Kathy Mulrooney is a passionate advocate and recognized thought leader in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH). She has worked around the world and across the many systems of professionals who touch the lives of infants, young children and their families. She has worked with ZERO TO THREE for the last 12 years of her nearly 45 year career in the mental health field. At the heart of her IECMH work is her deep commitment to the core values of relationship, reflection, cultural humility, and lifelong learning. Kathy also revels in her role as “grandma” to her young grandchildren who remind her, on a very personal level, of the importance of strong connections and the tremendous capabilities of babies and young children.
Kathy serves as the Director Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Strategy-Program for ZERO TO THREE. In this role she provides leadership across ZERO TO THREE programs related IECMH and is a member of ZERO TO THREE’s IECMH Leadership Team. Kathy thus coordinates IECMH activities within ZERO TO THREE and in collaboration with external partners. She is strongly engaged in the organization’s racial equity, diversity and inclusion work and the alignment of this work with advocating for changes in the IECMH field to center the rich and diverse sources of knowledge, perspective taking, experiences and leadership of persons of color and other persons or groups who have been marginalized.
Kathy was a member of the Diagnostic Classification Revision Task Force which produced DC:0-5™ and led the original development of DC:0-5 Training curricula and training offerings. She has overseen delivery of DC:0-5™ training efforts around the world. She is one of the co-editors of the DC:0-5 Casebook which is expected to be published in Spring 2023.
Kathy, in collaboration with other field experts, also designed a series of IECMH training topics which are available for clinicians and allied professionals. Kathy works closely with ZERO TO THREE’s Policy Center to advance IECMH on local, state and national levels. Kathy has worked to promote IECMH through her various roles at ZERO TO THREE including work with Military Family Projects, Project LAUNCH, and Professional Development & Workforce Innovations team. Kathy brings extensive experience in promoting reflective practice and reflective consultation in a variety of settings and systems. Likewise, she has worked to promote trauma-informed practice, and has been involved in terrorism and disaster response supports nationally.
Kathy holds a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey. She has achieved the Infant Mental Health Endorsement – Mentor/Clinical. Kathy has an extensive history of clinical practice, professional development, technical assistance, and systems consultation experience.
