Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health®
An internationally recognized credential for professionals working with or on behalf of pregnant people, infants, toddlers, and their caregivers.AzAIMH Endorsement®
Endorsement® is Good for Babies
AzAIMH Endorsement® (IMH-E®) supports and recognizes the development and proficiency of infant mental health professionals across Arizona. Endorsement® is based on a set of competencies designed to support and enhance culturally-sensitive, relationship focused practice within the framework of infant mental health. The IMH-E® ensures professionals, who work with or on behalf of our youngest citizens (0-36 months), have attained a certain level of expertise and skill. An IMH-E® applicant demonstrates acquisition of the competencies through education, employment, specialized training/professional development, and reflective supervision experiences. Endorsement® is relevant for professionals across disciplines including early care and education, prevention and early intervention, home visitation, medicine, child welfare, mental health, policy, academia, and others. Growing evidence indicates that endorsed professionals are better prepared to support the foundational early development of babies and young children, in the context of their caregiving relationships. Learn more about AzAIMH’s perceptions on the Infant, Toddler Mental Health Endorsement (ASU Center for Child Well-Being, May 2016).
There is something for everyone! Which category is right for you?
AzAIMH Endorsement® (IMH-E®) is for professionals who specialize in supporting pregnant people and who help foster healthy development of infants and toddlers (0-36 months) within their caregiving relationships.
The IMH-E® is available across four different practice specialties spanning the continuum of care. Individuals apply for the IMH-E® category that best matches their scope of practice and work.
Infant Mental Health Endorsement® Categories:
• Infant Family Associate: Promotion
• Infant Family Specialist: Prevention/Intervention
• Infant Mental Health Specialist: Clinical Intervention/Treatment
• Infant Mental Health Mentor: Leadership
IFS & IMHS Endorsed Reflective Supervisor Add-On: Providers of Reflective Supervision
This chart represents only a summary of requirements for each of the IMH-E® categories. Applicants can more fully explore categories with the AzAIMH Endorsement Coordinator (email link) to determine the best fit based on scope of work and experience.
Endorsement® decisions are not made on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, marital status, physical handicap, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law.
reference ratings
References are critically important as they are the primary source for documenting an applicant’s skills in the domains of Reflection, Working with Others and Thinking. Reference rating forms are filled out electronically via EASy. An Endorsement® applicant enters the name and email address of the rater and then the EASy system emails the rater a secure link for completing the form.
Tips for Applicants:
If the reference is your supervisor (program and/or reflective), consider looking over the questions together in supervision session to mutually assess the applicant’s professional progress and to request feedback.
Ask your reference provider if they would be willing to complete a form (electronically) for you.
Be sure each reference is familiar enough with your work, knowledge, and skills to provide ratings (if rater scores “I do not have enough information to rate/comment” 6 or more times, the reference cannot be counted).
The content of the reference rating response is confidential and will not be viewed by the applicant.
Tips for Raters:
Have you known the applicant for at least a year?
If the applicant is part of a reflective supervision/consultation (RSC) group that you facilitate, have you heard enough from this applicant to feel that you know his/her skills well enough to rate them? (We cannot count ratings with 6 or more “I do not have enough information to rate/comment” scores).
Is the applicant providing direct service to pregnant people or families of infants/toddlers (0-36 months)?
If it is a IMHM-Clinical applicant, are you familiar with his/her skills as a provider of RSC (and not only as a practitioner)?
Consider reviewing the reference rating questions (see above) with the applicant periodically to help track your assessment of his or her progress over time.
If you have reservations, have you shared them directly with the applicant?
The content of the reference rating response is confidential and will not be viewed by the applicant.
If you have reservations, consider either declining the request to provide a reference or indicating that you do not recommend. We occasionally see very low scores, but with an overall recommendation to endorse, which can be confusing for reviewers and applicants.
IMHS requirement changes
Beginning January 1, 2025, there will no longer be an exam to become endorsed as an Infant Mental Health Specialist. Instead, there will be additions and updates made to the requirements for the IMHS Endorsement® application. These updates will ask for a demonstration of standards related to what the exam had been measuring.
Reference Rating Forms: These are being updated to include an opportunity for areas of strength and areas for growth.
Ethics: This is being updated to include a new ethical statement about the importance of critical self-awareness.
Work:
Two years of supervised paid work experience delivering culturally sensitive, relationship-focused parent-infant psychotherapy—a dyadic mental health treatment aimed at enhancing the parent-infant attachment relationship and optimal infant development. These services are provided by an infant mental health therapist specializing in the treatment of infants/toddlers (prenatal-36 months) within primary caregiving relationships (i.e., biological, foster, fictive kin, adoptive parent or guardian).
The following work requirements must be met:
- A professional with a mental health license or is license-eligible from a state regulatory agency.
- A professional with a master’s degree or higher.
- One year or full-time equivalent of supervised internship with direct parent-infant/child psychotherapy experience as described above may count towards the 2 years paid work experience requirement if the internship supervisor is an endorsed professional (IMHS or IMHM-C).
Training:
- A minimum of 33 clock hours is required.
- Of the 33 required hours, 3 hours must be dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion in infant mental health.
- Of the 33 required hours, 10 hours must focus on parent-infant/child psychotherapy.
As of August 2, 2024, the option to submit an IMHS application will be paused until January 1, 2025, due to construction of the new application.
During the construction phase:
- Applicants may still create a new IMHS application, and the status can be changed to In-Progress.
- Applicants with an In-Progress status for their IMHS applications will have access to and can edit their application.
- The IMHS applicant will see the following message within each impacted tab stating that the application is under construction with pertinent information on how to submit.
Endorsed Reflective Supervisor (ERS) Add-On
Add your experience as a Reflective Supervisor/Consultant to your IFS or IMHS Endorsement®!
As of January 1, 2025, providers of RSC are required to have the Endorsed Reflective Supervisor (ERS) credential added to their IFS or IMHS endorsement or be endorsed as an IMHM-C, so that their hours with supervisees/mentees meets requirements for the purpose of Endorsement®. This requirement qualifies RSC hours for new Endorsement® applications and for ongoing Endorsement® renewal.
Requirements for the ERS Add-On
Prerequisite: An applicant must be already endorsed as an Infant Family Specialist (IFS) or Infant Mental Health Specialist (IMHS) to apply for ERS.
Work:
Minimum 1 year experience providing RSC to infant mental health professionals.
Reflective Supervision/Consultation:
Minimum 12 hours received from a qualified provider specifically about the provision of RSC to others.
Training: Minimum 15 hours specifically about the provision of RSC.
References: One from a reflective supervisor/consultant and one from a reflective supervisee/mentee.
Emerging ERS: This classification allows for 2 years to acquire all the ERS requirements while being able to provide qualifying hours of RSC to others.
Endorsement Coordinator: Heather Bonitz Moore ATR-BC, LPC, IECMH-E®
Endorsement Coordinator: Heather Bonitz Moore ATR-BC, LPC, IECMH-E®
Heather is available to help explain the Endorsement® process, policies, and to answer questions about the Endorsement® categories. Heather can provide support via email, phone or virtual meeting. Please contact Heather at azendorsement@gmail.com.
Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health is a global organization partnering with infant mental health associations and child-serving groups to support, grow, diversify, and advocate for their local mental health workforce. The Arizona Association for Infant Mental Health is a founding member of the Alliance, along with other U.S. and international AIMHs licensed to use the Competency Guidelines and Endorsement for promoting Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health® (MI-AIMH Copyright © 2024).
Competency Guidelines®
Endorsement® for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health is an internationally recognized credential that supports and recognizes the development and proficiency of professionals who work with or on behalf of pregnant people, infants, toddlers (0-36 months), and their caregivers. The IMH-E® is based on a set of Competency Guidelines® designed to support and enhance culturally-sensitive, relationship focused practice within the framework of infant mental health. An Endorsement® applicant demonstrates acquisition of these competencies through education, work, specialized training, and reflective supervision experiences.
Each of the four Endorsement® categories have unique competency requirements within eight core areas, including:
- Theoretical Foundations
- Law, Regulation, & Agency
- Systems Expertise
- Direct Service Skills
- Working with Others
- Communicating
- Thinking
- Reflection
HOW TO APPLY
TEN STEPS TO ENDORSEMENT®
Application Submission and Exams
At this time, new registrations and applications may be submitted in EASy on an ongoing basis.
Submissions that are received between October through January may take longer to review due to the concurrent renewal period.
Applicants for the Infant Mental Health Mentor (IMHM) category should expect at least 4-6 weeks following application submission to taking the exam. Applicants who are approved to sit for the exam will be notified and connected with the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health to complete the exam through the virtual platform, Question Mark. Applicants are encouraged to begin preparing for the exam while their application is being reviewed.
Fees Associated with AzAIMH Endorsement®
|
Endorsement® Categories |
AzAIMH Membership |
EASy Registration |
Endorsement® Processing |
|
Infant Family Associate |
$60 |
$15 |
$25 |
|
Infant Family Specialist |
$60 |
$20 |
$100 |
|
Infant Mental Health Specialist |
$60 |
$25 |
$200 |
|
Endorsed Reflective Supervisor Add-On |
N/A |
N/A |
$100 |
|
Infant Mental Health Mentor (Clinical, Policy, & Research/Faculty) |
$60 |
$25 |
$300 |
AzAIMH now offers a discounted membership rate for students. See membership information here.
Endorsement® Exam
Infant Mental Health Specialist and Infant Mental Health Mentor Endorsement® applicants must pass an exam prior to earning Endorsement®. AzAIMH partners with the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, the international organization that oversees the implementation of the Endorsement®, to administer the exam. The Alliance uses a completely virtual exam proctoring system called Question Mark.
The exam has two parts; both are based on the Competency Guidelines®.
Applicants are encouraged to engage their provider of RSC to think together about the applicant’s professional journey, capacity for reflection, and understanding of parallel process all in relation to readiness for the exam. The reference rating form can be used to solicit feedback related to knowledge and skill areas of the competencies. If gaps in knowledge are identified, the indexed list of resources below can be used to identify readings. If the provider of RSC expresses reservations related to the capacity to apply IMH principles into practice, the applicant is encouraged to continue with RSC and the on-going assessment of skills in the areas of Reflection, Thinking, and Working with Others.
Part One (60 Multiple Choice Questions – 90 minutes)
The multiple-choice, or quantitative, section is primarily focused on infant mental health knowledge specific to work with infants, young children, and their families. Most questions will be related to direct service, but there will be some questions related to reflective supervision/consultation, policy, and research. The multiple-choice section is the same for all Specialist and Mentor applicants. Knowledge gained through course work, specialized in-service training, and self-study will be most useful in this section of the exam. IMH-E® applicants are expected to have knowledge on pregnant women, infants, young children (up to age 3), and families.
Part Two (Vignettes – 90 minutes)
The qualitative section will ask for responses to vignettes. This section is intended to measure the applicant’s capacity to apply their knowledge of IECMH principles into practice and to demonstrate a reflective, relationship-based approach. While all of the competency areas are important, the ones under the Reflection, Thinking, and Working with Others domains are important to the qualitative section for Specialists and Mentors – Clinical.
The Administration domain is the primary focus of the Policy exam. Policy applicants are asked to demonstrate a capacity to promote IECMH principles and practices within and across systems.
The Research & Evaluation domain is the primary focus of the Research/Faculty exam. In the Research/Faculty exam, one scenario is more specific to teaching; the other scenario is more specific to empirical research. Research/Faculty applicants will demonstrate a commitment to IECMH principles and practices related to research or course planning and instruction.
Exam Preparation and Resources
- What to know about the Endorsement® Exam
- Exam Preparation Resource List
- Endorsement® Exam Tip Sheets
The Alliance will ensure your exam is reviewed by trained exam reviewers, maintain anonymity throughout reviewing process, and provide you with meaningfully feedback regardless of exam outcome.
Exam Accommodation Policy
If an applicant needs accommodations for either part of the examination, they must submit a written request to the AzAIMH Endorsement Coordinator no later than 21 days (3 weeks) before the examination date. The request must detail the kind of accommodation being requested, as well as documentation of the need for accommodation, i.e., an assessment from a professional. The Endorsement Coordinator will respond to the request at least 10 days before the examination date. AzAIMH and the Alliance are committed to meeting the needs of all applicants but may not be able to grant every accommodation request. The Endorsement Coordinator will work closely with the applicant to develop a plan that offers reasonable accommodation without compromising the integrity of the examination, the identity of the applicant, or the identity of the reviewers. In these instances, it may be necessary and appropriate to offer the exam on a different date in order to accommodate the applicant. If the Endorsement Coordinator is unsure of an appropriate accommodation for a special circumstance, they may contact the Alliance Quality Assurance Director.
If an applicant’s primary language is something other than English and they request an accommodation, that applicant can have up to an additional 60 minutes for each section of the exam, i.e., a total of 2 ½ hours for Part One and a total of 2 ½ hours for Part Two. In addition, the applicant may take a dictionary into the examination to assist in translation (e.g., a Spanish to English dictionary). ESL accommodations do not require documentation except for a written request for the standard extension of time outlined above. If more time than the standard extension is requested, further documentation may be required.
Endorsement® Exam Scores, Feedback, Retakes and Decision Reviews
Applicants must receive passing scores on both Part One and Part Two of the exam to earn AzAIMHEndorsement®. A passing score on Part One (the multiple-choice section) of the exam is 80%. To carefully protect the exam materials, applicants will not receive specific feedback related to the questions missed in Part One. Applicants who do not receive a passing score on Part Two of the exam (response to vignettes/scenarios) will be provided with feedback based on the exam reviewers’ remarks.
Regardless of the outcome, all who take the exam will be provided with feedback based on the exam reviewers’ remarks. The feedback is offered in the spirit of promoting professional development and can help guide the selection of specialized in-service training opportunities and continuing reflective supervision or consultation experiences.
Retakes
Applicants must submit a written request to retake the exam. The request must be sent to the AzAIMHEndorsement Coordinator. Whether retaking Part One, Part Two, or both, applicants must wait at least one year before retaking the exam. There is no charge to retake either part of the exam the second time. However, if any applicant does not successfully pass the exam after two attempts, the applicant must: wait at least one year before taking the exam again, update their EASy application with three new reference ratings, new training/work/supervision experiences, and submit their application for another review. If the applicant is approved to sit for the exam again, the applicant must pay the retake fee of $100.
Review of an Exam Decision
A minimum of two trained exam reviewers must agree on whether an exam response (qualitative section) passes or not. There is no appeal process if the applicant does not agree with this decision. As stated in the Endorsement® Agreement, signed by every Endorsement® applicant: “The decision of ITMHCA concerning whether or not Endorsement® will be granted is final and binding.” Applicants are invited to consider the feedback offered by exam reviewers and sit for the exam again in one year’s time (see policy above, “Retakes”).
Endorsement® Application Review and Approval to sit for the Exam
Endorsement® applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Endorsement® applications are reviewed by at least one professional who has earned Endorsement® and has been trained to review applications. If the application reviewer(s) believes the applicant is not yet ready to sit for the exam, the applicant will be given specific feedback related to the decision. AzAIMH will provide an email to the applicant identifying strengths and gaps, as they relate to the competencies. The applicant will be invited to update their EASyapplication, including new reference rating forms, one year later and will be reconsidered to take the exam at that time.
Endorsement® RENEWAL
As we know, continued growth and development are essential for all IMH professionals to maintain and enhance skills, knowledge, and ethical practice. AzAIMH captures this ongoing process of professional development through the Endorsement® renewal.
The 2024 Endorsement® renewal period is from October 1 through December 15, 2024.
Endorsement® Renewal Requirements
A minimum of 15 hours of training/education related to culturally sensitive, relationship-focused practice promoting infant mental health.
A minimum of 12 hours of reflective supervision/consultation from a qualified RSC (applicable to most categories)
To complete your 2024 Endorsement® renewal, please follow these steps:
1. Login to the Endorsement Application System (EASy)
2. Select “Edit renewal requirements” to open your Endorsement.
3. In the “Details” tab, update any demographic information and your AzAIMH membership expiration date.
4. Click “Save”
5. Go to your Training tab
Enter a minimum of 15 hours of IMH training by selecting “Add Entry” at the bottom right of the screen.
This should be relationship-based education and training pertaining to the promotion of social-emotional development and the practice of infant mental health.
1 hour out of the 15 hours must be specific to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within IMH.
3 hours out of the 15 hours must be specific to the provision of reflective supervision/consultation(RSC). This training requirement is only applicable to IFS-ERS, IMHS-ERS, and IMHM-Clinical.
Reminder: You will need to indicate the “Type” of training entered however you do not need to select competencies for renewal.
6. Next, go to your Supervision tab
Enter a minimum of 12 hours of continued reflective supervision/consultation (RSC) by selecting “Add Entry” at the bottom right of the screen.
This requirement is applicable to the IFS, IMHS, and IMHM-Clinical categories, including RSC providers with the ERS add-on.
7. Go to the Status tab
You will be prompted to review and agree to the Code of Ethics. Click “Save.”
8. Select the “Submit Endorsement for Renewal” button.
9. Pay the $25 renewal fee AND renew your AzAIMH membership.
Note: Endorsees now have the option to renew their AzAIMH membership for 3-years at a discounted rate to ensure affiliation through the next Endorsement® renewal cycle (see renewal update below).
Please note there is a $35 late fee for renewals submitted after the due date.
You will receive an automated email from EASy confirming that your renewal has been submitted. Once your renewal is successfully reviewed and approved, you will receive another automated email notifying you that your Endorsement® has been renewed.
Changes to the Endorsement® Renewal Cycle
To create a more equitable and accessible system, we are transitioning to a 3-year renewal cycle. Once your 2024 Endorsement® is renewed, it will be due next on December 15, 2027 (then 2030, 2033, etc.).
Current endorsees and those endorsed through 12/31/2026 will renew in 2027.
Endorsees will attest to completing all Endorsement® renewal requirements.
Starting in 2027, the AzAIMH Endorsement Coordinator will audit a percentage of endorsee submissions following each renewal period.
The renewal requirements for each category will remain the same. The requirements for training and RSC hours will now be accumulated and documented over three years rather than each year.
For example: 15 hours of training/year = 45 hours/3-years; 12 hours of RSC/year = 36 hours/3-years
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ask for help while completing the Endorsement® process?
If you have questions while in EASy, select the “Support” button in the upper right-hand corner. Applicants can indicate whether the issue is technical or related to the Endorsement® process. There are also Comment boxes within every tab of the Endorsement® application where applicants can ask questions or leave remarks. If you have other questions, unrelated to EASy, email the AzAIMH Endorsement Coordinator
How do I know which RSC hours qualify for Endorsement® applications & renewal?
RSC that meets criteria for Endorsement® must come from an individual who has earned Endorsement® as an Infant Family Specialist-ERS, Infant Mental Health Specialist-ERS or Infant Mental Health Mentor-Clinical. A lot of clinical supervision is reflective, but perhaps not all is from a specialist in infant and early childhood mental health.
Can I supervise/consult with a colleague or peer?
Peer supervision (defined as colleagues meeting together without an identified supervisor/consultant to guide the reflective process), while valuable for many RSC experienced practitioners, does not meet the criteria for Endorsement®, even if one or more of the peers has earned Endorsement® at IFS-ERS, IMHS-ERS, or IMHM-C. The provider of RSC is charged with holding the emotional content of the cases presented. The ability to do so is compromised when the provider is a peer of the presenter. Unnecessary complications can arise when the provider of RSC has concerns about a peer’s ability to serve a particular family due to the peer’s emotional response AND the provider and peer share office space, for example.
I have a Bachelor's and work in an infant/toddler classroom. I receive reflective supervision regarding the infants/toddlers and their families. Do I qualify for Infant Family Specialist?
Experience in an early care and education setting is valuable and can be counted toward meeting the requirements for Endorsement® as an Infant Family Associate. Classroom experience is not fully aligned with the specialized work experience requirement for an Infant Family Specialist mainly because, while a focus on social-emotional development is one of the roles, it is not the primary role of an infant/toddler teacher. Quality early care and education settings certainly use opportunities in the daily routine to promote social and emotional development, but are also charged with feeding, diapering/toileting, care, safety, and curriculum development that promotes all domains of development. The primary work of most early care and education settings is not supporting the relationships that surround the infant/toddler. We hope that early care and education providers, especially those who pursue and earn Endorsement®, do work with infant and early childhood mental health principles in mind, which is why the competencies that are required for Infant Family Associate are nearly identical to those required for Infant Family Specialist.
Does work experience with pregnant people and families count towards the work experience requirement for Infant Family Specialist and Infant Mental Health Specialist?
Yes, work with pregnant people and families does count towards the required work experience for IFS and IMHS. However, the applicant’s work experience must ALSO include work with infants, toddlers, and their families.
Endorsement® resources
AzAIMH Endorsement® Registry
- Endorsement® Is Good For Babies
- Helpful Tools for You – Crosswalks for Endorsement®
- The Alliance partners with organizations to promote our mutual commitment to workforce development across the field through competency-informed training, coursework, and experiences. To do this, we develop a crosswalk across the partner organization’s content and the Competency Guidelines. The Competency Guidelines are aligned with many in-service training/curriculum, evidence-based practice models, certificates, and secondary education programs.
- The presence on this list means that the crosswalk has been aligned with the knowledge/skill areas found within the Competency Guidelines® and authored by at least one professional holding the Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® (IMH-E®/ECMH-E®) credential. AzAIMH and the Alliance cannot guarantee Endorsement® will be earned upon completion of any or all the training curricula and/or coursework listed in the crosswalks. Additionally, AzAIMH and the Alliance cannot guarantee the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the crosswalk.
Adding Endorsement® Categories
The AzAIMH Endorsement Committee would like to encourage all Endorsees to consider whether they meet the criteria for an additional category of Endorsement®. The categories are not considered hierarchical as each is incredibly important; however, there are benefits to adding an Endorsement® category.
- An opportunity for you to enhance your professional profile in the rapidly growing field of Infant Mental Health.
- Recognition of your professional growth and ongoing development of knowledge and skills.
- Validation of the work you have done under the guidance and supervision of experienced mentors.
- Highlight yourself as a competent professional in a system that reflects the commitment to best practices and quality care for infants, toddlers, and their families.
- Help AzAIMH increase capacity for reflective supervision/consultation in your local community and across Arizona!
Applicants may not earn two categories or designations of Endorsement® at the same time. An applicant will earn one category of Endorsement®, then add an additional category of Endorsement® at a later date. There are no timeframe restrictions for adding new Endorsement® categories. Applicants can apply for another category whenever they meet the requirements to do so.
To assure fulfillment of the Endorsement® requirements as specified, an endorsed professional will “add a new Endorsement® application” within their EASy (link) application and add information pertinent to the “new” category.
Application and Payment
The EASy registration fee is waived for applicants who are adding Endorsement® categories. The Endorsement Processing Fee will be the difference between the fee paid when the applicant initially became endorsed and the current Endorsement® Processing Fee for the “new” category. Please contact the AzAIMH Endorsement Coordinator (link to azendorsement@gmail.com) to determine the Endorsement® Processing Fee. It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify AzAIMH about adding Endorsement® categories. If the applicant pays the full Endorsement® Processing Fee without informing AzAIMH about adding categories, there will be no refund.
Policies
Reinstatement if Endorsement® Lapses
Endorsement® renewals are due by December 15th of the renewal cycle year.
If a practitioner fails to maintain membership with AzAIMH and/or fails to submit Endorsement® renewal by December 31st of the renewal cycle year, they will be removed from the Endorsement® Registry.
To have an Endorsement® reinstated, a practitioner must:
1. Re-register on EASy (link)
2. Document education, work, in-service training and RSC experiences that have been accrued since removal from the Endorsement® registry.
3. Add three updated reference ratings in EASy
4. Pay Endorsement® Processing Fee
5. Renew and maintain membership with AzAIMH (link)
Applying for Endorsement® as an Out-Of-State applicant
AzAIMH cannot accept Endorsement® applications from those who reside outside of Arizona.
If an Applicant resides in another state, but works in Arizona, they must apply for Endorsement® in the state in which they reside.
If an Applicant works in a state that has Endorsement® but resides in a state that does not have Endorsement® AND the Applicant’s employer requires Endorsement®, it may be possible for the Applicant to earn Endorsement® through the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.
To see if Endorsement® is available where you reside, please visit The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.
Inactive Endorsement® Status
AzAIMH maintains an Inactive Endorsement® Registry for those who have earned Endorsement® but have extenuating circumstances and are unable to meet renewal requirements. There is one type of Inactive Endorsement®.
Inactive Status: The endorsed professional continues with ongoing requirements for membership and 5 hours of specialized in-service training annually but is unable to fulfill the full training requirement of 15 hours. All categories of Endorsement® are eligible for Inactive Status. Complete the Application for Inactive Status.
Endorsed professionals who move to Inactive Status will be removed from the Endorsement® Registry and are no longer able to use the IMH-E® credential after their name or promote themselves as actively endorsed or as an endorsed provider of reflective supervision/consultation.
Professionals endorsed as an IFS, IMHS, or IMHM-C who wish to remain on the Endorsement® Registry, but no longer receive RSC, will be offered the option to apply for IFA Endorsement® through a new IFA Application in EASy (link). These professionals will not need to complete the entire application, as they previously demonstrated fulfillment of the competencies and requirements through their previous application for Endorsement®. Upon applying for and receiving IFA Endorsement®, these endorsed professionals will be required to follow the ongoing Endorsement® renewal requirements (link to Renewal) of 15 hours of in-service training and maintenance of AzAIMH membership
Inactive Endorsement® Status: Returning to Active Status
When the endorsed professional is ready to return to active status, they will complete and submit an Application for Reactivation to Active Endorsement® Registry and a check for $25 for the Reactivation Fee to AzAIMH, PO Box 2234, Phoenix, AZ 85002-2234.
Once reviewed and approved, the endorsed professional’s name will be moved from the Inactive Endorsement® Registry in EASy to the Endorsed® Registry. The number of training hours expected for Endorsement® renewal will be prorated depending on the date that the application to reactivate is received. The AzAIMH Endorsement Coordinator will email with the number of hours expected to submit.
Refund Policies Associated with Endorsement® Fees
EASy Registration Fee:
AzAIMH does not refund EASy Registration Fees.
Endorsement® Processing Fee:
The Endorsement Processing Fee only partially covers the AzAIMH expenses related to supporting applicants through the process, facilitating application reviews, compiling feedback letters to each applicant, creating and mailing the Endorsement® certificate, and maintaining the Endorsement® Registry. In addition, for IMHM applications there are the additional expenses related to the creation and field testing of a new exam each year, administering the exam, and reviewing the exam. Therefore, AzAIMH is unable to refund Endorsement Processing Fees once an application has been submitted for review. This policy applies even if applicant is deferred, submits an incomplete application, does not pass the exam, or accepts Endorsement® at another category with a lower fee.
