Updated bylaws of the World Association for Infant Mental Health
The World Association for Infant Mental Health was founded in 1980 as the World Association for Infant Psychiatry (WAIP).
The Association was incorporated in 1985 in Washington, DC, USA as the World Association for Infant Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines (WAIPAD).
The first bylaws were adopted in 1985. The bylaws have been amended in several phases. In September 1992 the corporation’s name changed to World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) as a result of the merger of the World Association for Infant Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines (WAIPAD) and the International Association for Infant Mental Health (IAIMH). Other changes were made in 1997, 2001, 2008.
The updated WAIMH Bylaws were approved during the COVID-19 pandemic in an online meeting. The bylaws had been posted to all members prior to the Membership meeting taking place Monday, June 8, 2020. The WAIMH Board had prepared and approved of the changes preliminary to approval by the members. A voting procedure to agree amendments was arranged, and of the 26 voting members a total of 22 Yes votes were received.
The bylaw changes in 2020
With the aim of greater alignment with the digital era, the bylaws were updated with regard to how members can receive notifications (see Article VII, Section 1, Section 3, Section 6; Article XV).
The status of the Past President of the Association was modified – The Past President continues to be a member of Executive Committee of the WAIMH Board for four years as a non-voting member (see Article VII -Section 15).
The descriptions of certain officers were expanded:
- Associate Executive Director (see Article VIII, Section 11);
- Affiliate Council Representative (see Article VIII, Section 13; Article IX, Section 1).
- Honorary President (see Article VIII, Section 14);
Termination of Membership has been added (Article X, Section 6).
Voting on the amendments – 26 voting members; 24 votes; 22 votes Yes.
The WAIMH bylaws are available on the WAIMH website: https://cdn.ymaws.com/waimh.org/resource/resmgr/documents/waimh_bylaws_2020.pdf
WAIMH membership 2022
The WAIMH membership year 2021 ended on Dec 31, 2021. So, it’s time to renew your membership!
There are various ways to renew your WAIMH membership via online payments: For those who have the autorenewal option, membership renews automatically on Dec 31. You can also choose to renew your membership manually each year, or you can make a two-year payment, which needs to be renewed manually every two years. The WAIMH membership year is January-December irrespective of when you make the membership payment.
Once you have signed up for or renewed your membership, you can go to the WAIMH Store and subscribe to the Infant Mental Health Journal (IMHJ) at a greatly reduced member rate. Note that new membership applications need first to be approved.
Become a member or renew your membership: https://waimh.org/page/membership
Follow WAIMH and read membership newsletters
Please note that WAIMH sends all members messages, and unfortunately the e-mails may land in your spam folders. It is suggested that you look in your spam folder and mark the e-mail as not spam. You can follow WAIMH on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and use the hashtags #WAIMH #IMH #WorldinWAIMH #PerspectivesIMH #WAIMH2023.
