UPCOMING IMHP WORKSHOPS:
IMHP Workshops hosted at the Hospital for Sick Children are available in-person, by webcast or OTN videoconferencing.
Baby Love: Supporting Infant Security
with Jean Wittenberg, MD, FRCPC
Head, Infant Psychiatry Program, Co-Chair, Infant Mental Health Promotion,
The Hospital for Sick Children, Associate Professor University of Toronto
Baby Love is a preventive intervention developed in the Infant Psychiatry Program at Sickkids, for parents and caregivers of infants from 2 -15 months, to promote healthier, more secure attachment relationships. The immediate goals of the intervention are to teach parents to improve their ability to observe their infants, reflect on what is in the baby’s mind (improve reflective functioning), improve sensitive responsiveness to the baby and decrease stresses impinging on the baby. Components of the intervention include psychoeducation, mindfulness meditation and problem-solving techniques.
Baby Love is based on research findings associated with secure and insecure attachment and is adaptable for parents and caregivers from many cultures and communities. Baby Love is useful for caregivers and babies from both higher risk and lower risk sectors of the community. A randomized control trial has shown significant improvement in maternal sensitivity.
Brief training enables community based professionals to deliver it to caregiver-baby dyads in groups or individually. This one-day workshop will introduce participants to the Baby Love model, including descriptions of the intervention, group leader training, research, and resources developed to support both group and individual versions, as well as to support community education about infant attachment and mental health.
Note: this session is intended as an introduction only. Participation will improve knowledge about attachment interventions, help individuals decide if they want the full training for themselves or their agencies, and understand which parents and infants might benefit from Baby Love. Further training and supervision are required to deliver the Baby Love program.
Date/ time: Friday February 13, 2015, 9 am – 4pm
Location: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Daniels Hollywood Theatre/ Auditorium
Registration Fees:
In Person: Members $120, Non-Members $150
WEBCAST or OTN Videoconferencing: Members $ 500, Non-Members $ 625
Baby Love was designed to combine a number of different approaches that have been shown to be associated with more secure attachment relationships for parents and babies. It is adaptable to different communities and different cultures as well as to the general population and to families that are at higher risk.
Training is offered in a number of formats
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF BABY LOVE AS AN ATTACHMENT INTERVENTION
Half-day or full-day workshops to large or small groups.
THIS EXPOSURE IS USEFUL TO HELP PARTICIPANTS:
- learn about the program in general
- decide which clients to refer to Baby Love
- decide if they want complete training in order to deliver Baby Love program themselves
- decide if they want to develop the program for their agency
FULL TRAINING FOR THOSE WHO INTEND TO DELIVER BABY LOVE TO CAREGIVERS AND BABIES
We work with you to adapt Baby Love to your community and your needs.
PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN HOW TO DELIVER BABY LOVE
- as an individual intervention
- as a group intervention
- as community education about attachment and infant mental health.
THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO TRAINING
- Three to five days of classroom instruction depending on your group’s previous experience of running groups and knowledge of attachment theory – maximum 10 participants
- Weekly supervision in person, by telephone or teleconference over the course of at least two sets of groups or two individual applications of Baby Love
- The group version is usually conducted by two group leaders. The individual format is more often conducted by one facilitator.
- We can offer the services of an experienced group and individual leader to join your facilitators to provide hands-on educational support in the Toronto area
- Trainees are provided with manuals, copies of handouts and posters and access to video recordings that support delivering the intervention.
For costs of training please contact Dr. J. Wittenberg at jean.wittenberg@sickkids.ca