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Nominations open Monday, April 10, 2023

All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 8, 2023 no later than 11:59pm EDT

Recognizing emerging leaders in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

ZERO TO THREE believes early connections last a lifetime. We are committed to the healthy development of infants and young children, amplifying the importance of nurturing relationships, and the promotion of social and emotional well-being in the context of child and family culture and heritage. The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Emerging Leadership Award recognizes and celebrates a diversity of early and mid-career leaders engaged in cutting-edge, transformative work to advance IECMH Practice, Policy, and Research. These advancements are critically important in support of healthy social, emotional, and developmental well-being of our youngest children and our capacity to intervene early in the presence of risk and adversity.

Award Criteria

The IECMH Emerging Leadership Awards are open to early and mid-career professionals who are making  significant contributions to the field of IECMH. Nominees must professionals in the field of IECMH for no less than 5 years and no more than 15 years. We are seeking emerging leaders from IECMH practice, policy or research.  . We seek nominees who are emerging leaders engaged in visionary IECMH practice, policy, or research and demonstrate a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in ways that impact child/family/caregiver well-being and the IECMH field.

One award will be given in each of   the following areas:

  • Practice
    Improving the way IECMH supports and services to infants, young children and their families are delivered that better promote equity in health, well-being and foster healthy relationships. Potential examples include developing, adapting, or bringing to scale approaches or interventions, expanding access to IECMH services to meet the needs of historically underserved populations, or formulating best practice guidance that meet the IECMH needs of diverse populations. Practice may encompass an array of work including developmentally appropriate approaches to prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
     
  • Policy
    Making IECMH services more inclusive, equitable, accessible, better financed, or of higher quality by influencing policy and creating systems-level change. Examples include integrating IECMH services into a community or statewide programs, implementing a universal developmental screening process, revising financing rules to improve availability of IECMH interventions, or advocating for legislation to create or fund IECMH workforce or services.
     
  • Research
    Generating empirical evidence and/or translational research focused on IECMH issues, practices, and populations. Examples may include research on storytelling as a parenting support method, research that demonstrates the efficacy and effectiveness of IECMH practices and interventions; the nature of mental health disorders in infancy and early childhood; risk and protective factors that promote development; diversity, equity, and inclusion in IECMH; or important knowledge of IECMH-related biological processes. Nominated IECMH research work represents studies using quantitatiave and/or qualitative design and has a record of publication.  

We recognize there may be overlap across a nominee’s work in terms of practice, policy, and research. Please submit under the area that you believe best fits the nominee’s work and impact. The nominee must have no less than 5 years and no more than 15 years of experience as an emerging leader in IECMH.

Nomination Requirements

1.     Nominator’s name & email address

2.     Nominee’s name & email address

3.     Nomination category (i.e., practice, policy, research)

4.     Essay question responses:

  • Describe the nominee's work (250 words/max)
  • How has the work advanced the field of IECMH (250/words/max)

5.     Resume/Vita (5 pages/max)

6.     Letters of recommendation (must be from someone other than nominee/nominator (2 pages/max) and should address the following:

  • Connection to nominee
  • Description of the nominee’s work
  • Description of this individual’s leadership and how their work has impacted and advanced IECMH

Award Highlights

  • Inclusion in a public statement highlighting the accomplishments of the awardees, published on the ZERO TO THREE website
  • Registration to attend the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference 2023
  • Participation as a panel presenter at the 2023 ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference 
  • Invitation to showcase the awardee’s accomplishment through various ZERO TO THREE platforms, including webinar presentations and ZERO TO THREE Journal publications
  • Facilitation of a learning session with the ZERO TO THREE Fellowship class 
  • One-year membership to ZERO TO THREE and a subscription to the ZERO TO THREE Journal
  • A monetary award of $1,000.00 (USD)

Nominations submitted here -  IECMH Emerging Leadership Award Nomination 2023