The Online Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) provides advanced training for mental health clinicians in the specialized role of consulting in early childhood settings. You’ll learn approaches to promote mental health in the early childhood years and how the role of consultant is unique from other mental health clinician roles, as well as how consultation aims to build the capacity of early childhood professionals, settings, and systems to support young children’s mental health.
You’ll engage with national experts in the field of IECMHC and instructors from Georgetown University’s Center for Child and Human Development, home of the Center of Excellence in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. All faculty have created, implemented, and guided national IECMHC programs. You’ll leave the program equipped with the knowledge needed to effectively support well-being for young children, families, and professionals in early childhood settings in the consultant role. You will also develop a network in the field to promote and support your professional development.
Ideal for: Early childhood mental health consultants
Ideal for
Early childhood mental health consultants
Duration: 9 months
Duration
9 months
Tuition: $6,000
Tuition
$6,000
Format: Online
Format
Online
Class Times: Live one Friday per month & asynchronous online
Class Times
Live one Friday per month & asynchronous online
Semester of Entry: Fall
Semester of Entry
Fall
Upon successful completion of the certificate, you will be able to:
Identify infant and early childhood mental health consultation frameworks and theories of change and how they are different from one-on-one therapy; describe the history of infant and early childhood mental health consultation and why it is needed.
Describe the current evidence base for infant and early childhood mental health consultation, childhood developmental milestones, and developmentally appropriate behavior.
Recognize areas of consultation focus at the child, classroom, and programmatic levels.
Recognize how to document consultation work so it can be quantified and develop a plan for sharing it with others, how assessment is integrated into and supported by consultation work, and develop an assessment plan.
Describe how culture (beliefs, values, attitudes, biases, and experiences), equity, and environment shape relationships and behaviors, and how they influence settings and communities in important and meaningful ways.
Identify supervision requirements for infant and early childhood mental health consultation beyond what is required for clinical licensure and describe approaches to supervision utilized in infant and early childhood mental health consultation.
Testimonials from current students and alumni.
Georgetown has been the national leader in infant and early childhood mental health consultation for decades and participants benefit from the faculty’s extensive experience in delivering and evaluating consultation services. Completion of this certificate recognizes a student’s specialized training in both promoting mental health for young children, as well as the unique role consultation plays in building the capacity of early childhood settings.
Neal Horen, Ph.D.
Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
During the Fall 2023 semester, professional development and certificate classes will be consist of Live Online class and asynchronous Online assignments. Live Online classes are taught in real-time by Georgetown instructors using Zoom video conferencing. Asynchronous online assignments are completed through Canvas, our learning management system, and can be completed at your own pace. Certificate programs are designed to provide our professional learners with a high-quality, engaging educational experience. For more information, please contact Program Support at pdcprograms@georgetown.edu.
The Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is offered in a Flex Learning environment using live Zoom video conferencing to mirror a more traditional classroom with regular interaction, engaging activities, and the dynamic exploration of topics and concepts.
You must successfully complete the required course for a total of 10.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which is equivalent to 100.0 contact hours. The course must be completed within the 9-month time frame.
What Is Live Online Learning?
Live online instruction is enhanced by incorporating various instructional practices and technology tools. Features such as Zoom video conferencing, breakout rooms, and chat allow for real-time interaction and collaboration among learners. Tools like Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Canvas Groups facilitate teamwork and information sharing within the learning community. Polling, surveys, and threaded discussion boards promote active engagement and the expression of opinions. It is important to foster social respect, privacy, and incorporate Jesuit values to create a supportive and inclusive online environment. By utilizing these practices and tools effectively, live online instruction can be engaging, interactive, and conducive to meaningful learning experiences.
Course Schedule
Faculty
Neal Horen
Neal Horen is a Research Instructor at the Center for Child and Human Development and Director of the H.O.Y.A. clinic at the Center for Child and Human Development. He is ... Read more
How to Apply
Application Dates
Fall Cohort
Application Opens—Jan 1
Deadline—Sep 15
The Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is a selective program with a competitive admissions process. For each cohort, an application review committee offers admission to a select and diverse group of students to enrich the classroom experience. A completed application will include the following documents:
Completed application form
Resume/CV
Statement of Purpose
Program Prerequisites
In order to ensure a baseline of knowledge and experience of professional learners in the cohort, applicants should have the following prerequisites:
Education
A minimum of a master’s degree in a mental health field (e.g., psychology, counseling, social work) OR
Enrolled in a mental health field graduate program
Mental health licensed or license-eligible (e.g., enrolled in graduate program with prior clinical experience)
Experience
At least two years of supervised clinical experience (during mental health graduate training or post-graduate)
Currently working in mental health or related field.
If you have questions regarding eligibility to the program please contact us at: pdcprograms@georgetown.edu.
Please review the refund policies in our Student Handbook before completing your registration.
Degree Requirement
You must hold a bachelor's degree or the equivalent in order to enroll in our certificate programs. For each cohort, an application review committee offers admission to a diverse group of students to enrich the classroom experience.
Tips for the Online Application
Our online application securely stores your information and saves your progress so you can update and complete your information at your convenience
Click the “SAVE” button at each stage of the application process to ensure that your work and documents are uploaded
International Students
International students who enter the U.S. on a valid visa are eligible to enroll in certificate courses. However, Georgetown University cannot sponsor student visas for noncredit professional certificate programs.
A TOEFL examination is not required for non-native speakers of English but students are expected to read, write, and comprehend English at the graduate level to fully participate in and gain from the program.
Students from most countries may register for our online certificate programs, however, due to international laws, residents of certain countries are prohibited from registering.
Tuition & Funding
The Certificate in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation has a limited number of tuition scholarship that may be available, please indicate on your application if you are interested in a scholarship.
Funding
Noncredit professional certificates do not qualify for federal financial aid, scholarships, grants, or needs-based aid. However, several finance and funding options do exist, as listed below.
Some employers offer funding for employee education or professional development. If an employer guarantees payment for employee education and training, Georgetown will accept an Intent to Pay form. If you are using employer sponsorship or training authorizations, you must submit an Intent to Pay form with your registration.
If your employer will pay for your tuition, select “Third-Party Billing” as your method of payment when you register for courses online. Please submit an Intent to Pay form indicating that your employer or another third party should be billed for tuition. Invoices will not be generated without this form on file.
Eligible Georgetown employees may use their Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) benefits to fund 90% of the certificate program tuition—employees will be invoiced for the remaining 10% of tuition and must pay any other charges associated with their certificate program. Employees using TAP benefits may work directly with the HR Benefits Office to ensure payment prior to the start of any course. This payment option is only valid if registration occurs at least 10–14 business days prior to the start date of the first course. Any fees incurred due to course withdrawal are the student’s responsibility and are not funded by Georgetown University TAP. For questions regarding TAP benefits, please contact the HR/Benefits Office at tapbenefits@georgetown.edu or (202) 687-2500.
SCS is registered with GoArmyEd.com to accept SF-182 training authorization forms. GoArmyEd.com is the virtual gateway for all eligible active duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve soldiers to request Tuition Assistance (TA) online. GoArmyEd.com is also the virtual gateway for Army Civilians to apply for their Civilian education, training, and leadership development events.
The professional certificate programs offer an interest-free payment plan for certificate programs that are more than one month in duration and for which the total tuition is greater than or equal to $4,000. The payment plan is structured in the following manner:
Payment #1: A down payment of 25% of the total tuition balance must be paid online (within 72 hours after you register and select Payment Plan) via the Noncredit Student Portal. Please submit your down payment as soon as possible.
Payments #2, #3, and #4: Your remaining balance will be due in three (3) equal monthly installments beginning 30 calendar days after your down payment is processed. Your monthly payments must be paid via credit card in the Noncredit Student Portal. You will be able to access each invoice and payment due date in your student account.
PLEASE NOTE: Automatic Payment Service is not available. You must make each subsequent payment via the Noncredit Student Portal.
A number of tuition benefits are available through the Department of Veterans Affairs and under various parts of the GI Bill®. Please visit the Resources for Military Students page for additional information and instructions.
Some students choose to finance certificate programs with private education loans. Students are responsible for contacting lenders directly to find out if a noncredit professional certificate program is eligible for a loan. While Georgetown University will not recommend specific lenders, it will certify loans for eligible programs from approved lenders.
For eligible noncredit professional certificate programs, Georgetown University will certify loan amounts up to the full cost of tuition for the program. Tuition does not cover books, travel, or living expenses. Please see individual program pages for tuition rates.
Georgetown University has a unique campus code for Sallie Mae. Our Sallie Mae branch code is 001445-99.
You must be approved for a loan before registering for courses. Follow these steps to pursue a loan option:
Check the list of lenders that have offered private education loans in the past to Georgetown University students.
Contact the lender and confirm your program is eligible for a private education loan.
Obtain the necessary paperwork and apply for the loan.
Georgetown will certify loan amounts based on the information below. Please note that our branch code is 001445-99.
If approved, register for courses:
Payment sent to Georgetown: Select “Third-Party Payment” at the time of registration if the lender is sending funds directly to Georgetown.
Note: It is your responsibility to contact Georgetown University Noncredit Student Accounts at noncreditaccounts@georgetown.edu to ensure that your loan is processed.
