About Us - Australian Association for Infant Mental Health (AAIMHI) for the well-being of infants and very young children

Australian Association for Infant Mental Health Inc
Australian Association for Infant Mental Health Inc

About Us

Welcome to the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health Inc. (AAIMHI), an affiliate of the World Association for Infant Mental Health.

The emerging field of infant mental health is an inter-disciplinary field of research, clinical practice and public policy-making concerned with the emotional development of infants. Ours is an organisation of health professionals whose daily work brings them into contact with young infants and children. We recognise the need to assist families to build nurturing and strong relationships with their children, but to be aware of the times when the greatest need is for the infant to have his or her perspective heard.

Through the State Branches of the Association, we provide education and support to these professionals, so they may deal with increasing confidence with this young vulnerable group.

National Committee Members

Anna Huber National President

Pam Linke AM

Pam Linke

Pam Linke works as an early childhood and parenting consultant. She also does some sessional work in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of South Australia.

Pam is very committed to advocacy for children and particularly infants and in encouraging professionals who work in this area through AAIMHI's professional development activities.

She is the chair of publications for the Australian Early Childhood Association and was a foundation member of NIFTeY.

She enjoys writing and has written a number of books for parents and early childhood professionals, as well as much of the parenting content on the Child and Youth Health website www.cyh.com. Her latest book is "Your Child from Birth to Eight" (ACER) - in publication. Together with Dr Elizabeth Puddy, Pam was instrumental in starting the South Australian branch of AAIMHI.

Shelley Reid

Secretary and Public Officer
Newsletter Editor

Shelley has a background in neonatal nursing with a particular interest in developmentally supportive care for preterm infants. She has undergraduate degrees in Applied Science (Nursing) and Arts (Psychology) and completed a Masters in Public Health in 2008. She is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney and a founding member of the RPA Women and Babies Midwifery and Nursing Research Unit. In addition Shelley is a professional (freelance) editor with a Postgraduate Diploma in Editing and Publishing. She was the founding editor of the Australian peer-reviewed journal Neonatal, Paediatric and Child Health Nursing, established 1997.

 
Marianne Nicholson, Treasurer
  
Nichola Coombs (Victoria branch)

NicholaI am a Melbourne-based psychoanalytic child psychotherapist, currently employed by the Children's Protection Society as the research coordinator and infant mental health consultant for an intensive, attachment theory-informed early childhood education and care program for infants and children at risk of abuse and neglect. Prior to my current position, I worked in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) conducting psychoanalytic psychotherapies and group work with infants, children, adolescents and parents.
 
Campbell Paul (WAIMH representative)
 

Sally Watson, Vice President (South Australia branch)

Sally Watson

Sally Watson graduated as a social worker 25 years ago. Since graduation she has worked in a variety of settings including statutory child protection, community health, hospitals, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She has worked in these positions in South Australia, Queensland, NSW and England

Her current position is as a social worker with an attachment based parenting project located in a childcare setting – Through the Looking Glass. She has been in this position for 6 years. It is in this position that she has developed a passion for working with young children and their families using attachment theory as her underpinning theory. Whilst in this position she has had the opportunity to be trained and gain reliability in the Adult Attachment Interview. She also completed training in the Insightfulness Assessment and Reflective Functioning on the Parent Development Interview

Sally is married and has 3 children Thomas aged 13, Alice aged 11 and James aged 8.

Libby Morton (Queensland branch)

Sonia Costello (ACT branch)
 
Elizabeth Seah (Western Australia branch)
secretary@aaimhi.org Australian Association for Infant Mental Health Inc     PO Box 39, Doublebay NSW 1360 Australia