Urban League to Host Second Annual Perinatal Mental Health Certification Program

The Greater Washington Urban League (Washington, DC) and collaborators, The Palladium Group and Mary’s Center, are proud to announce the second annual Perinatal Mental Health Certification Program taking place May 7-9 in Prince George’s County, MD. This year’s event entitled “Birthing Black: One Healthy Mind at a Time” is focused on offering Postpartum Support International (PSI) curriculum-based training for Black birthing professionals.

The training program is specifically designed to address the national birthing equity crisis. According to the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, almost 50% of Black mothers will experience maternal mental health (MMH) conditions. Studies also show that fathers suffer from prenatal and postpartum depression at similar rates as the mothers, yet their depression is often dismissed or ignored.

The Greater Washington Urban League’s vision for the program is to meaningfully expand the pool of Black health professionals able to serve birthing mothers with a culturally affirming and effective approach. By supporting committed Black health professionals with this vital training and certification, GWUL’s mission is to drive improved health outcomes for Black birthing mothers in the DMV.

“Our focus is on achieving equitable perinatal mental health outcomes by reducing undiagnosed and untreated mental health disorders in the BIPOC community,” said Kimberly Corbin, Chief Administrative Financial Officer, Greater Washington Urban League.

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