New Research Highlights Needs & Path Forward for Massachusetts’ Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Workforce
Two faculty members and an MSW student from Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) teamed up with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) to evaluate the needs of an essential workforce: infant and early childhood mental health care providers.
The researchers – Prof. Alicia Mendez, Prof. Ruth Paris, MSPCC’s director of policy Aditi Subramaniam, and recent MSW graduate Jenny Zhang (SSW’25) – have now released a report on their findings, which draw from quantitative and qualitative data collected from infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) providers across Massachusetts.
In their report, they assess the current state of the workforce, including training opportunities and service delivery, and identify systems-level recommendations for state policymakers and administrative leaders.
The team also developed an open-access interactive map of IECMH providers, meeting a need shared by professionals as well as individuals seeking services.
The report’s release was marked with a hybrid event hosted by the project’s funder, The Boston Foundation. Mendez, Subramaniam, and Zhang presented their findings, recommendations, and output materials. Paris delivered closing remarks.
About our researchers
Dr. Ruth Paris is a professor at BUSSW and the associate director for research at the BU Wheelock Institute for Early Childhood Well-Being. She is an expert in early relational health, trauma, and mental health interventions for families with young children, and leads numerous research initiatives focused on the intersection of social work and infant mental health.
Dr. Alicia Mendez, a research assistant professor at BUSSW. She specializes early childhood development, systems of care, and equitable mental health service delivery. Her research integrates policy analysis with community-based approaches.
Jenny Zhang (MSW’25) is a recent graduate of BUSSW specializing in clinical work with children, youth, and families. Her research interests focus on child and adolescent mental health, with particular attention to culturally responsive and trauma-informed care within school and community systems.
Learn more about their findings here.