Upcoming Events

Some of these events are national events, located outside of Colorado. They are posted here because they are appropriate for people invested in babies and young children with special health care and developmental needs.


*NEW* The Crowell Parent Child Structured Play Interaction Procedure & Working Model of the Child Interview
The COAIMH Teach-In is designed for mental health therapists with experience providing services to infants, toddlers and pre-school age children.  It will be an intermediate-advanced level training. Julie Larrieu, Ph.D. is a developmental and clinical psychologist, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Tulane University School of Medicine and a senior trainer at the Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, involved in both didactic instruction and clinical supervision. Dr. Larrieu will provide an overview of the Crowell Parent Child Structured Play Interaction Procedure and review video sessions to help clinicians practice interpretation. The Crowell procedure provides a method of observing caregiver-child interactions (Crowell & Feldman, 1988; 1991; Crowell, Feldman & Ginsburg, 1988) in a clinical setting. This procedure involves a series of eight episodes designed to elicit behaviors that allow the clinician to focus on the relationship between a child and his or her caregiver in a setting that is unstructured enough to allow for "real-life" or spontaneous interactions. Day One will also include an overview of the Working Model of the Child Interview. The Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI), created by Charlie Zeanah, M.D., and colleagues over 15 years ago, is a semi-structured interview that is designed to assess caregivers' internal representations, or working models, of their relationship with a particular child. The WMCI has been used for clinical and research purposes in this and other countries. It is most often used with high risk samples, but it has proven widely applicable from low risk to clinical populations.  Dr. Larrieu will provide training on use of the Working Model of the Child, with opportunity for participants to practice interpretation. Cost of the event is $225 for both days and $125 for Thursday only.
February 9-10, 2012
Aurora, CO


*NEW* Fragile Infant Feeding Institute (FIFI)
The Fragile Infant Feeding Institute is a four and a half day intensive study of feeding and nutrition for infants with special needs. Held in a comfortable setting, the Institute encourages close interaction between the faculty and participants. The faculty represent both clinical and research perspectives, providing an evidence-based offering with a focus on practical application. Particular emphasis is placed on the neurodevelopmental aspects of infant feeding, supporting the infant-parent relationship, and the development of systems to support best practice.This course expands the knowledge base of professionals supporting infants with feeding and nutrition challenges. The development of feeding skills and the impact of early nutrition and feeding experiences are discussed in the context of developmentally supportive and family-centered care. Based on concepts adapted from the Synactive theory, the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care & Assessment Program (NIDCAP), and the Family Infant Relationship Support Training (FIRST) program, the Institute provides a sound foundation for observation and assessment of developing feeding skills. Supportive interventions for infants while in the hospital, as well as during the transition to home are addressed. The Institute places a special emphasis on feeding and nutritional issues through the transition to supplementary (baby) foods. The nutritional needs of premature infants and those with special medical needs, as well as the interaction between feeding skills and nutritional needs are discussed. Presenters represent the disciplines of nursing, nutrition, therapy, parenting, and psychology. Each day successively builds on the knowledge and information from the previous day. An interactive process with the faculty results in the participant applying the information during presentations during the four and a half day Institute. Please contact Bobbi Rose, MA, MPH at 813.974.6158 or brose@health.usf.edu.
May 7-11, 2012
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada




Past Events