Bekman Psychology is pleased to announce the launch of Project ACORN: Advancing Colorado’s Response to the Mental Health Needs of Young Children. From little acorns, mighty oaks grow.
Project ACORN is a new initiative that aims to expand and strengthen Colorado’s infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) workforce by providing specialized trainings in evidence-based treatments and best practices for young children aged 0-5 and their families. We support both the clinical infant/early childhood mental health and allied IECMH workforce across Colorado
Project ACORN will offer a number of trainings to expand Colorado’s capacity to promote the healthy social emotional development of young children and to provide treatment when early beginnings have been bumpy and compromised the mental health of Colorado’s littlest residents. Project ACORN offerings are grounded in the science of infant/early childhood development and the premise that young children’s healing is best facilitated in the context of their primary caregiving relationships.
Who is Colorado’s IECMH workforce?
Colorado’s IECMH workforce is vast and includes both clinical mental health providers and non-clinical professionals who play vital roles in the lives of very young children. If you work with young children in Colorado, please consider joining us!
We offer training to mental health clinicians to support them in gaining the specialized knowledge and skills to treat infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families from a developmentally sensitive, relationship-based stance. Additionally, we support allied providers who play an essential role in identifying and referring young children and their families to IECMH services when concerns are present.
Why focus on infancy and early childhood?
The science of early childhood provides us a powerful framework for understanding how development unfolds, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track when it is disrupted. Decades of research have established that sound mental health is built early in life and the first five years provide the foundation for children’s later success and future lifelong health. When young children experience adversity (like the loss of a caregiver, abuse or neglect, or exposure to violence), intervening as early as possible is critical to achieving the best outcomes. It is also far more cost effective. Earlier is easier!
Current IECMH Training Offerings:
Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood: DC:0-5™ Clinical Training Institute.
DC:0-5™ is the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood published by ZERO TO THREE. This DC:0-5™ Clinical Training Institute is designed for advanced practitioners such as mental health clinicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, nurse practitioners and early interventionists whose work with infants, young children and their families involves expert assessment, diagnosis, and case formulation. Attendees will learn about the multi-axial approach to diagnosis, an approach which is developmentally informed, relationship-based, contextually and culturally grounded. The training allows clinicians to have in-depth knowledge of the approach and content of DC:0-5 and to practice application of this nosology with the support of peers and certified ZTT trainers through activities and case examples.
This training is offered at no cost to Colorado early childhood providers and all providers will receive a DC:0-5 manual. This 15-hour, virtual training will be offered over 3 days in October 2025. Exact dates and the application process will be posted soon.
Child-Parent Psychotherapy Learning Collaborative.
This 18-month, implementation level CPP Learning Collaborative will begin January 26, 2026- January 30, 2026. Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an evidence-based treatment model for children aged 0-5 who have experienced traumatic events and/or are experiencing mental health, attachment, and/or behavioral problems. A detailed overview of the training and eligibility criteria can be found here . Application deadline is 7/28/25.
