Q: I have my Master's degree, so shouldn't I start Endorsement as an Infant Mental Health Specialist?
Overall, Endorsement is seen as a professional development ladder. It is most common for people to start as an Infant Family Specialist. Over time, once practitioners have had an opportunity to serve many infant mental health cases while receiving reflective consultation from someone who is Endorsed and after participating in many specialized in-service training opportunities, they may have developed a degree of expertise that qualifies them for the Infant Mental Health Specialist. It is important to be sure that a candidate has achieved that expertise so that there is greater assurance of successfully completing the written exam. Also, once a practitioner has earned Endorsement as a Infant Mental Health Specialist, they are qualified to provide reflective supervision to other candidates who are seeking Endorsement.
