Maternal Mental Health Newsletter

A GUIDE TO MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH IN THE DISTRICT
Issue 2 | FALL 2018 (Spring & Fall editions)
In This Issue
  • Did you know?
  • Upcoming Events for Your Participants
  • Upcoming Events for You
  • Helpful Tools & Resources- For your work with participants
  • Local Resources
  • Newsletter Purpose and Partners
DID YOU KNOW?
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Postpartum Support International has a page on their site solely dedicated to resources/information on this topic.

See the U pcoming Events for Your Participants section below for information about local & online perinatal loss support groups.

Listen to this NPR Here & Now interview of local Sharon Covington, director of psychological services at Shady Grove Fertility Center in Washington DC, about helping men deal with the loss of a baby/miscarriage, and more broadly about pregnancy loss.

For medical providers prescribing medications to participants who are trying to conceive, are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Postpartum Support International (PSI) expert perinatal psychiatrists are available to share their skills and expertise with fellow medical professionals, providing necessary guidance and reassurance on any matter, but particularly those that may be more challenging. The service is free and available by appointment.

Dial 1-800-944-4773, ext 4 and leave a message. You will be contacted within one business day to make an appointment with an expert perinatal/reproductive psychiatrist. 
ACOG May 2018 Opinion Paper on
"Redefining The Postpartum Visit"
If you haven't had a chance to review this, check it out here, as it offers new recommendations for screening and talking about maternal mental health!
DC Maternal Mental Health Taskforce
*UPDATE*

Bill successfully passed final vote, but it was determined that "funds are not sufficient in the fiscal year 2018 through fiscal year 2021 budget."

As introduced, this bill establishes a Maternal Mental Health Task Force funded/facilitated by the DC Department of Behavioral Health, to provide comprehensive policy recommendations to improve maternal mental healthcare in the District.
District Application for HRSA Funding
The District of Columbia, in collaboration with a variety of community and partner organizations, submitted an application in early August 2018 to HRSA for federal funding allocated to strengthening maternal mental health systems of care.
Postpartum Support International (PSI) offered a
 2 day certificate Perinatal Mental Health training in Richmond and Baltimore in May and August 2018, respectively. 114 and 111 individuals attended the conference in Richmond and Baltimore, respectively. Twenty of the participants at these two training's were from/work in DC !
The next PSI training near to us will be in
Ft. Lee, New Jersey on November 15-16, 2018.
Mary's Center Mom/Baby Massage Project

In Fall 2018, Mary's Center launched an innovative mom/baby massage project to strengthen mom/baby bonding and decrease maternal postpartum mental health symptoms. This pilot project is funded by The Massage Therapy Foundation and will be offered to moms who might not otherwise be able to access massage therapy. Moms will be offered 6 individual massages and 2 mom/baby group classes where they will learn infant massage techniques to utilize with their baby.
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR PARTICIPANTS
Perinatal Grief and Loss Supports
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
See this map of the local groups offered through the Resolve Network.
SHADY GROVE FERTILITY

Visit their calendar for upcoming local events/groups.
SHARE: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support

This organization offers information about support groups in each state. See this site for groups in Maryland (ie. Washington Adventist Hospital) and
Virginia (Falls Church, Arlington, etc.).
Find free online support groups in English
& Spanish offered through SHARE here .
MONTHLY GROUP FOR RECURRENT LOSSES

Local perinatal mental health provider, Julie Bindeman, runs this group which meets monthly on a Wednesday at noon and is $35. 
Next meeting will be Nov 14, 2018.  
Contact Info: Julie Bindeman, Psy-D, 
Integrative Therapy of Greater Washington; 
(301) 468-4849 office;  drbindeman@gmail.com  
HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL
GRIEF GROUPS

The Holy Cross Resource Center offers free Grief Groups (general grief, not perinatal specific) at 9805 Dameron Drive Silver Spring, MD 20902. More info here.
Contact Info to register: 301-754-7742 or bereavementcenter@holycrosshealth.org
TWO LOCAL LOSS GROUPS

Family Building After 3rd Trimester/Neonatal Loss
AND
Pregnancy After Infertility

Contact: Mia Joelsson, LCSW-C
Lighthouse Counseling & Coaching, LLC
DC DMV PAIL

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOU
WHEN SURVIVORS GIVE BIRTH TRAINING

Sun, November 11, 2018, 9 AM–6:30 PM

George Washington University Hospital
900 23rd Street Northwest
Auditorium Level B
Washington, DC 20037

More info and registration here
TRAUMA AND BIRTH CONFERENCE

Trauma and Birth: Multidisciplinary Approaches To Prevention and Healing

March 28-30, 2019

Seattle Marriott Waterfront
Hosts: Perinatal Support Washington
and

More info and registration here
FREE, ONLINE
PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING

December 13, 2018, 1:30-3pm EST 
Hosts: PSI/2020 Mom

More info and registration here
POSTPARTUM SUPPORT VIRGINIA

PSVa offers ongoing events/training.
Check out their site for more info!
HELPFUL TOOLS & RESOURCES
For your work with participants
PMAD CHART

An easy to read and user friendly chart detailing the range of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders, created by local psychologist, Dr. Julie Bindeman. Click here to see the PMAD chart or click for the PDF version .
UNCONSCIOUS BIAS WEBINAR

Check out this August 2018 recording of a webinar entitled "Challenging Unconscious Biases, Improving Women’s Health Outcomes", as part The Council on Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care Safety Action Series.
EN ESPANOL/ IN SPANISH


Mobile web-based maternal mental health psycho-ed self-help app

Online (free) perinatal loss support group offered through SHARE Network
LOCAL RESOURCES
Maternal Mental Health Programs and Clinics
Perinatal psychiatrist and 
clinician embedded in 
Obstetric (OB) clinic
(PSI) DC Chapter
Assist ance with 
linkage to care
202-643-7290
FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit the  resource guide on the DC Health Check site. 
See pages 43-47 for local perinatal mental health resources. 

To search for private practice clinicians , visit DMV PMH Resource Guide
Mental Health Consultation line (for Pediatric providers)
For Pediatric Primary Care Providers , DC MAP is a free mental health consultation program to call to speak with a mental health specialist (MHS) Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. The MHS is available to respond within 30 minutes of the initial consultation request. The consultation team provides clinical consultation to enhance primary care providers’ ability to evaluate, treat, co-manage and refer children with mental health concerns.
Maternal Mental Health/Emotional Wellness Support Groups
PSI DC group (free, evenings)
Breastfeeding Center group (free, daytime)
Mary's Center group (on hold, accepting referrals)

 Additional Info about these support groups can be found here
Newsletter Purpose & Partners
This newsletter aims to strengthen existing pathways for information exchange and referral resources.  

Perinatal/Maternal Mental Health clinicians and advocates, as well as allied professionals, continue to improve the perinatal mental health landscape in the DC area through efforts such as education/advocacy, increased screening of women in the pediatric and obstetric settings, perinatal mental health specific resources/referrals, and pathways for communication and networking.  

We welcome your thoughts and input about how to make this newsletter most valuable to you in your work of supporting women and families in the District and surrounding metro area!   
This newsletter is supported by the generous funding of the
and in collaboration with the DC Women’s Mental Health Consortium a nd  PSI D C.
PSI DC
DC Women’s Mental Health Consortium
Coming soon...
website and logo.