The Center on Infant Mental Health & Development at the University of Washington (CIMHD) was created to address a critical need to prevent and treat early relationship problems before their consequences can disrupt the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. CIMHD, a partnership between the School of Nursing and the Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington , was founded in 2001 by renowned nurse scientist Kathryn E. Barnard, RN, Ph.D., FAAN, FIOM, Professor Emeritus in Nursing. It is the only university-affiliated center of its kind in the nation combining education, clinical research and services and policy leadership in order to improve outcomes for at-risk infants and their families.

The CIMHD is working on multiple fronts to help parents and babies get the help they need. The Center conducts research on early relationships, and on the types of interventions that are most appropriate for different kinds of families. It trains professionals in the specific skills needed to work directly with individual families, building capacity statewide. And it acts as a resource for policy-makers by providing information about the latest findings in this area.

Vision/Mission Statement

VISION

Every child has the right to the early nurturing relationships which are the foundation for life-long healthy development.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Center on Infant Mental Health and Development promotes interdisciplinary research, education and practice and advances policy related to the social and emotional development of all children during the first five years.

GOALS

To advance knowledge about infant mental health and the centrality of early relationships to the healthy development of young children.

To promote collaborative university-community partnerships for infant mental health education and training, advocacy, and clinical research;

To offer educational opportunities in infant mental health at the undergraduate and graduate levels;

To promote the mental and emotional health of young children and their families through effective preventive approaches to children's emotional, social and behavioral problems;

To conduct longitudinal and clinical research to increase our understanding of the development of vulnerable children, and effective community and family intervention efforts on their behalf;

To devote special attention through research, education and services to improve the social and emotional healthy of vulnerable children who already exhibit developmental delays, and those whose families experience risk factors such as domestic violence, extreme poverty, homelessness, absence of social supports, substance abuse or mental illness.