How does one determine what category of endorsement they should pursue?
The category of endorsement depends on the type of degree held, the amount of experience, training, coursework and reflective facilitation received. For example, Infant Mental Health Specialists are required to have a Masters Degree.  The easiest way to determine what kind of endorsement one should pursue is to refer to the Training Guidelines themselves, looking carefully at the requirements for training, experience and reflective facilitation.


What are some examples of the kinds of service provision/direct work with families for each of the categories of endorsement?

Mental Health Core Provider
•    A speech pathologist who is providing services to young children
•    A home visitor who has a B.A. in development and is serving infants and teen parents
•    A nurse serving as a consultant to an Early Head Start team
•    A center director of the same Early Head Start team
•    An early interventionist specialist
•    A pediatrician

Mental Health Specialist
•    An MSW specializing in working with infants and young children in the child welfare system
•    An LCSW in private practice
•    A MFT who is currently working as a supervisor in a Healthy Families program
•    A psychiatrist specializing in infants, young children and families
•    A MFT providing mental health services in a home visiting program.
•    A pediatric nurse who has specialized in working with infants and families

Reflective Practice Facilitator I
•    An early interventionist providing supervision to a home visiting staff
•    A MFT working with home visitors seeking mental health consultation
•    A college professor with a mental health degree providing field placement practicum in an early childhood programs
•    A MSW in a child welfare agency providing supervision to other staff

Reflective Practice Facilitator II
•    A supervisor in a mental health program working with interns
•    A college professor with a mental health degree providing field placement practicum in mental health programs.
•    A licensed psychologist supervising infant mental health treatment staff

Where is a summary of the qualifications for endorsement for each of the categories?
This summary is listed in the Revised California Training Guidelines and Personnel Competencies for Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health 2009, pages 39-40.

Why is a bachelor’s degree required for a Core Provider?
This decision was made to encourage those providing services to complete a bachelor’s degree. This stance is in line with federal encouragement for Early Head Start and Head Start staff to complete those requirements. Holding a B.A. also allows staff working in this vital field to be paid according to their educational attainment.

Will there be exceptions granted to the B.A. requirement? 
Yes, because many valued providers of services to infants, children, and families have not had access to formal educational opportunities, but have had extensive training and experience and have made important contributions. A B.A waiver process is under development.  This B.A. waiver will require that individuals present at 8-10 years of documented supervised experience, have an A,A, at least two letters of recommendation from their supervisor and have met all of the knowledge training requirements. Non-BA candidates will be grandfathered in until 2013.