Early Relational Health
(aka Infant Mental Health)

Parenting a child with developmental delays and/or disabilities is an emotional journey. Along the way, people may experience intense feelings, stress responses, parenting concerns, and conflict within the family. Early Relational Health (ERH) also known as Infant Mental Health (IMH) is here to support your relationship with your child, especially during challenging times.

What Does an Early Relational Health Therapist Do?

An ERH Therapist helps you strengthen your connection with your child and support their feelings and behavior. This might include:

  • Finding more moments of joy and fun together
  • Helping you stay calm, so your child can feel calm too
  • Understanding how stress affects you and your child
  • Looking at challenging behaviors and finding ways to respond
  • Noticing how your child reacts to your parenting
  • Talking about how past stress or trauma may still be affecting your family
  • Helping you feel more confident in meeting your child’s emotional needs

What to Expect

5 Support Sessions to Start: Your family will begin with up to five sessions with an ERH provider. These sessions help us understand your child’s needs and how ERH can best support your family.

A Personalized Plan: Your ERH provider will talk with you about your child’s growth, feelings, and behavior. Together, you’ll decide on next steps, like ongoing visits or billing through insurance.

Continuing ERH Services: Many families meet twice a month with their ERH provider. Some sessions include both caregiver and child together, while others may be just with the caregiver to focus on parenting topics.

ERH Services Will Be Billed to Insurance: ERH visits are billed to insurance, just like other Early Support Services. We’ll review possible costs with you and make the process as easy as we can.

Support for Families with Children 30 Months and Older: If your child joins the program 30 months or older, we’ll continue to support you and your family up to your child’s 3rd birthday. In most situations, we work with your providers to help connect you with community programs and resources that fit your child’s and family’s needs. Building strong, trusting relationships takes time, and this approach helps make sure your family keeps getting care and guidance through important transitions. Our goal is to support your child’s emotional growth and your family’s well-being every step of the way.

Please reach out to your provider or Family Resources Coordinator if you have any questions or would like to learn more about Early Relational Health Services.

Infant Mental Health Support