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2021 Annual Report
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On behalf of the CalAIMH Board of Directors...
We want to offer some reflections on the past year as this has been a year of immense challenge.
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We have been made acutely aware of the racial injustices in our society that persist . . . we have witnessed Black Americans murdered by police . . . we have seen the disproportionate impact of Covid on people of color, in health outcomes as well as economic devastation . . . and most recently we have seen inequities in the police response to white rioters compared to peaceful protests by diverse communities. Through it all, our California babies are watching, feeling, and learning.
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We have seen and felt the impact of social isolation on our efforts to create safety for ourselves, our loved ones, and the families we work with. Most of us are in this field partly because we love playing with babies – which is just not the same through a computer!
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Many in our community have experienced the death or serious illness of a loved one or experienced heightened anxiety and worry as we wait for news of test results or strive to find access to a vaccine.
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With this backdrop, we are nonetheless heartened by the light CalAIMH shines in the darkness. We have carried on and even strengthened our sense of mission and community during this time when our members have needed a connection, relationship, support, and hope. I am so proud of the efforts of our Committees to fulfill our mission. This is all volunteer work, on top of everyone’s own work and personal stressors. Yet people have stepped up, again and again. CalAIMH members act from the needs of babies and families first. Some of the highlights of our successes in this past year:
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Membership growth: We are delighted to have grown over the past year. As detailed in the Membership report, we grew from 103 members in 2019 to 149 members at the end of 2020.
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Events and Resources to support members: We shifted our approach to reach and support members to accommodate Covid restrictions. This meant having to postpone our planned conference, but led to offering innovative new programming:
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- Training & Education Committee organized free Webinars for members, Reflective Practice groups to support members during Covid, and Endorsement Support office hours for members seeking infant mental health endorsement.
- Clinical Interventions Committee developed and implemented Conversations from the Field.
- CalAIMH Board sponsored our first virtual Happy Hour.
- Marketing Committee revamped the website and stepped up our presence on social media.
- Policy and Clinical Intervention Committees compiled resources to share on our website.
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New Committees for the New Year:
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Following up on recommendations from members, the Board has decided to launch two new Committees in 2021:
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- Diversity/Equity/Inclusion/Social Justice (name to be determined by committee)—focused on helping CalAIMH to consider diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in all of our activities, and to provide consultation to other committees as needed—additional focus and activities to be determined by the Committee in partnership with the Board.
- Finance—focused on providing oversight for the financial activities of CalAIMH and developing strategies to support fiscal sustainability.
If you are interested in participating either as a member or Co-Chair for these new committees or interested in volunteering in one of our existing committees, please email Marian Williams at hello@calaimh.org.
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As we look ahead to a new year, let’s continue to work together to ensure relational health for all young children in California.
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Marian Williams, President, on behalf of the CalAIMH Board of Directors:
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Richard Cohen, President-Elect; Barbara Stroud, Past President; Wendy Lee, Treasurer; Desire Yoro Yoo, Secretary; Board Members at Large: Adriana Cuestas, Marcy Erickson, Penny Knapp, Steven Loreus, Vasudha Narasimha, and Robert Rowen-Herzog
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Membership Report
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Currently, many of our members are in the Los Angeles area, with representation throughout the state. Despite the challenges of a pandemic, CalAIMH saw a growth in membership while retaining existing members. By utilizing social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, along with newsletters and emails, we were able to keep our members informed about events and presentations relevant to the work we do. This helped us see an increase in our membership and participation during virtual events and webinars.
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A quarter of our members are Clinical Psychologists, followed by LCSWs and LMFTs, along with a blend of other disciplines that support infants and families.
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While most of our members are monolingual English speakers, we have a growing representation of bilingual members, including Spanish-speaking and a variety of other languages, including ASL.
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The field of Infant-Family Early Childhood Mental Health, or IFECMH is a broad-based, transdisciplinary field of study, research, and practice focused on enhancing overall development, social and emotional well-being, and relational health. The California Center for Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health is the California entity that approves candidates for endorsement. CalAIMH supports members interested in seeking endorsement by providing office hours where members can connect with others who are compiling their endorsement materials and get support from an endorsed member.
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Fiscal Report
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We are grateful that our Board and Founding Members stepped forward to provide donations of $4,000 to use as matching funds for additional donations.
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