Submission Overview

To ensure a blind review, no presenter names, titles, agencies, affiliations, or organizations should appear anywhere except where asked. Submissions on a particular program may not name the program, location, staff members, or affiliate organizations involved with the program. However, a description of the type of program, range of services, and length of time in the field is allowed. Proposals not conforming to the standards outlined will be rejected prior to review.

Review

ZERO TO THREE utilizes an initial blind review process. Reviewers with specific expertise in the topic area read and score proposals without identifying information on the specific source of the presentation. Their scores are based on criteria that take into account the interest areas and learning levels of the NTI audience, the relevance of the topic to current work in the field, as well as the innovativeness of the work described in the proposal. A secondary review by NTI Program staff is made to ensure that all review processes were followed and that the overall program content is well-balanced to the NTI audience.

Each year NTI receives several hundred responses to its Call for Proposals, and we regret that there are only a limited number of slots available for presentations. We are pleased to be able to feature the valuable work being done in the infant-family field as much as possible at the NTI.

Participation Information

• A/V: : Field presenters will be supplied with one LCD projector/screen for use with their own laptop computer during their session. Poster presenters will be supplied with a poster board, table, and sign indicating the poster number and title. All other A/V needs will be at the presenter's expense and must be indicated at the time of acceptance.

• Registration: All presenters, including those with posters, will be required to pay the full registration fee and will be responsible for all of their own expenses related to attendance. There will be no 1-day or reduced registration fees. Accepted Field/Clinical Case and Poster lead presenters are responsible for ensuring that all participants in their session are registered.

• Scheduling: Persons whose presentations are accepted must participate at the time scheduled by the NTI Program Staff. Any special scheduling requests must be made at the time of acceptance.

Submission Process

Submitting your proposal on-line will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. This program will walk you through each step of the submission process, prompting you for all required information. If you cannot complete the entire process at one time, the program will allow you to save a draft, exit the system, and log back in before the deadline to complete or amend your submission. You will log in using your unique Submission ID and Password, which will display in the left frame of the page. The program will also send an e-mail confirming your Submission ID and Password and that your submission has been initiated. The online system includes error checks for missing information and shows you a complete draft of your submission before you finalize it.

Please note that no edits may be made after the deadline of March 9, 2015.

To expedite the process, we highly suggest that submitters collect or prepare the following information prior to beginning:

• Abstract of the session content: a brief description (max of 50 words) to be used for the program;
• List of goals/objectives for the session (max of 6);
• Full description/summary (not abstract) of session content (max of 400 words)
• Description of how specified learning activities will be incorporated into the session (max of 50 words)
• Contact information for up to 3 presenters (1 lead presenter and 2 co-presenters).

Presentation-Specific Hints

Field Presentations

These presentations should focus on effective responses to significant current problems/issues in infant-family research, practice, or policy. Submissions should be targeted to experienced infant-family professionals. Abstracts should include:

• A succinct statement of the issue(s) being addressed and its relevance to work with infants, toddlers and their families;
• The reasoning or decision-making process used to address the issue/problem;
• Examples of collaboration and/or the use of a multidisciplinary team;
• Where appropriate, clinical material to illustrate the work in action;
• Evaluation or assessment of the effectiveness of the approach;
• A reference list of current and relevant literature on the topic;
• Lessons to be learned from the presentation that will have practical value to NTI attendees; and
• The planned format for the presentation, including the specific strategies that will be used to engage and encourage active participation by participants.

Clinical Case Presentations

These presentations, designed for an audience of experienced infant-family clinicians, should focus on preventive, educational, or therapeutic work with one infant or toddler and his or her family. Abstracts should include:

• A clear conceptual framework/knowledge base for the clinical approach used; The process of clinical reasoning and decision-making used;
• Clinical material to illustrate the case;
• Examples of collaboration and/or the use of a multidisciplinary team;
• Evaluation or assessment of the effectiveness of the approach;
• Lessons to be learned from the presentation that will have practical value to NTI attendees; and
• The planned format for the presentation, including the specific strategies that will be used to engage and encourage active participation by participants.

Posters

Posters can be focused on research findings, service delivery models, screening, assessment and evaluation issues, approaches to parent and professional training, or public awareness or advocacy initiatives. Abstracts should include:

• A clear statement of the issue or topic the poster addresses;
• The perspectives, methods, and/or service approaches used;
• The context in which the work has taken place or the issue is being confronted; and
• The lessons to be learned from the presenter's work that has practical value to NTI attendees.

Criteria for Selection

• Relevance to the NTI audience, with some priority to content designed for an advanced learner;
• Relevance to one or more of the topic areas delineated in the Call for Proposals;
• Demonstration of the relationship of the work detailed in the presentation to knowledge in the field and/or emerging areas of interest; and
• Clear identification of strategies for effective/best practices.

Prospective presenters should carefully consider their ability to prepare and deliver a session that employs a lively and varied format and uses audiovisual and other materials to enhance learning (presenters who read their presentations or strictly lecture have not been well received in the past).

Sample Proposal

Title: Informing Practice, Policy and Research: A Grass Roots Approach to Change through Endorsement Promoting (our project - refrain from using project name in the proposal)

Type of Presentation: Field Presentation

Topic Area: Collaboration/multidisciplinary teams

System that would be most meaningful: Early Care and Education/Child Care, Early Head Start, Mental Health/Infant Mental Health, Early Intervention

Abstract of Session (50 word maximum): (our project) embraces professionals from multiple disciplines and settings who believe that professional development standards promoting infant mental health lead to significant shifts. This workshop describes grass roots efforts in 13 states that have led to notable changes in practice, policy, specialized training, higher education, and evaluation/research.

Goals and Objectives:

• Describe notable changes in practice, policy, training and higher education across 13 states.
• Discuss how grass roots efforts lead to state-wide systems change.
• Identify ways in which (our project) has provided a framework for systems change across multiple states.

Adult Learning Principles:

1. Brief overview of grass roots changes leading to systems change.
2. Videotaped interviews of professionals across disciplines and systems who explain notable changes due to implementation of IMH-E® Endorsement.
3. Small group discussions reflecting on change.

Audience Level: Advanced-Career

Types of activities or learning experiences: Video, Small Group Discussion, Large Group Discussion, Brief Lecture

If accepted as a Workshop, able to repeat this session: Yes

If accepted as a Workshop, able to present and provide materials in Spanish: No

Summary (400 word maximum): From the start, competency based endorsement embraced infant and family professionals from multiple disciplines and settings who believed that professional development standards promoting infant mental health would lead to new services for infants and families, work force development and policy changes. This workshop will describe grass roots efforts in 13 states that have led to notable changes in practice, policy, specialized training and higher education. While the multidisciplinary field of infant mental health has thrived since its inception almost 50 years ago, the development of competency guidelines for the field, as well as an accessible and effective process for recognizing professionals, who promote infant mental health, has been challenging. Inspired by the work of Selma Fraiberg and her colleagues who coined the phrase, infant mental health, professionals have developed a set of competencies and a plan for endorsement and made both available through Infant Mental Health Affiliates across the states. (our project) is now a nationally recognized, award winning system for competency-based work force development used to promote professional growth in over 13 states and 1 European country (Ireland). In addition to recognizing individuals for competency, (our project) has effected changes across many systems. This workshop will present examples that illustrate how the use of the endorsement has influenced practice in a variety of mental health and early childhood consultation programs, early care and education settings, home visiting programs, Early Head Start and Healthy Families systems, universities and colleges, to name a few. Of interest, presenters will address the development of new undergraduate course work, graduate degree programs, and specialized certificate programs promoting infant mental health. Additional discussion will focus on state and local agency policies that use of the competencies and criteria for endorsement to strengthen work force development plans and protect quality through the promotion of infant mental health. The expansion of specialized community training and reflective supervision, major components of (our project), as well as research/evaluation efforts will also be explored. Videotaped interviews with state leaders will be shared with the group. The intent of this workshop is to demonstrate that change is possible from the grass roots up, using standards and a systematic plan for work force development. Participants will be invited to ask questions and to offer experiences related to grass roots efforts to promote change in the infant and family field.

Effective Proposals

Click here to download the Submitting an Effective Proposal Powerpoint file.