Collaborating to meet infant mental health needs – part two

In this two-part series, host Vicki Mansfield is joined by Lyndsay Healy (Director – Children’s Program, Gowrie SA), Dr Rickie Elliot (clinical psychologist) and Dr Louise Wightman (clinical nurse specialist) to explore how collaboration with families and clear communication between professions promotes infant mental health.   

In this episode, our guests talk about their reflective practice with families and how this guides their work with the broader system of care to proactively address infants’ mental health. They outline how they collaborate to address key developmental areas in the early years. The conversation includes practice examples about the importance of being with children in their big emotions, how to approach children’s eating and sleeping challenges from a relational perspective, understanding behaviour as communication, and tips on navigating rupture and repair in relationships.  

Key learnings 

In this episode, you will learn about: 

• how reflective practice and collaborative case discussion informs child and family nursing [1:29] 

• the role early educators play in developing children’s confidence and sense of security in social interactions [5:30] 

• working in partnership with parents to address their worries about sleeping and food challenges [11:14] 

• navigating children’s big emotions and rupture in relationships [13:08] 

Further information and resources: 

Online courses 

Practice strategies for implementation: Infants and toddlers 

Keeping the infant and toddler in mind  

Practice strategies for infant and toddler assessment  

Practice strategies for formulation: Infants and toddlers  

The Family Partnerships Model: A guide for early learning educators 

Supporting children’s resilience in general practice 

Practice paper 

Supporting children and families during disasters – Emerging Minds