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Fresh as a Daisy by Jahla Brown, DCYF ESIT Partnership & Collaboration Specialist
“You don’t have to be healing everyday. You don’t have to [be] checking off goals everyday on a to do list. You don’t have to be hustling and ‘building’ everyday. You don’t have to push everyday. You have the right to just be. You were born to experience leisure, joy, and rest.”
-Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry and author of NY Times Bestseller
Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto
On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. This precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds. Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael Lopez’s dazzling art celebrate the extraordinary ability to lift ourselves up and imagine a better world.
Listen to the story, read aloud by Read With Me (watch time 4:25):
Learn more about where to find the book The Year We Learned to Fly, here.
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“The right of taking fish at usual and accustomed grounds and stations is further secured to said Indians, in common with all citizens of the United States; and of erecting temporary houses for the purposes of curing; together with the privilege of hunting on open and unclaimed lands. Provided, however, that they shall not take shell-fish from any beds staked or cultivated by citizens.”
– Treaty of Point No Point, January 26, 1855
Each week, DCYF ESIT Tribal Program Specialist, Brian Frisina, provides a key topic to help us get to know our Tribal Nation Partners better.
This week’s term is:
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC)
The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) is a natural resources management support service organization for 20 treaty Indian tribes in western Washington. Headquartered in Olympia, the NWIFC employs approximately 65 people with satellite offices in Burlington and Forks.
NWIFC member tribes are: Lummi, Nooksack, Swinomish, Upper Skagit, Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, Tulalip, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Nisqually, Squaxin Island, Skokomish, Suquamish, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Makah, Quileute, Quinault, and Hoh.
The NWIFC was created following the 1974 U.S. v. Washington ruling (Boldt Decision) that re-affirmed the tribes’ treaty-reserved fishing rights. The ruling recognized the tribes as natural resources co-managers with the State of Washington with an equal share of the harvestable number of salmon returning annually.
The commission is composed of representatives from each member tribe who elect a chair, vice chair and treasurer. Commissioners provide direction to the NWIFC executive director, who in turn implements that direction.
The role of the NWIFC is to assist member tribes in their role as natural resources co-managers. The commission provides direct services to tribes in areas such as biometrics, fish health and salmon management to achieve an economy of scale that makes more efficient use of limited federal funding. The NWIFC also provides a forum for tribes to address shared natural resources management issues and enables the tribes to speak with a unified voice in Washington, D.C.
Back To The River
From our collection of extensive interviews with the people involved in the Fishing Wars plus added interviews, we compiled an hour-long video called “Back to the River.” It is designated as a companion video to “As Long as the Rivers Run” to help today’s viewers understand the struggle for recognition of tribal treaty fishing rights and to share the experience through their eyes. The film bridges the gap of misunderstanding by educating the public about this vital time period that shaped Pacific Northwest history and helped open doors to many tribes throughout the United States.
February 1, 2013 marked the release of “Back to the River” which premiered at the Seattle Aquarium. Guests received copies of “Back to the River” and “As Long as the Rivers Run.” From there we have continued a touring roll-out of “Back to the River” at different reservations.
Back to the River tells the story of the treaty rights struggle from the pre-Boldt era to tribal and state co-management. The movie includes the voices and personal accounts of tribal fishers, leaders and others active in the treaty fishing rights struggle.
View “Back to the River” in its entirety online (watch time 38:11):
Sources
The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) | Serving the Treaty Tribes in Western Washington, © 2016.
Back to the River - Salmon Defense. Salmon Defense is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization.
The Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program is recruiting for the Parent Institute for Engagement (PIE) program. PIE is a 12-month leadership program for parents and caregivers of children who have received services through ESIT. We will help you build your skills and allow you to become better leaders, advocates, public speakers, and active members in your state.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit an application by August 4. We will notify selected individuals the week of August 7.
Information also available on ESIT's Parents & Leadership webpage.
For more information on how to apply, contact Vanessa Allen, ESIT Family Engagement Coordinator at Vanessa.allen@dcyf.wa.gov.
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On June 27 and July 11, we offered the ACORN Introductory Overview session that gave our users an opportunity to learn about functionality of ACORN and see the layout of the application. More than 700 ACORN users attended our initial ACORN overview and were able to ask questions and provide important feedback to our team.
A train-the-trainer series was offered to our CLA partners in June, and we received a lot of valuable feedback. This feedback and the input from our State Interagency Coordinating Council Data Committee caused us to delay the launch of the comprehensive ACORN trainings until we are able to meet all training needs. We are committed to offering a comprehensive user training series to all ACORN users prior to the launch of our new data system. These trainings will take place in a series of live webinars over the course of several days. During the training, participants will have access to the ACORN training environment as well as supplementary training materials. Our asynchronous training modules will be launched at the same time as the comprehensive training series.
Below is the timeline we are following in preparation of the launch of the comprehensive training raining series. The launch of ACORN will be dependent on the conclusion of the comprehensive trainings.
Graphic Highlighting the 2023 ACORN Timeline: from Finalization, to Development, to Training.
We will announce training dates as well as the new ACORN launch date in upcoming communication via GovDelivery. If you have questions, please contact ESIT Data Systems and Analysis Manager, Kim Hopkins, at kim.hopkins@dcyf.wa.gov.
Thanks to all those who attended the July 11 ESIT Updated Qualifying Diagnoses List Webinar. The webinar was a brief introduction to the updated list and some of the changes compared to the current list. During the webinar, we collected over a hundred questions from attendees and are working on categorizing, prioritizing, and responding to those questions. There is nothing providers need to do differently at this point and the ESIT state office will provide more guidance as we approach the time when the new list is implemented. Below are some questions and answers about the timing and the roll out of the updated list.
Q: What date will we stop using the current Qualifying Diagnoses List and start using the Updated Qualifying Diagnoses List?
A: The updated Qualifying Diagnoses List will be implemented when the new ACORN data management system is implemented. There is nothing providers need to do to change the list they use. When the new list is implemented, it will appear in the ACORN system and the new accompanying guidance documents will be posted to the ESIT Practice Guidance webpage, under the Eligibility, Evaluation, and Assessment dropdown.
Q: If we know a new diagnosis will be included in the updated list can we start qualifying children with that diagnosis now?
A: No, new diagnoses will not be automatic qualifiers until the updated list is implemented in ACORN. See the Qualifying Diagnoses List Guidance Document for information on how to qualify a child with a diagnosis that is not on the current Qualifying Diagnoses List.
Q: Can we see the entire new list before it is implemented, so that we can prepare ahead of time for the changes?
A: Providers will have access to the updated Qualifying Diagnoses List when they obtain access to ACORN. To avoid confusion, the new list will not released while the current list is active.
Q: What about children who were enrolled via a qualifying diagnosis that was on the current list but is not on the new list? Will those children still be eligible after the new list is implemented?
A: Yes, the eligibility changes will not apply to children already enrolled in ESIT when the updated list is implemented.
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ESIT is happy to announce that registration is open for the 2023-24 Live Seminar series, previously known as the Professional Learning Community (PLC) Cohorts.
The Live Seminars are Step 2 of the Initial Training for staff hired after July 1, 2021. The seminars are designed for new ESIT service providers and program administrators to explore the implementation of ESIT services. ESIT professionals hired prior to July 1, 2021, are encouraged to attend as a refresher and to get the most current statewide learning content. All ESIT professionals who register for the Live Seminars must complete all Step 1 self-paced modules prior to attending Seminar 1. Staff hired after July 1, 2021, who have already completed required training do not need to attend the Live Seminar series.
The Live Seminars are a series of three (3) live virtual sessions. The live seminars must be attended in order, but not necessarily within the same month. They will each be offered monthly over the next contract year. Please log in to the DCYF Training Portal to find Live Seminar session dates that work for your schedule. When registering, ESIT professionals will register for each of the seminars individually.
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Would you like to help DCYF ESIT finalize the updated Natural Environments Practice Guide?
We are looking for up to 10 ESIT direct service providers from a mix of disciplines and locations to read through and let us know that you think about the updated guide.
If you would like to volunteer, please email maia.thomas@dcyf.wa.gov. The first 10 ESIT service providers to reply, that fit a mix of provider types and agency locations, will be invited to review the document, give written feedback and attend a Zoom focus group to discuss.
The commitment will likely take 2 – 3 hours total. Your feedback is important to us!
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The updated Late Services: Provision and Documentation Practice Guide is now available on the Practice Guidance page of the ESIT website under the dropdown titled, “Service Delivery.”
This Practice Guide clarifies requirements and best practices regarding service timelines and documentation of services provided late.
The Late Services Practice Guide was originally published in April 2017 and updated in July 2019. The 2023 updated version:
- Has been carefully vetted for adherence to current DCYF ESIT contract requirements, Policies and Procedures and Part C federal regulations.
- Features an expanded Service Scenarios grid with example documentation for Late Other and Exceptional Family Circumstance late reasons.
- Does not include information on Late Referrals. Late Referrals information will in a separate Practice Guide which will be published in the next couple months. For Late Referrals requirements in WA State, see Washington Late Referrals to Part C Timeline (2019).
- Includes a screen-reader friendly version.
Much gratitude goes to the Family Resources Coordinators and County Lead Agency representatives who offered collaboration and feedback.
Watch the ESIT Weekly newsletter for an announcement of a statewide provider webinar with a chance to ask questions about the updated guidance.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact your regional Technical Assistance Specialist.
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Open Spots Available in Reflective Consultation Groups!
These Reflective Consultation groups are facilitated by Carol Good, MSW, LICSW, IMH-E. Participants may count these hours towards Reflective Supervision hours for the Washington Association of Infant Mental Health endorsement. Please email endorsement@wa-aimh.org for more information regarding endorsement requirements.
Exciting news! ESIT has openings in our Reflective Consultation groups offered through the University of Washington. Reflective Consultation is monthly, protected time that gives providers the opportunity to explore their work with families and young children in a safe, supportive space. It offers a time to think about their own needs, and to think about the emotional needs of both parents and children. It also provides an opportunity to hear and learn other perspectives. Participants report feeling increased joy and competence in their work, and increased empathy for the families they work with. Reserve your spot as soon as possible:
- First Tuesday of the month | 4 - 5 p.m.
- First Wednesday of the month | 1 - 2 p.m.
- Second Wednesday of the month | 2 - 3 p.m.
Reserve your spot!
Please contact dcyf.ESITtraining@dcyf.wa.gov. This training opportunity is being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
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NeuroRelational Framework Cohort 2 Training: Application Deadline Extended to July 31
Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) and the Washington Association of Infant Mental Health (WA-AIMH) are excited to offer this incredible training for another cohort!
The NeuroRelational Framework (NRF) is being offered to qualified and selected multi-disciplinary teams across Washington State. This advanced Infant and Family Relational Health (IFRH), also known as Infant Mental Health (IMH), training focuses on the integration of social-emotional capacities with developmental needs of very young children and their families.
The course is designed with a team approach to learning, offering ESIT Provider Agencies more advanced and intensive knowledge about IFRH within their system of services and supports to ESIT families. It is part of the overall State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) with a focus to build and improve IFRH practices amongst the ESIT workforce. Course sessions will begin September 13, 2023.
The following information outlines the details for submitting an “Expression of Interest.” We are hopeful your program will find the benefits of this exciting opportunity!
NeuroRelational Framework Training Details
Learn in depth about the course, time commitment and selection criteria:
Understanding the process of reflective practice
If this is a new concept, prepare by reviewing the following article, by Mary Clair Heffron, Barbara Ivins and Donna Weston (2005), Finding an Authentic Voice: Use of Self: Essential Learning Processes for Relationship-Based Work:
Expression of Interest Form
The Expression of Interest Form is due by Mon., July 31:
Questions? Please contact Laurie Thomas at: Laurie.Thomas@dcyf.wa.gov.
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Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) Feeding and Teaching Scale Virtual Workshops!
This training opportunity is being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
ESIT has limited spots available to attend the PCI Feeding and/or Teaching Workshops through the University of Washington! At the very foundation of infant mental health is the ability to skillfully observe a caregiver and their infant during an interaction. We know that attuned caregiver-child interactions lead to better health and mental health outcomes for children. We also know that interactions can range from attuned to mis-attuned, or somewhere in the middle. Learning the PCI Feeding and Teaching scales provides the training and practice needed to conduct a reliable and valid observation of a caregiver-infant interaction. This training gives you concrete areas to guide services and encourage positive parent-child interactions. Register below for one or both of the available training opportunities!
FEEDING Virtual Workshop
Workshop filled.
TEACHING Virtual Workshop
July 25 – 28, 31, August 1
Please see the flyer for more information. Registration is reserved on a first come, first served basis.
To register, please email pcrp@uw.edu.
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Save the Date: July 26 PFR Drop-In Session
Join ESIT providers from across Washington State and PFR Trainer Carol Good to discuss embedding the PFR consultation strategies into your everyday coaching practices. There will be a panelist of providers (PT, SLP and Educator) attending various sessions to discuss ways to embed PFR practices into their work with children and families. These drop-in sessions are for ESIT providers only. Providers must have received PFR Level 1, 2, or 3 training to attend.
What topics can you bring to the session?
Explore:
- Writing IFSP outcomes that have a social/emotional component
- Discuss which PFR handouts can be paired easily with IFSP outcomes
- Using video to support social and emotional development while also supporting other areas of development
Share:
- Struggles with utilizing the PFR consultation strategies with families
- Videos of parent-child interactions from your caseload
- Triumphs of embedding PFR into ESIT services
Receive:
- Expert consultation from PFR trainer
- Support in developing your PFR practice
- Answers to your PFR questions
Wed., July 26 | 10 a.m.:
Mark your calendars!
Mark your calendars for the dates below and be on the lookout for registration information for upcoming dates. Check back for updates regarding more panelists attending.
Register for Upcoming Drop-In Session Dates
- Wed., August 9 | 2:30 - 4 p.m. | Register
- Thurs., Sept. 14 | 3 - 4:30 p.m. | Register (PT panelist attending)
- Wed., Oct. 18 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Register
- Wed., Nov. 15 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. | Register
- Thurs., Dec. 7 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Register
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Register for Promoting First Relationships (PFR) Level 1 Training!
This training opportunity is being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
Providers participate in 14 hours of workshop training and come away with foundational knowledge in attachment theory and promoting secure caregiver-child relationships, development of self for infants through preschoolers, understanding and intervening with challenging behaviors, building caregiver reflective capacity, and use of PFR consultation strategies. Providers receive reproducible, illustrated parent/caregiver handouts that contain easy to understand information about trusting relationships and healthy social-emotional development that can be shared immediately with the families that they work with. Providers are able to bring the knowledge that they have learned directly to families. Please see the attached flyer for more information on PFR Level 1 and how to register. Choose one option below:
- August 23, 25, 29 & 31 | 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- September 18 – 21 | 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
To register, email pcrp@uw.edu and include agency name and workshop option.
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Open Spots Available for Promoting First Relationships (PFR) Training Levels 2 and 3!
This training opportunity is being offered as part of our State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and ESIT provider course fees are covered by DCYF/ESIT. These groups are for ESIT providers only.
Level 2 Certified Provider Training
For ESIT agencies who do not currently have a PFR Level 3 Agency Trainer, DCYF has limited spots available for providers to participate in PFR Level 2 Training. If your agency already has a PFR Level 3 trainer, they are able to provide PFR Level 2 training to your current PFR Level 1 providers. Click here to visit PFR's website to learn more details about Level 2 Certified Provider Training.
Level 3 Agency Trainer Training
For ESIT agencies who have a certified PFR Level 2 provider interested in becoming a PFR Level 3 Agency Trainer, DCYF has limited spots available for providers to participate in PFR Level 3 training. PFR Level 3 trainers are able to train current PFR Level 1 providers at your agency to become PFR Level 2 trained. Click here to visit PFR's website to learn more details about Level 3 Agency Trainer Training.
To sign up, contact DCYF ESIT Special Projects Coordinator, Ciara Saalfeld at ciara.saalfeld@dcyf.wa.gov.
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DCYF ESIT has funding available to offer scholarships to assist with covering costs related to WA-AIMH endorsement registration, membership, and processing fees. The Washington Association of Infant Mental Health offers different levels of endorsement credentials and provides recognition of specialized knowledge in professionals working with families and young children. It is an internationally recognized credential and is for anyone who works with families and young children in the fields of early care and education, prevention and early intervention, home visiting, the medical and behavioral health professions, child welfare, mental health, policy and advocacy, research and others. Learn more about the WA-AIMH endorsement here.
Scholarship funds must be accessed by June 30 or applicants will need to re-apply after July 1.
Scholarship Opportunities
If interested in applying for WA-AIMH endorsement scholarship opportunities:
Information Sessions
WA-AIMH offers information sessions in order to ask questions, gather details, and gain a better understanding of the endorsement process. To schedule time with the endorsement coordinator or for other endorsement inquiries, please contact endorsement@wa-aimh.org.
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Workshops offered by the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Workforce Collaborative are free for professionals who serve or support children prenatal to five and their families enrolled in Apple Health (Medicaid).
- IECMH Clinical Workshops are designed for clinical professionals involved in mental health assessment and diagnosis for children birth to five.
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IECMH Community Workshops are intended for all professionals who support the social-emotional well-being of babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families, as well as expecting families.
For more information visit:
CEUs and/or STARS hours are provided for most workshops.
Questions? Contact admin@wa-aimh.org.
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