PSI Response to Postpartum Tragedy
August 25, 2011
Our work through Postpartum Support International is important every day, and every day we are moved to action by the calls and emails we receive from families and providers. Today our passion to help families and providers has sadly been kindled by the news of tragedy. Our dedication to help families, train professionals, and strengthen support networks and treatment pathways has been inspired by the passion to prevent a crisis. On other days, we might be inspired by stories of hope, healing, and courage, and those are good days. In fact, our PSI membership and volunteer ranks are filled with many of us who know very well how much courage and commitment it takes to recover from such crisis. Thank you, PSI Volunteers and supporters, for helping to sustain this valuable work, every day of every month of every year.
Today we heard of the tragedy in the news involving the mother in Orange County California who was arrested and charged with killing her 7 month old son. The 31-year old mother was arrested after the baby had been dropped off roof of a 4th floor parking garage at Children's Hospital OC on Tuesday, August 23. The baby passed away on Wednesday, August 24. We are so saddened and grieving for all involved -- the baby, and also for the mother, her husband, their two older children, and their family. The LA Times quoted the father: "She didn't do it on purpose. She didn't know what she was doing," Noe Medina said, with tears in his eyes. He spoke through an interpreter during a news conference on the grounds of UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where his 7-month-old son died.”
In Anchorage Alaska, a mom was charged with murder for the death of her 3 week old baby on August 5th. Our PSI members are working hard there to dispel myths and share facts with their community. There have been too many cases in the news, and too few facts for families. I believe that one of our most important tasks is to share the risks of perinatal mood disorders while at the same time, reassuring women and families that the huge majority of women with PMADs pose no risk of harm to others. We need to help them not be unduly frightened. We need to help them find good providers and resources so that they know when and whether they are at risk.
Quote from Lucy Puryear, MD, PSI President:
“We are always deeply saddened by the anguish and suffering a family endures when a woman is afflicted with a Perinatal Mood Disorder. Postpartum Support International is dedicated to raising awareness for the assessment and treatment of these mental illnesses by providing social support, education and access to qualified professionals in the field.” said Dr. Lucy Puryear, M.D., president of Postpartum Support International. “Our hearts and prayers are with Noe Medina, Sonia Hermosillo and their two other children as well as their community as they begin to cope with this heartbreaking tragedy.”
For all media inquiries, please contact our PR Chair Cathy Dore.
Cathy Dore', M.A., LMFT
818-887-1312
psipr@postpartum.net
For other inquiries about PSI, member and volunteer questions:
Wendy Davis, PhD
PSI Executive Director
503-277-3925 cell
503-246-0941 office
wdavis@postpartum.net
For Office Info and materials:
Lianne Swanson
PSI Office Administrator
503-894-9453
psioffice@postpartum.net
PSI in the Wall Street Journal
May 16,2011
This week, the Wall Street Journal published a great piece about postpartum mental health and named PSI as the resource link. Writer Michelle Gerdes includes her own postpartum recovery, research on moms and babies, and a great quote from Kimberly Wong, Founder of the LA County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force and former PSI Board Member. The Wall Street Journal website garners 1,924,000 visitors per day. We are happy to see the increasing awareness of perinatal mental health in the media and applaud Ms. Gerdes for her honest and accurate reporting. The excerpt reads...“One good resource to know about is www.postpartum.net, the website of Postpartum Support International. You can enter your zip code and find help locally. Volunteers will also answer your emails within 24 hours.”
PSI Website visitors can click right on our Support Map to find help in their own communities. We are so proud of our Volunteers for providing the reliable support that connects families with hope and resources every day. The entire Wall Street Journal article can be found by clicking RIGHT HERE.
Thanks to all of you for working together, raising awareness and responding to the emotional needs of new mothers and families in our communities worldwide.
Lucy Puryear, MD
President, Postpartum Support International
HAPPY NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK in U.S.
APRIL 10-17, 2011
A Letter to our PSI Volunteers --
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, I want to say THANK YOU to our wonderful PSI volunteers. PSI would not exist without you. Your volunteer work, your dedication and spirit, is at the heart of PSI’s mission. When PSI was founded by Jane Honikman in 1987, its vision was that every woman and family worldwide should have access to information, social support, and informed professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing. This vision of social support and community networks to address the emotional needs of childbearing women was a radical idea then, as there was much stigma, few providers, and little research. It was difficult for families to find help and no World Wide Web to make the connections we now find at our fingertips. Now in 2011, there is so much more, but in spite of the relative progress and increase in information, research, providers, and public health initiatives, we know in our hearts that none of these advances will work if there is no helpful way to connect families to them. PSI represents that connection, and you volunteers are the way that families make it through the fear and shame that prevent the first steps to wellness. As a PSI volunteer, you are one of more than 215 caring and reliable individuals around the world who make the safety net hold together, creating our own world wide web to help families find the way to help, hope, and recovery. We thank you for all that you do. GRACIAS. We just wouldn’t be PSI without you.
Wendy Davis, PhD
PSI Executive Director
PSI Annual Conference 2011
In Conjunction with PSI of Washington
Seattle, Washington
"Whole Care for the Whole Family"
PSI Pre-Conference Training September 14 & 15, 2011
PSI Conference: September 16 & 17th, 2011
PSI Volunteers Meeting Thursday, September 15th, 2011
Registration Information will be coming soon!
The 2011 Conference will have 7 tracks:
TRACK 1: Before the Baby Comes: Prevention and diagnosis of pregnancy related mood disorders
TRACK 2: Medical Treatment Strategies for Perinatal Mood Disorders: Updated pharmacological approaches
TRACK 3: Non-Traditional Approaches for Treatment of Perinatal Mood Disorders (yoga, naturopathy, massage, nutrition, acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy, light treatment, etc.)
TRACK 4: Meeting the Needs of Special Populations: Military Families, cultural considerations, refugee families, adolescents, parents of multiples, families with ill or disabled children, women with trauma histories, etc.
TRACK 5: Psychotherapy: Intermediate and Advanced trainings for psychotherapists working with perinatal populations. (Hands on, specifically tailored strategies for Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Family Therapy, Psychodrama, etc.).
TRACK 6: The Family: Assessing and treating for mood disorders in the postpartum family (partners with depression; aiding partners in caring for their depressed family member, addressing the impact of PMD on babies and other affected children)
TRACK 7: Support Groups: innovative ideas for forming, maintaining, and increasing the benefits of support groups.
More info coming soon!
May 7, 2010
THIS MOTHER’S DAY, AN EXTRA GIFT FOR NEW MOTHERS
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Congressman Bobby L. Rush, and advocates announce celebration of postpartum depression legislation passage.
Watch the You-Tube Video of the whole press conference RIGHT HERE
Women’s health advocates joined Congressional champions in the fight against Postpartum Mood Disorders to celebrate the enactment of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, the initiative to combat perinatal mood disorders, that was signed into law as part of health insurance reform. The law was authored by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), who help lead Thursday's event. The brand new law will establish a comprehensive federal commitment to combating postpartum depression through new research, education initiatives and voluntarily support service programs.
Speakers at the conference were:
Carol Blocker, the mother of the bill’s namesake. Her daughter Melanie committed suicide as a result of postpartum depression.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Senator sponsor of MOTHERS Act
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), House sponsor of MOTHERS Act
Susan Dowd Stone, President's Advisory Council Chair, Postpartum Support International
Katherine Stone, Postpartum Progress website author
Sylvia Lasalandra, author, “A Daughter’s Touch”
Albert Strunk, MD, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Dr. Gwendolyn Keit, American Psychological Association
Questions and Answers about the MOTHERS ACT (PDF)
Document prepared by the office of Sen. Robert Menendez
March 21, 2010. PSI Announcement: HealthCare Reform Bill includes the MOTHERS Act.
March 21, 2010
Dear PSI Members, Friends, and Family,
I am so happy to let you know that the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act was included in the passage of last night's Health Care Reform passage.
I can't say it better than Susan Dowd Stone says it in her blog message last night. Please read her message and be thrilled and encouraged at the future possibilities of this wonderful news.
Thank You to Susan Stone for her advocacy and work in this area over the past years! There are countless people to thank for their tenacity and tireless efforts, but I want to thank Susan for being the advocate and front-runner for PSI. Susan has been the face of the MBS MOTHERS Act for PSI and we can't thank you enough.
Thanks to all who have helped with continuing to advocate for women and their families.
Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN, MA
President, Postpartum Support International
PSI Year-End Letter 2009
December 19, 2009
Dear Friends of PSI,
Seasons Greetings to all members, supporters and new friends of Postpartum Support International. We thought that you would be happy to know that PSI has had a very active year and that we look forward to working together toward more accomplishments in the New Year.
In the past year, PSI:
• Spearheaded national and state legislation for research, education, and public awareness of perinatal mental health and treatment options;
• Expanded best practice efforts for professionals and social support networks, and trained hundreds of practitioners and consumers in the US and around the world;
• Expanded free “Chat with an Expert” phone sessions available each Wednesday to include the Men’s Chat each Monday evening;
• Produced our first PSI Educational DVD, Happy Mom, Healthy Family;
• Developed a new PSI Website to be launched in early 2010;
• Collaborated in a PBS project called “This Emotional Life” as a lead resource for new parents;
• Sustained a PSI Spanish Support Warmline staffed by trained volunteers every day of the week;
• Hired a Program Director to meet the growing needs of our membership and PMD population.
Allow us to thank you for your past support of PSI and its worldwide network. If you have already renewed your membership, we thank you. Membership dues are a large and consistent source of revenue and essential to PSI’s mission. Without them, PSI could not publish the newsletter, keep the phones and website operating, expand our public awareness efforts, advocate for childbearing women and their families, or foster our PSI volunteers and support networks. With your help, PSI can fulfill its mission and insure that pregnant and postpartum women and their families know they are not alone.
As year-end fast approaches, consider sharing the holiday spirit and give a generous donation. Your participation in our 2009 financial campaign furthers our perinatal mental health prevention and educational efforts. Every donation makes a difference in our support of childbearing families. You can give online at www.postpartum.net or mail your contribution to the PSI address below. Your contribution is tax-exempt to the extent permitted by law according the IRS Code Sec. 501(c)(3) .
Sincerely yours,
Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN, MA
PSI Board President
Lorraine Caputo, LCSW
PSI Membership Chair
PSI Response to Postpartum Tragedy
August 25, 2011
Our work through Postpartum Support International is important every day, and every day we are moved to action by the calls and emails we receive from families and providers. Today our passion to help families and providers has sadly been kindled by the news of tragedy. Our dedication to help families, train professionals, and strengthen support networks and treatment pathways has been inspired by the passion to prevent a crisis. On other days, we might be inspired by stories of hope, healing, and courage, and those are good days. In fact, our PSI membership and volunteer ranks are filled with many of us who know very well how much courage and commitment it takes to recover from such crisis. Thank you, PSI Volunteers and supporters, for helping to sustain this valuable work, every day of every month of every year.
Today we heard of the tragedy in the news involving the mother in Orange County California who was arrested and charged with killing her 7 month old son. The 31-year old mother was arrested after the baby had been dropped off roof of a 4th floor parking garage at Children's Hospital OC on Tuesday, August 23. The baby passed away on Wednesday, August 24. We are so saddened and grieving for all involved -- the baby, and also for the mother, her husband, their two older children, and their family. The LA Times quoted the father: "She didn't do it on purpose. She didn't know what she was doing," Noe Medina said, with tears in his eyes. He spoke through an interpreter during a news conference on the grounds of UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where his 7-month-old son died.”
In Anchorage Alaska, a mom was charged with murder for the death of her 3 week old baby on August 5th. Our PSI members are working hard there to dispel myths and share facts with their community. There have been too many cases in the news, and too few facts for families. I believe that one of our most important tasks is to share the risks of perinatal mood disorders while at the same time, reassuring women and families that the huge majority of women with PMADs pose no risk of harm to others. We need to help them not be unduly frightened. We need to help them find good providers and resources so that they know when and whether they are at risk.
Quote from Lucy Puryear, MD, PSI President:
“We are always deeply saddened by the anguish and suffering a family endures when a woman is afflicted with a Perinatal Mood Disorder. Postpartum Support International is dedicated to raising awareness for the assessment and treatment of these mental illnesses by providing social support, education and access to qualified professionals in the field.” said Dr. Lucy Puryear, M.D., president of Postpartum Support International. “Our hearts and prayers are with Noe Medina, Sonia Hermosillo and their two other children as well as their community as they begin to cope with this heartbreaking tragedy.”
For all media inquiries, please contact our PR Chair Cathy Dore.
Cathy Dore', M.A., LMFT
818-887-1312
psipr@postpartum.net
For other inquiries about PSI, member and volunteer questions:
Wendy Davis, PhD
PSI Executive Director
503-277-3925 cell
503-246-0941 office
wdavis@postpartum.net
For Office Info and materials:
Lianne Swanson
PSI Office Administrator
503-894-9453
psioffice@postpartum.net
PSI in the Wall Street Journal
May 16,2011
This week, the Wall Street Journal published a great piece about postpartum mental health and named PSI as the resource link. Writer Michelle Gerdes includes her own postpartum recovery, research on moms and babies, and a great quote from Kimberly Wong, Founder of the LA County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force and former PSI Board Member. The Wall Street Journal website garners 1,924,000 visitors per day. We are happy to see the increasing awareness of perinatal mental health in the media and applaud Ms. Gerdes for her honest and accurate reporting. The excerpt reads...“One good resource to know about is www.postpartum.net, the website of Postpartum Support International. You can enter your zip code and find help locally. Volunteers will also answer your emails within 24 hours.”
PSI Website visitors can click right on our Support Map to find help in their own communities. We are so proud of our Volunteers for providing the reliable support that connects families with hope and resources every day. The entire Wall Street Journal article can be found by clicking RIGHT HERE.
Thanks to all of you for working together, raising awareness and responding to the emotional needs of new mothers and families in our communities worldwide.
Lucy Puryear, MD
President, Postpartum Support International
HAPPY NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK in U.S.
APRIL 10-17, 2011
A Letter to our PSI Volunteers --
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, I want to say THANK YOU to our wonderful PSI volunteers. PSI would not exist without you. Your volunteer work, your dedication and spirit, is at the heart of PSI’s mission. When PSI was founded by Jane Honikman in 1987, its vision was that every woman and family worldwide should have access to information, social support, and informed professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing. This vision of social support and community networks to address the emotional needs of childbearing women was a radical idea then, as there was much stigma, few providers, and little research. It was difficult for families to find help and no World Wide Web to make the connections we now find at our fingertips. Now in 2011, there is so much more, but in spite of the relative progress and increase in information, research, providers, and public health initiatives, we know in our hearts that none of these advances will work if there is no helpful way to connect families to them. PSI represents that connection, and you volunteers are the way that families make it through the fear and shame that prevent the first steps to wellness. As a PSI volunteer, you are one of more than 215 caring and reliable individuals around the world who make the safety net hold together, creating our own world wide web to help families find the way to help, hope, and recovery. We thank you for all that you do. GRACIAS. We just wouldn’t be PSI without you.
Wendy Davis, PhD
PSI Executive Director
PSI Annual Conference 2011
In Conjunction with PSI of Washington
Seattle, Washington
"Whole Care for the Whole Family"
PSI Pre-Conference Training September 14 & 15, 2011
PSI Conference: September 16 & 17th, 2011
PSI Volunteers Meeting Thursday, September 15th, 2011
Registration Information will be coming soon!
The 2011 Conference will have 7 tracks:
TRACK 1: Before the Baby Comes: Prevention and diagnosis of pregnancy related mood disorders
TRACK 2: Medical Treatment Strategies for Perinatal Mood Disorders: Updated pharmacological approaches
TRACK 3: Non-Traditional Approaches for Treatment of Perinatal Mood Disorders (yoga, naturopathy, massage, nutrition, acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy, light treatment, etc.)
TRACK 4: Meeting the Needs of Special Populations: Military Families, cultural considerations, refugee families, adolescents, parents of multiples, families with ill or disabled children, women with trauma histories, etc.
TRACK 5: Psychotherapy: Intermediate and Advanced trainings for psychotherapists working with perinatal populations. (Hands on, specifically tailored strategies for Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Family Therapy, Psychodrama, etc.).
TRACK 6: The Family: Assessing and treating for mood disorders in the postpartum family (partners with depression; aiding partners in caring for their depressed family member, addressing the impact of PMD on babies and other affected children)
TRACK 7: Support Groups: innovative ideas for forming, maintaining, and increasing the benefits of support groups.
More info coming soon!
May 7, 2010
THIS MOTHER’S DAY, AN EXTRA GIFT FOR NEW MOTHERS
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Congressman Bobby L. Rush, and advocates announce celebration of postpartum depression legislation passage.
Watch the You-Tube Video of the whole press conference RIGHT HERE
Women’s health advocates joined Congressional champions in the fight against Postpartum Mood Disorders to celebrate the enactment of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, the initiative to combat perinatal mood disorders, that was signed into law as part of health insurance reform. The law was authored by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), who help lead Thursday's event. The brand new law will establish a comprehensive federal commitment to combating postpartum depression through new research, education initiatives and voluntarily support service programs.
Speakers at the conference were:
Carol Blocker, the mother of the bill’s namesake. Her daughter Melanie committed suicide as a result of postpartum depression.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Senator sponsor of MOTHERS Act
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), House sponsor of MOTHERS Act
Susan Dowd Stone, President's Advisory Council Chair, Postpartum Support International
Katherine Stone, Postpartum Progress website author
Sylvia Lasalandra, author, “A Daughter’s Touch”
Albert Strunk, MD, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Dr. Gwendolyn Keit, American Psychological Association
Questions and Answers about the MOTHERS ACT (PDF)
Document prepared by the office of Sen. Robert Menendez
March 21, 2010. PSI Announcement: HealthCare Reform Bill includes the MOTHERS Act.
March 21, 2010
Dear PSI Members, Friends, and Family,
I am so happy to let you know that the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act was included in the passage of last night's Health Care Reform passage.
I can't say it better than Susan Dowd Stone says it in her blog message last night. Please read her message and be thrilled and encouraged at the future possibilities of this wonderful news.
Thank You to Susan Stone for her advocacy and work in this area over the past years! There are countless people to thank for their tenacity and tireless efforts, but I want to thank Susan for being the advocate and front-runner for PSI. Susan has been the face of the MBS MOTHERS Act for PSI and we can't thank you enough.
Thanks to all who have helped with continuing to advocate for women and their families.
Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN, MA
President, Postpartum Support International
PSI Year-End Letter 2009
December 19, 2009
Dear Friends of PSI,
Seasons Greetings to all members, supporters and new friends of Postpartum Support International. We thought that you would be happy to know that PSI has had a very active year and that we look forward to working together toward more accomplishments in the New Year.
In the past year, PSI:
• Spearheaded national and state legislation for research, education, and public awareness of perinatal mental health and treatment options;
• Expanded best practice efforts for professionals and social support networks, and trained hundreds of practitioners and consumers in the US and around the world;
• Expanded free “Chat with an Expert” phone sessions available each Wednesday to include the Men’s Chat each Monday evening;
• Produced our first PSI Educational DVD, Happy Mom, Healthy Family;
• Developed a new PSI Website to be launched in early 2010;
• Collaborated in a PBS project called “This Emotional Life” as a lead resource for new parents;
• Sustained a PSI Spanish Support Warmline staffed by trained volunteers every day of the week;
• Hired a Program Director to meet the growing needs of our membership and PMD population.
Allow us to thank you for your past support of PSI and its worldwide network. If you have already renewed your membership, we thank you. Membership dues are a large and consistent source of revenue and essential to PSI’s mission. Without them, PSI could not publish the newsletter, keep the phones and website operating, expand our public awareness efforts, advocate for childbearing women and their families, or foster our PSI volunteers and support networks. With your help, PSI can fulfill its mission and insure that pregnant and postpartum women and their families know they are not alone.
As year-end fast approaches, consider sharing the holiday spirit and give a generous donation. Your participation in our 2009 financial campaign furthers our perinatal mental health prevention and educational efforts. Every donation makes a difference in our support of childbearing families. You can give online at www.postpartum.net or mail your contribution to the PSI address below. Your contribution is tax-exempt to the extent permitted by law according the IRS Code Sec. 501(c)(3) .
Sincerely yours,
Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN, MA
PSI Board President
Lorraine Caputo, LCSW
PSI Membership Chair