🎆 Igniting Awareness: Honoring BIPOC Mental Health, Birth Justice & Parenting Strength This July
From Awareness to Impact🌵
🎉 July Sparks for Justice and Care
As fireworks light up the sky this July, we’re also sparking important conversations around mental health, justice, and family. This month marks 💚BIPOC Mental Health Month, a time to recognize and respond to the unique mental health needs of communities of color. We also observe ✨Birth Trauma Awareness Week and 🖤Black Maternal Mental Health Week, calling attention to the urgent need for equity and support in reproductive care. And as we celebrate 👨👩👧👦Parents Day, we uplift the resilience, joy, and challenges of caregivers everywhere. Let’s keep the momentum going—raising awareness, breaking stigma, and advocating for justice all summer long.
💥Let this month’s awareness be the spark that fuels continued learning. Check out our upcoming trainings and events to stay engaged and take action.
🗓️ Mark Your Calendar: Exciting Trainings Ahead!
🌄 First-Ever Flagstaff PSI Certification Training - Registration is OPEN!
We’re proud to announce the first-ever Northern Arizona Perinatal Mental Health Certification training series co-hosted by PSI-AZ and First Things First Arizona in Flagstaff! Join this momentous learning opportunity at Lowell Observatory:
August 20 & 21 – Components of Care: Perinatal Mood Disorders
🎓 14.5 CEUs providedAugust 22 – Advanced Psychotherapy Training
🎓 6 CEUs provided
Scholarships and travel expense reimbursement are available! Scholarship deadline is July 9, 2025 and Training Registration Deadline is August 11, 2025. Please note: applicants must apply for a scholarship before registering. Can’t make Flagstaff, no problem - there quarterly virtual offerings too!
🎉 Birth Storytelling Workshop Series
In partnership with The State of Black Arizona’s Maternal Infant Health Awareness Campaign and South Phoenix Healthy Start, we’re honored to present the Birth Storytelling Workshop Series—a four-part trauma-informed experience centered on community, healing, and advocacy. This series uplifts the emotional and mental well-being of birthing people - especially from Black, Indigenous, and historically underserved communities - by creating spaces for truth-telling and support.
Interested in volunteering? Fill out the Volunteer Form and write "Birth Storytelling Series".
🩷🩵 Perinatal Loss: Clinical and Supportive Care
Join us for this comprehensive perinatal loss training in Tempe, AZ in October. This course takes you into the world of perinatal loss, inclusive of miscarriage, stillbirth, complex congenital anomalies, and pregnancy decision making. Participants will explore trauma-informed strategies, clinical techniques, and practical interventions to support bereaved parents, families, and providers impacted by loss.
13.5 CMEs/CEUs Available!
Scholarships are available! Please note: applicants must apply for a scholarship before registering.
👉 Scholarships Available!
Don’t wait, apply now for your scholarship! Scholarships prioritize licensed and lay providers who:
identify as BIPOC,
serve rural counties,
and/or accept Medicaid.
PSI-AZ is proud to offer scholarships for perinatal mental health training in 2025 thanks to the Arizona Department of Health Services and Banner Health.
Please note: Scholarship applications are reviewed on the 15th of each month. Apply ASAP, because you’ll need the scholarship code to get the full discount during registration!
🗣️ Community Announcements
🎯 PSI-AZ Needs Board Members like YOU!
Do you get excited about transforming AZ's perinatal mental health desert into a thriving oasis of informed, equitable, and accessible providers? So do we! PSI Arizona remains dedicated to building a board which represents Arizona’s full diversity (e.g. geography, race, ethnicity, gender, profession, parenting configurations, etc).
Interested in learning more about what board service could look like?
Stay tuned—details about an upcoming virtual Q&A session are coming soon, and board applications will officially open later this summer.
The Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line (APAL) is excited to announce we continue to be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. APAL provides real-time psychiatric consultation and support to healthcare providers caring for pregnant and postpartum patients. We can be reached at 888-290-1336. In addition to phone consultations, we offer a variety of clinical and educational resources to support perinatal mental health care across Arizona.
🤝 Don’t miss our upcoming virtual Perinatal Psychiatry Grand Rounds on Friday, July 18 at 12:00 p.m. (MST). The session topic is Bipolar Disorder Across Pregnancy and the Postpartum by Dr. Marlene Freeman. For more info, click on this LINK.
For more information or to access resources, please contact the APAL team or visit our website. Let’s work together to improve mental health outcomes for Arizona’s families.
📝 Apply for the Rooted Health Front Doula Support Scholarship!
The Doula Support Fund provides a scholarship of $1,400 for selected individuals to receive birth and/or postpartum doula support services. These services typically include:
Prenatal visits: Learn about childbirth and pregnancy, ask questions, and create a personalized birth plan.
Continuous availability via text, phone call, or email throughout pregnancy and the first 1–2 months postpartum.
On-call support starting at 37 weeks: Your doula will be ready to join you when labor begins, no matter the time of day or night.
Postpartum visits: Receive continued support as you adjust to life with your newborn, including assistance with recovery, infant feeding, and emotional well-being.
Pregnant people can apply by filling out the application here: Doula Support Fund Application.
🗓️ Upcoming Events: You Don’t Want to Miss These!
✈️ Are You Going to the 38th Annual PSI Conference?
July 9-13, 2025 | New Orleans, Louisiana
The PSI Annual PSI Conference provides an opportunity to meet, learn together and share ideas with others involved in the field of Perinatal Mental Health. Register Here. If you’re going, drop us an email so we can connect you with other from AZ!
📝 Upcoming Training from the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm PT | Virtual
Learn how to recognize and effectively respond to substance use concerns during pregnancy, early parenthood, and with the birthing parent/child dyad. Considerations related to treatment and supporting the parent-child relationship will be discussed. The training is designed for providers, administrators, and public health employees, though all are welcome.or this event. Register Now →
👨👩👧👦 Equity and Access Alliance Virtual Meet-Up!
PSI AZ Chapter’s Equity & Access Group invites you to join us for a virtual lunch on August 26, 2025 from 12-1 PM via Zoom. Hope to see you there!
📰 What We’re Reading
🎗️💚 2025 Maternal Mental Health Risk and Resources in the US
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health just published its 2025 county-level analysis highlighting maternal mental health (MMH) disorder risk and the availability of maternal mental health resources in the United States. The report reveals a worsening crisis in maternal mental health across the United States. Read More →
🫶🏻🩵 The Latest from the Policy Center Blog: A Community-Centered Look at Maternal Mental Health in BIPOC Communities
The maternal mental health crisis in the United States disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. A recent community-based assessment conducted in Seattle and Tacoma shines a powerful light on the root causes of these disparities and offers practical, community-driven solutions for improving outcomes. The capstone research, led by Kaletra Welch, MPH, offers a blueprint for change grounded in equity, cultural responsiveness, and the voices of those most affected. Read More →
👩🍼👨🍼Prenatal stress and children’s behavior: What expectant parents should know
The Child and Family Corp shares new research revealing how mental health during pregnancy may affect children’s behavior, with implications for early intervention and support. Read More →
🗣️ Do You Have a Perinatal Mental Health Job to Fill?
Share your organization’s PMH job posting which gets over 1,500 views. Jobs will be included in our monthly eNews: 1 month for $30. Contact: psi.arizona1@gmail.com
With Gratitude,
Dr. Katie Mommaerts
Executive Director
Arizona Chapter
Postpartum Support International