Lived Experience
Many people said they chose to work in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) because they wanted to help others and support their communities. Some shared that they or their families had gone through hard times and healing. These experiences helped them understand why it's important to include different cultures, beliefs, and stories in their work. There was also a desire to account for lived experience when determining compensations levels and educational credentials.
“You enter the field because of your own early life experience, such as becoming a parent at a young age or living through personal or family struggles, and this firsthand understanding fosters empathy and a drive to create better places for children.” - From a direct service provider
“So many people come to this work with amazing skills, and they are able to relate to families in ways that degreed individuals cannot. You may have academic knowledge, but you don't have relational knowledge. We can always impart academic knowledge, but you cannot impart relation and the ability to relate to individuals. I think we need to value it and compensate for it appropriately.” - From an administrator
Call to Action
The focus groups brainstormed several actions those with authority and influence within the IECMH system can take to address Lived Experience. Below are some suggestions, organized by specific roles.
Do you have additional ideas on how to address Lived Experience? Click here to download a blank template and track your actions!
Connection to Other Topics
The chart below shows how Lived Experiences are connected to other topics. The numbers show how often the topics were discussed together.
