AC21 - Baby Talk Sessions 4-6

Susan Friedman is NAEYCs Senior Director of Publishing and Content Development and leads the content development work of NAEYC's books and periodicals publishing. Early childhood educators rely on NAEYC books and periodicals and related content to stay up to date on research and effective practices they can apply directly to their classrooms. Susan has extensive experience creating content on developmentally appropriate practices, media and young children, play, equity and other topics for educators and families. She began her career as a preschool teacher in New York City and holds degrees from Vassar College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Karen Sandoval is a recent first-generation, Latinx graduate from Colorado State University. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Human Development and Family Studies and a minor in Spanish in May of 2021. Karen is the Program Coordinator for the Mil Dias de Amor Program at La Cocina, an infancy and early childhood mental health program focused on serving Latinx and Spanish-speaking families. She is passionate about co-creating paths to liberation with the Latinx community and supporting the families that La Cocina serves. Through this work, Karen hopes to take these experiences and return to school for Occupational Therapy in the near future. Her end goal is to be an occupational therapist supporting the needs of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities that are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC).

My name is Aby Garcia, I am a bilingual mental health provider at La Cocina and the Somos Las FAVAS Program Coordinator. I recently received my Master of Social Work from MSU Denver. I have been with La Cocina since May and during this time I have worked closely with Spanish speaking FFN child care providers in our community. I enjoy working with children and the important people in their lives who will help shape the adult they will become.

Elizabeth (Buffy) Trent Wolf, Psy.D., IMH-E, is a licensed psychologist, specializing in infant and early childhood mental health. As an undergraduate, Dr. Wolf studied psychology, music, and Spanish at the University of Arkansas. She then earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University School of Professional Psychology, where her training focused on Latinx mental health. Driven by a passion for culturally-affirming care, Dr. Wolf completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology at Boston Medical Center. Her post-doctoral fellowship at the USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, provided specialized training in infant and early childhood mental health, and Dr. Wolf has obtained the Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health. Dr. Wolf is currently the Clinical Director at La Cocina, a Latinx-led and Latinx-serving nonprofit mental health and social justice agency in Colorado.

Jennifer Mitchell earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University where she specialized in Parent-Infant Mental Health. Some of her formative professional experiences prior to earning her doctorate were as a Child Welfare Specialist for the state of Oklahoma, as a transition counselor for girls in an alternative educational setting, and in her multiple roles within a domestic violence shelter in Florida. These experiences solidified the importance of relationship-based intervention and set her on the path of early childhood mental health. She currently serves as the Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Innovation at The Children's Center, a non-profit mental health agency serving children birth to 6 years. She holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor position in the University of Utah's School of Medicine, and is co-Investigator on a research pilot focused on fostering an occupational environment of compassion and wellbeing with mental health paraprofessionals. She is also co-Investigator for multiple pilots focused on building a system of trauma-informed early childhood professionals. She is a board member and Past President of the Utah Association for Infant Mental Health and a board member of the Utah Psychological Association. She also serves on Utah's Early Childhood Advisory Council, Utah's Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Council, the Utah Registry for Autism and Developmental Disorders Oversight Committee, and numerous other community groups aimed at supporting young children and their families. She is trained in multiple evidence-based, trauma-informed treatments for young children, infant massage, and preschool mindfulness. Her current focus is supporting interdisciplinary professionals working with young children and families, and supporting alignment across early childhood systems. She is a current Fellow with ZERO TO THREE National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.