadership structure, with multiple AIMHs in the United States and one in West Australia.
Founding Partners are AIMHs who have demonstrated a commitment to the development of the Alliance by providing financial or in-kind support to help the Alliance get on its feet. Founding Partner associations of the Alliance are:
Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health
Infant Toddler Mental Health Coalition of Arizona
Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health
New Mexico Association for Infant Mental Health
Rhode Island Association for Infant Mental Health
First3Years Texas
The William M. Schafer, PhD, Award to Honor Excellence in Reflective Supervision Leadership and Inspiration
The William M. Schafer, PhD, Award to Honor Excellence in Reflective Supervision Leadership and Inspiration is dedicated to and named after a man who has inspired and nurtured many around the world to become not only better reflective supervisors, but to also better individuals willing to explore their own nature as they learn to be present for others in their journey. The award is presented annually at the Reflective Supervision Symposium co-sponsored by the Alliance. In keeping with Dr. Schafer’s rare abilities to lead, inspire, reflect and hold a safe place for others to grow, the award committee seeks nominations annually of others across the Alliance who have similarly enhanced our abilities in this field.
William M. Schafer (MI) - 2016
Deborah J. Weatherston (MI) - 2017
Betsy Rodgers (CO) - 2018
Jacqui VanHorn (NM) & Deb Harris (NM) - 2019
Jayne Singer (MA) - 2022
Harleen Hutchinson (FL) - 2024
First meeting of the Alliance Planning Board on September 22, 2014 at Wayne State University. From left to right, back row: Cathy Liesman, Sadie Funk, Fran Jozefowicz, Barry Wright, Susan Dickstein. Front row: Sheryl Goldberg, Deborah Weatherston, Margaret Holmberg, Nichole Paradis. Not pictured: Joy Browne, Mary Warren
The Deborah J. Weatherston Infant Mental Health Leadership Award
The Deborah J. Weatherston Infant Mental Health Leadership Award is dedicated to and named after a woman who has inspired and nurtured many around the world to affirm the baby's voice, to appreciate the potential of connection, and to be present during those moments that require us to find our own voices so we might listen better to the stories waiting to emerge.
Deborah J. Weatherston (MI) - 2019
Christopher Watson (MN) - 2020
Gerard Costa (NJ) - 2021
Angie Tomlin (IN) - 2022
Rochelle Matacz (Western Australia) - 2023
Judith Martens (VA) - 2024