Therapy PLUS

09/03/2025

🌸 You’re Invited! 🌸

📣 Join us LIVE on Facebook for the kickoff of our storytelling series:

✨ Claiming Voice, Centering Stories: Transforming Maternal Health Through Advocacy and ACTTion
📅 Monday, September 15th
⏰ 12:00 PM (Noon)

🎤 Featured Guest: Dr. Leslie Farrington, OB-GYN & Co-Founder of the Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood 🖤

⸻

🔎 About the Session
Storytelling is more than sharing experiences—it is a proven strategy for shifting narratives, driving policy reform, and transforming healthcare delivery. This first installment of our series explores how lived experience and advocacy intersect to improve maternal health and equity.

Dr. Farrington will highlight regional and national storytelling initiatives that have sparked real change in clinical practice, community organizing, and policy. She will also share with us the ACTT Framework (Ask, Claim, Trust, Tell)—a culturally grounded tool designed to help birthing people, especially Black mothers and families, advocate for themselves during the perinatal period.

08/26/2025

So many wonderful memories from the 9th Annual MUM Conference in Atlanta! This gathering is always such a powerful learning experience—bringing together Maternal Mortality Review Committees from across the U.S. to share, connect, and exchange innovative strategies that we can take back to our own communities.

With over 300 in attendance- clinical chairs, program coordinators, abstractors, and interviewers….the energy and collaboration were truly inspiring! I was deeply honored to serve as a speaker for the third year. I never take these opportunities for granted, and I remain passionate about ensuring that the voices and stories of the women we’ve lost to maternal mortality are at the center of this work—guiding us toward meaningful policy shifts and systems change to eliminate preventable pregnancy-related deaths!

The marathon continues!

08/22/2025

Mississippi Today reported this week that the Mississippi State Department of Health has declared a public health emergency in response to our state’s rising infant mortality rates. The numbers are devastating: in 2024, nearly twice as many Black babies died compared to white babies. While the death rate for white infants was among the lowest in a decade, the rate for Black infants was the highest it’s been in recent years.

In the article, Monica Stinson, Senior Program Director of the Mississippi Perinatal Quality Collaborative - MSPQC, reminded us that addressing this crisis requires collective action: “Our organization will play a central role in the emergency response, particularly by collaborating with community-based groups and connecting families with resources.”

At Therapy Plus, we share this commitment. Our mission has always been rooted in equity, compassion, and action. In response to this crisis, we are dedicated to:

✨ Walking alongside mothers and families who are most at risk.
✨ We will collaborate with partners to expand access to maternal and infant health resources.
✨ Uplifting lived experiences as a catalyst to shift policy and improve systems change.
✨ Using our platform to keep this issue in the spotlight—because silence will not save lives.

This declaration is a call for all of us to act with urgency and heart. Every baby deserves the chance to thrive. Every mama deserves to feel supported. And together, we can work toward a Mississippi where no family has to face this kind of preventable loss. 💜

In 2024, Mississippi saw its highest rate of infant deaths in over a decade. Black babies have a significantly higher death rate than white babies.

08/19/2025

08/18/2025

Mississippi Mamas, We Need Your Voice! 💜

Are you expecting or have you had a baby in the last 2 years in Mississippi? The Mississippi Perinatal Quality Collaborative - MSPQC would love to hear from you!

Their survey takes just 7 minutes and is completely anonymous. By sharing your birthing experiences with your providers and the hospital care you received, you’ll help improve care for mothers and babies across our state.

Your story matters—and your voice can help create better birthing experiences for the next mama.

Share your voice here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MSPQCPREM

Thank you for being part of impactful change for Mississippi families!

08/14/2025

As we continue celebrating Breastfeeding Awareness Month, let’s recognize the progress we’ve made—while also committing to do more. Together, we can advance equitable strategies to boost breastfeeding rates in Mississippi and ensure every mama has the resources, support, and encouragement she needs for a successful and supported breastfeeding journey.

08/12/2025

🎉 FREE CEUs! | Live Event for Breastfeeding Awareness Month
📅 Tuesday, August 19 | ⏰ 6:00 PM CST
📍 Streaming right here on our page Therapy PLUS!

We’re thrilled to welcome Alisia Hankins, DNP, NNP-BC, IBCLC with Nourish and Nurture: Maternal and Newborn Health Consultants for a heartfelt and informative conversation hosted by LeJeune Johnson, LCSW, PMH-C—exploring the tools, truths, and tenderness that shape breastfeeding journeys.

Whether you’re a mama, maternal health advocate, healthcare provider, or simply someone who cares, this interactive discussion will offer real insights, encouragement, and support.

💬 We’ll talk about:
✨ Breastfeeding benefits for mind & body
✨ Mental health and emotional well-being while breastfeeding
✨ Guilt, supply struggles, and finding support
✨ Cultural & systemic barriers
✨ Trauma-informed, culturally responsive care
✨ Practical tips for working moms & allies

📜 CEUs Available
Social workers & certified health educators (CHES/MCHES) can earn CEUs after completing the post-session evaluation.

✅ Professionals seeking CEUs must register here:
🔗 Register Now: https://forms.gle/hgCqPTD5JiMfyuXA7

Join us live for an evening of learning, connection, and empowerment. Mississippi Perinatal Quality Collaborative - MSPQC

08/09/2025

Join our community on Instagram: 💜

08/08/2025

The postpartum crisis is growing—and Black mothers are being overlooked and underserved.

We all have a role in raising awareness, sharing resources, and making sure support is visible and accessible. Together, we can help ensure no mama walks this journey alone. 💛

Need support?
Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 24/7: 1-833-852-6262
📞 Free. 💬 Confidential. For all mamas, all journeys.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

08/07/2025

Throwback Thursday: Breastfeeding Awareness…

This memory from 2018 took me right back to my own breastfeeding journey as I returned to the workforce.

Going back to work after having a baby can be tough—not just emotionally, but logistically, especially when you’re committed to breastfeeding. Many mamas face challenges like:

💛 Finding a safe, private, and calming space to pump (did you know employers are legally required to provide this under the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act?) 
💛 Figuring out how and where to store milk safely at work 
💛 Coordinating with daycare and feeding schedules
💛 Navigating work environments that may not fully support breastfeeding

These are real hurdles—but you can keep your breastfeeding journey going with the right plan and support.

💖 Resources for Mamas Returning to Work 💖
• CDC – 5 Tips for Returning to Work and Breastfeeding: Practical guidance on talking with your employer, pumping effectively, storing milk, coordinating with childcare, and getting support 
• CDC – Breastfeeding and Returning to Your Workplace: Explains your legal rights under the PUMP Act, how to approach conversations with your employer, and detailed tips for storing and transporting milk 
• Office on Women’s Health (womenshealth.gov): Offers resources like sample letters to request workplace accommodations and tools to find local lactation consultants and breastfeeding coalitions 
• La Leche League International (LLLI): Peer-led support through meetings, online support groups, and direct help from trained volunteer leaders.

💖Local Mississippi Resources💖:

💕 Nourish and Nurture: Maternal and Newborn Health Consultants
💕 Mississippi Center For Birth and Breastfeeding Equity
💕 East Mississippi Breastfeeding Coalition
💕 Mothers' Milk Bank of Mississippi
💕 Mississippi Breastfeeding Coalition

08/06/2025

FREE CEUS! Join Us Live: Honoring Breastfeeding Awareness Month!

Tuesday, August 19 | 6:00 PM CST
Streaming here on our page!

We're excited to welcome Dr. Alisia Hankins, DNP, NNP-BC, IBCLC, for a powerful conversation led by LeJeune Johnson, LCSW, PMH-C—exploring the tools, truths, and tenderness that shape breastfeeding journeys.

Whether you're a mama, a maternal health advocate, a healthcare provider, or just someone who cares—this interactive discussion will offer real insights, encouragement, and support.

What We’ll Cover:
✨ Breastfeeding benefits for mind & body
✨ Mental health and emotional challenges
✨ Real talk on guilt, supply, and support
✨ Cultural and systemic barriers
✨ Trauma-informed, culturally responsive care
✨ Practical tips for working moms and allies

CEUs available for social workers and certified health educators (CHES/MCHES) after completing the post-session evaluation.

✅ PROFESSIONALS SEEKING CEUS MUST REGISTER AT:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPtWzkehOx_uvAvaA_IDMF-zwTlE0LL9mjdSqljot1Lyp8rQ/viewform

Let’s build a world where every mama feels seen, supported, and empowered in her journey. 💜
Tag a friend and join us live!

08/05/2025

Postpartum depression rates are rising—and too often, Black mamas are being left behind.

Research shows that postpartum depression (PPD) has nearly doubled between 2010 and 2021. For Black women, the rate has nearly tripled during that same time.

And despite this increased risk, Black mamas are 46% less likely to be screened for PPD. Fewer than 37% of Black mothers receive treatment for maternal mental health conditions—compared to 67% of white women (Columbia University).

These numbers are more than statistics—they reflect the lived experiences of too many mothers who are hurting in silence. If this is you or someone you love, please know: you are not alone.

Your feelings are valid. Your wellness matters. And there is help.

✨ Whether you’re navigating heavy emotions, feeling disconnected, or just not like yourself—support is out there, and healing is possible.

Here are trusted organizations dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellness of Black mothers:

🔸 Black Mamas Matter Alliance – www.blackmamasmatter.org / Black Mamas Matter Alliance
🔸 Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color – www.pmhapoc.org Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color
🔸 Shades of Blue Project – www.shadesofblueproject.org Shades Of Blue Project
🔸 Mom.Me.Rocks – www.mommerocks.org Mom.ME.
🔸 Postpartum Support International – www.postpartum.net PSI MS Chapter

Need to talk to someone right now?
Call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
– 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746).

There are support persons available 27/7 via phone or text.
You don’t have to carry this alone.