Carla Caringi (ac7863)

Carla Caringi Barron, PhD, LMSW, IMH-E®, is an Assistant Professor - Research for the Infant Mental Health Training Program and Project Director for MPSI Project LAUNCH: Young Child Wellness in Detroit. She works with graduate students who are enrolled in the Infant Mental Health Dual-Title program, teaches a graduate level infant mental health seminar, engages in research, and provides community trainings on a variety of topics related to professional wellness, early infant development, home visiting, and reflective supervision/consultation. Dr. Barron facilitates reflective supervision/consultation with infant and early childhood professionals across Michigan and nationally. For over 15 years, she worked as an infant mental health specialist providing home- and community-based infant mental health intervention to infants, toddlers, and their caregivers in the areas of child welfare, early childhood education and mental health. Dr. Barron’s research and scholarship interests are focused on reflective supervision/consultation and reflective education and training; including its affect on professional growth, efficacy, and wellness and the role of race and diversity within these professional relationships. Dr. Barron is endorsed by the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health as an Infant Mental Health Mentor - Clinical. 

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.

Master of Social Work (MSW), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.

Freer House, 71 E. Ferry Street, Detroit 48202

 Infant mental health, reflective supervision & consultation, home visiting 

Post-master’s Certificate in Infant Mental Health, Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.

Main MPSI Phone: 313-664-2500

Licensed Social Worker (Michigan)

Infant Mental Health Mentor Endorsement IMH-E® (Mentor-Clinical)
Infant Mental Health Mentor Endorsement IMH-E® (Infant Mental Health Specialist)

• Training and Programs Co-Chair, Metro-Detroit Association for Infant Mental Health, local chapter of the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health
• Member, Michigan Collaborative for Infant Mental Health Research
• Member, Macomb County Great Start Collaborative
• Chairperson, Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health – Reflective Supervision Research sub-workgroup
• Member, Alliance for the Advance of Infant Mental Health – Research workgroup, Home Visiting, and Training Sub-workgroup member

• Implementation and Experience of Reflective Supervision & Consultation within the Infant & Early Childhood Field
• Home Visiting with Infants, Young Children, and their Families
• Home Visiting Ethics & Professional Boundaries: Considerations of Culture, Race, & Bias
• Reflection & Relationships: Considerations when Working with Young Children and their Caregivers

• Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health
• National Association of Social Workers
• Council on Social Work Education
• Zero To Three

SW 8883 Infant Mental Health Seminar I 

SW 8884 Infant Mental Health Seminar II 

Hiram Fitzgerald Award for Emerging Scholarship and Research in Infant Mental Health. Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.
Esther Dean Callard Award for Outstanding Service to Infants, Toddlers, and their Families. Metro-Detroit Association for Infant Mental Health.

Recent Publications:

Barron, C. C., & Wilson, K. (Eds.) (2024) Relationship-based Experiences: Honoring Voices Within Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Washington, D.C.: ZERO TO THREE.

Barron, C. C., Vallotton, C., Stacks, A. M., Oates, O., Adekoya, A. R., Muzik, M., Rosenblum, K., & Brophy-Herb, H. E. (2023). Bridging the gap: Feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of an integrated attachment-based training for teachers and parents in Early Head Start. HS Dialog: The Research to Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 26(2), 48-70.

Barron, C. C., Vallotton, C. Stacks, A. M., Oates, O., Adekoya, A. R., Muzik, M., Rosenblum, K., & Brophy-Herb, H. E. (2023). Implementation of an integrated training for parents and teachers in Early Head Start: A research to practice summary. HS Dialog: The Research to Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 26(2), 48-70. 107-111.

Stacks, A.M., Halquist, K., Barron, C. C., Brophy-Herb, H. E., Muzik, M., Rosenblum, K., Vallotton, C. (2023). Building an attachment-based training for Early Head Start: The Hearts and Minds on Babies Implementation Story. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01440-0

Barron, C. C., & Eaves, T. (2022). Introduction to a special section on the supervisee’s perspective of reflective supervision/consultation. Infant Mental Health Journal, 43(2), 203-206. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21976

Barron, C. C., Dayton, C. J., & Goletz, J. L. (2022). From the voices of supervisees: What is reflective supervision and how does it support their work? (Part I). Infant Mental Health Journal, 43(2), 207-225. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21972

Barron, C. C., Dayton, C. J., & Goletz, J. L. (2022). From the voices of supervisees: A theoretical model of reflective supervision (Part II). Infant Mental Health Journal, 43(2), 226-241. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21975

Wilson, K., & Barron, C. C. (2022). Honoring Race and Diversity in Reflective Supervision: Guiding Principles to Enhance Relationships. ZERO TO THREE, 42(4), 14-20.

Brown, E., Spudowski, C., & Barron, C. C. (2022). What does it mean to be a leader in the infant and early childhood mental health field? Research on training and supervision needs. ZERO TO THREE, 42(4), 79-86.

Dayton, C., Barron, C., Stacks, A., & Malone, J. (2020). Infant Mental Health: Clinical Practice with Very Young Children and their Families. In J. Brandell (Ed.), Theory and Practice in Clinical Social Work, 3rd Edition. San Diego, CA: Cognella.