December 1, 2007
It has been a privilege for me to have participated in the founding of The Florida Association for Infant Mental Health (FAIMH) and to lead the organization this past year. FAIMH continues to provide a high quality annual conference on early childhood mental health, and we look forward to another successful conference this coming May in Jacksonville under the leadership of Leslie Allen and her team.
We've stopped sending out newsletters, opting instead for up-to-date bulletins and announcements.
The creation of FAIMH spurred individuals in local areas around the state to begin looking for ways that they could work together in promoting infant mental health. At this time we have 19 such groups either actively functioning or in development. Though these groups do not have formal status by Bylaws with FAIMH, we are treating them as Chapters of our organization. This led to an innovation this past year. Using funds that were profits from previous conferences, plus a grant from the Children's Mental Health Bureau of the Department of Children and Families, we were able to provide support for projects in several of our local areas. My gratitude to Director Sue Ross for her support which allowed us to at least double our capabilities.
FAIMH has also strongly supported the training efforts around the state, some by the small grants noted above, others simply by making people aware.
I am grateful as well to the Board of FAIMH. Past President Mimi Graham has been tireless in working on behalf of the organization, and I appreciate so much Brian McEwen handling the Nominating Committee and Cherie Pagan for her work on the Website and Membership Renewals. Peter Gorski has accepted a role of getting us more meaningfully involved in Children's Week. Richard Krinzman is looking over our By-Laws and will be forwarding his recommendations in the near future. I have asked Barbara White to chair a committee that will look at items that should be limited to membership versus those that we want everyone to know about. Kathi Armstrong has been a great Secretary, and Mimi Graham has ably stepped in when Kathi has been unavailable.
Our conference in Ft. Lauderdale this past year was a success thanks to the efforts of Lori Hanson's chairing the committee evaluating proposed presentations. What a job!
I have raised the idea of using FAIMH as a central point for involving our members within the different chapters in regional or statewide research efforts. Responses by Board Members so far have been very positive to the concept, and I commend future consideration to our new President.
Finally, as we enter the Holiday Season, I wish all of us Health and Happiness in 2008.
Wil Blechman, M.D.