The Infant-Parent Program (IPP) at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center offers professional development and training to multidisciplinary students and practitioners comprising the field of infant and early childhood mental health. These disciplines include social work, family therapy, psychology, and psychiatry (child and adult). On occasion, students or professionals from allied professions such as maternal-child health nursing, pediatrics, or occupational therapy have pursued the specialized training opportunities IPP provides. IPP is indebted to the Irving Harris Foundation for their support of its training and workforce development efforts
All aspects of the training program have been articulated with the California Competencies, supporting participants in pursuing endorsement as infant mental health transdisciplinary providers and specialists through the California Center for Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health. The curriculum includes units dedicated to understanding parenting, family functioning, and infant-parent and preschool-parent relationships; infant, toddler, and preschool development; biological and psychosocial factors impacting outcomes; risk and resiliency; observation, screening and assessment; diagnosis and intervention; interdisciplinary collaboration; and ethics.
Participants in the Intensive Practice-Based Training in Multicultural Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health program typically pursue training in one multicultural infant/family or early childhood intervention modality per year, although those with appropriate background and experience may undergo two or more training strands simultaneously. The modalities in which participants may be trained include:
- Infant-parent psychotherapy (children ages 0-3)
- Perinatal mental health/reproductive justice
- Mental health consultation to infant and early childhood settings
- Child-parent psychotherapy (children ages 3-5)
- Developmental therapeutic playgroups for toddlers and preschoolers
- Therapeutic shadowing of high-needs children in group care settings
For the 2025–2026 training year, training positions are only open for the following two modalities combined:
- Infant-parent psychotherapy (children ages 0-3)
- Perinatal mental health/reproductive justice
Training may also be available in other modalities listed above. Training is nine to twelve months beginning in either July or September of each year.
Postdoctoral psychology: Full- and/or part-time fellowships may be available if there is a match between funding source, clinical needs, and the applicant's background and experience. Follow the application guidelines below. Please contact the program after April 1, 2025, to inquire.
Social work, marriage and family therapy and professional clinical counseling: Several part- and full-time non-stipend positions are offered to developing professionals in these disciplines who are seeking supervised hours of experience. Only students who are in enrolled in programs on the Approved List of Schools and Programs (available at zsfglearn.org/student-placement) may be eligible for training. IPP trainees must be enrolled in their school program throughout the duration of the training year. Follow application guidelines below.
CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2025-2026
Priority deadline is January 31, 2025, and any complete application received by that date will be reviewed by February 11, 2025. However, applications are accepted at any time and training positions are open until filled.
Application guidelines
Please send the following via email to clinical training coordinator Lea Wager-Smith at [email protected]:
- Together as attachments to the same email:
- A letter describing your interest in the IPP Intensive Practice-Based Training in Multicultural Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, relating this to your background and experience
- A resume or CV
- Two letters of recommendation. (These may be included as attachments to the email with the other application materials, or sent separately, but the application will not be complete until they are received.) Letters should shed light on applicant’s experience with and preparedness for providing direct clinical services.
Questions
Inquiries may be addressed to the IPP's co-director of training, Maria Seymour St. John, PhD, LMFT ([email protected]).
Location
Infant-Parent Program
Intensive Practice-Based Training in Multicultural Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center
1001 Potrero Avenue
Building 5, 6B
San Francisco, CA 94110
