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EI Collective: Attuned and Intentional (EICAI)

Jun 9, 2025 11:00 am

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EI Collective Attuned and Intentional - Reflective Practice Professional Development Opportunity from EITP

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EITP is proud to support a new Illinois professional development opportunity, EI Collective: Attuned and Intentional (EICAI), that encourages and strengthens the practice of early interventionists by fortifying their support, fostering team cohesion, mitigating stress and compassion fatigue, and providing a space for contemplation and critical thinking.

Through 7 engagements with team facilitators, participants will focus on establishing relationships that encourage the growth and development of the interventionists and who they engage with in their Illinois Early Intervention (EI) practice. A guided process promotes discussing, questioning, planning, and decision-making using the expertise of team members and other professionals. The purpose is to collectively 'see' an event, experience, or person as clearly as possible without judgment, criticism, or praise.

Facilitators will offer opportunities to deepen their EI practice within this community of learners through reading, discussion, reflection, collaboration, problem solving, and application of strategies in their current work with families.

Each of these activities supports the interventionists' ability to increase awareness and appreciation of themselves and the work being done. As interventionists engage in these practices, the capacity to honor and cherish their strengths while exposing and working on their vulnerabilities will continue cultivating a foundation for ongoing personal and professional growth and improving the quality of EI services.

Participants

This is an intermediate-level professional development opportunity for active EI providers supporting Illinois families.

An "Active EI Provider" is an individual currently credentialed and enrolled to bill for services* in the Illinois EI System and actively provides support and services to enrolled children and families in the Illinois EI System. This learning experience includes licensed assistants who are currently credentialed and have provided support and services within the last six months under the supervision of a licensed and credentialed EI provider.

*Service Coordinators are not enrolled to bill and are ineligible for this opportunity. Please consider joining the Illinois SC Forum for support specific to Service Coordination.

Requirements

Interested participants should submit an application before July 18 which takes about 10-15 minutes. Applicants are encouraged to reflect on the following essay questions and provide a thoughtful response that meets the 100-word minimum word requirements:
- Please discuss your reasons for applying to the EI Collective and what you desire to attain during this experience.
- Please describe your approach and philosophy of working with young children and their families.
Participants will be a part of an active collective that will meet every few weeks. The first session will be an introductory session lasting 90 minutes, with the additional sessions lasting two hours.
Participants should be prepared to share self-reflection/personal/work experiences and engage in active listening with reflective responses.
Participants will participate virtually by computer or tablet (not by phone) with access to audio, microphone for speaking, and video camera for live video image projection, and to be in a location where they can participate fully and confidentially for each session.
Participants will receive a copy of the book Pause and Reflect: Your Guide to a Deeper Understanding of Early Intervention Practice by Dana C. Childress, Ph.D., with the expectation of reading and completing the activities associated with the book separately and before sessions.
It is recommended that participants have prior knowledge of the Mission of EI, Division of Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices, Illinois EI Principles, elements of the coaching approach, and adult learning principles.

Dates

For Fall 2025, there will be 3 cohorts available. All times listed are central standard time (CST), and all dates below are tentative until the series is initiated.

EI Credit

EITP is an approved sponsor of CEs towards IDPR licensures for Dietitian/Nutrition, LCPC, OT, PT, Social Work, and SLP.

Attendance and participation at a minimum of 6 of 7 sessions is required for any EI credit. Up to 13.5 hours* of contact hours and EI credit will be awarded as follows:

3 hours in Working with Families
3 hours in Intervention
2 hours in Atypical Child Development
2 hours in Typical Child Development
3.5 hours in Assessment

Resources

Resources will be added to this page as they are developed and curated over time. We value the expertise everyone brings and look forward to adding to this page throughout the sessions.

Book: Pause and Reflect: Your Guide to a Deeper Understanding of Early Intervention Practice by Dana C. Childress, Ph.D.
My Supports (pdf)
Objectives (pdf)
Reflective Journal (pdf)
Reflective Practice Self Assessment (pdf) - also available as Excel file download - with related Interpreting Score of Reflective Practice Self-Assessment (pdf)
Safe Space vs. Brave Space by MedCircle
Series Commitments and Community Guidelines (pdf)

4Rs Resources

The 4Rs Model (pdf)
The 4Rs Model Coloring Sheet (pdf)
The 4Rs Model Self-Assessment (pdf)
The 4Rs Module Self-Assessment Coloring Pages (pdf)

Early Intervention Training Program at the University of Illinois

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