Perinatal Support Washington

01/30/2026

We are witnessing pregnant and postpartum parents living in fear. Avoiding hospitals, facing separation from their children, and enduring trauma during one of the most vulnerable periods of life. This directly impacts the families we serve, and our staff who support them, and it runs counter to everything we know about prevention, safety, and health in the perinatal period. Perinatal Support Washington stands with families and providers, and we believe it takes all of us speaking up to help create the world our families need and deserve.

Our office will be closed today, but the Warm Line never closes and is here to serve you. Please call or text 1-888-404-7763 if you are in need of emotional support.

For more info on the strike please visit: nationalshutdown.org

01/29/2026

Right now a parent is out there struggling, feeling alone, and looking for support and understanding. Could you be the life line on the other end of the phone?

Come volunteer on our Warm Line and offer support, connection and understanding to parents.

Our Warm Line is staffed by parents who get the struggle, having been through their own perinatal mental health challenges. Warm Line Peers provide emotional support and create a space for parents to be truly heard. The power of peer support is simple but impactful: talking to another parent who has been through it reduces the isolation and stigma that many new parents feel.

We are currently recruiting new volunteers, come join our team of compassionate volunteers! We provide all the training you need!

Please join us for our next Warm Line Volunteer Training online on March 28 & 29 from 9am to 2:30pm. Register here TODAY! bit.ly/WarmLineVolunteer

01/23/2026

STARTS MONDAY!

Our 10-week Perinatal Loss Support Group is a trauma-informed and culturally responsive space for individuals who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, TFMR, or neonatal loss. Together, we will explore healing through connection, remembrance, and gentle self-compassion.

Offering 10 virtual sessions for 1 hour, every Monday starting January 26, 2026, from 10am-11am PT.

Facilitated by Chanel Harry, MSW Clinical Therapy Intern
Register: bit.ly/PSWAloss

This group honors all paths to healing and welcomes participants of all races, genders, and cultural backgrounds.

For more info on our ongoing loss support groups, please visit our loss resources webpage at: perinatalsupport.org/perinatal-loss-resources

01/21/2026

Many caregivers worry that talking about deportation will scare children. For families who are affected, gentle, age-appropriate conversations are often protective, not harmful.

Talking to young children openly helps reduce fear, correct misinformation, and lets them know it’s safe to ask questions.

Most of all, children need to know who will care for them and keep them safe—today and in the future.

Check out the two resources listed below. One offers guidance for caregivers on how to have these conversations, and the other is a children’s activity book to help kids process their feelings.

These conversations can feel especially heavy during the early parenting years. Support matters. You don’t have to do this alone. 💛

https://fsustress.org/separation.html

http://www.childrenspsychologicalhealthcenter.org/resources/guided-activity-workbooks/

  Guided Activity Workbooks For Children, Families, Caregivers, Schools, Teachers, Aides, Psychotherapists, Disaster Response Teams and Relief Agencies   When you download a Guided Activity Book, please make a donation if you can: Contact Dr. Gilbert Kliman for a no-cost or low cost license to mas...

01/20/2026

Join us this Thursday for our Intro to Perinatal Mental Health for Birthworkers webinar

January 22nd from 10am-12pm

Presenter: Marquita Straus, MSW, LICSW is a Perinatal Grief & Trauma Therapist, Death Doula, and founder of Imani’s Light Grief & Wellness Center. Marquita has over 15 years of serving BIPOC families. She has served as a full spectrum doula (birth, postpartum, and bereavement), breastfeeding peer counselor, childbirth educator, perinatal bereavement group facilitator, and is a trained midwife. She aims to inspire and empower people to show up authentically, while fiercely advocating for those navigating spaces that are not traditionally occupied by people of color.

Webinar overview: Perinatal mental health challenges affect individuals during pregnancy and the first year postpartum, yet they are often overlooked or misunderstood in birthwork. This session introduces birthworkers to the foundations of perinatal mental health, including the spectrum of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), common risk factors, and their impact on families. Participants will explore how birthworkers can recognize signs, respond with compassion, and connect families with appropriate support while staying within their scope of practice.

Register here: https://perinatalsupport.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/perinatalsupport/event.jsp?event=1015&

01/16/2026

FREE webinar series open to all professionals in Washington State, starting January 22nd. All sessions take place 10am-12pm PT

Perinatal Support Washington is offering a winter series of the key Perinatal Mental Health considerations for perinatal providers (doulas, case managers, home visitors, peer providers and more). Topics will include common challenges birthworkers may encounter.

More info about this and future sessions here: https://perinatalsupport.org/event/pmh101-webinars2026/

Register here: https://perinatalsupport.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/perinatalsupport/event.jsp?event=1015&

01/15/2026

Grief after perinatal loss is deeply personal, but you don't have to walk through it alone.

Our 10-week Perinatal Loss Support Group is a trauma-informed and culturally responsive space for individuals who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, TFMR, or neonatal loss. Together, we will explore healing through connection, remembrance, and gentle self-compassion.

Offering 10 virtual sessions for 1 hour, every Monday starting January 26, 2026, from 10am-11am PT.

Facilitated by Chanel Harry, MSW Clinical Therapy Intern

Register: bit.ly/PSWAloss

This group honors all paths to healing and welcomes participants of all races, genders, and cultural backgrounds.

For more info on our ongoing loss support groups, please visit our loss resources webpage at: perinatalsupport.org/perinatal-loss-resources

01/15/2026

The Warm Line Needs YOU!
You don't have to be in a mental health profession to volunteer for our Warm Line! If you have lived experience with a perinatal mental health challenge and are passionate about giving back to help others, that is all you need to get started. We provide all of the training and support.

Some of our volunteers are scientists, tech workers, health care workers, corporate employees, therapists, stay-at-home parents, and those considering a career in Mental Health, in addition to our staff and interns.

Please join us for our next Warm Line Volunteer Training coming up online on March 28 &29 from 9am to 2:30pm. Register here TODAY! bit.ly/WarmLineVolunteer

01/13/2026

Did you know we offer free, confidential support? It's easy to get help fast. Our Warm Line is answered by real parents who’ve been there—through postpartum depression, anxiety, birth trauma, and more. Now on the other side, they’re here to walk with you through the struggle of new parenthood.

You don’t need a mental health diagnosis. You just need to be human. Because let’s be honest, parenting is HARD, and none of us should do it alone.

📞 Call or text us. We’re here for you. 1-888-404-7763 or email us at: WarmLine@perinatalsupport.org (se habla español).

You are not alone!

01/08/2026

THANK YOU for supporting us during the holidays and all year round! You are helping shine a light on the importance of perinatal mental health services and the transformational power of timely, culturally matched care.

If you didn't get a chance to donate to our holiday campaign, please consider giving today here: perinatalsupport.org/donate

01/07/2026

The Warm Line needs YOU!

Ever wondered how your lived experience with a perinatal mental health issue (like depression, anxiety, etc) could help others? Talking to another parent who has been through the pain and struggle can reduce the feelings of isolation and stigma that many new parents feel.

Come join our Warm Line volunteers! Your lived experience is valuable! Now on the other side, our volunteers support parents, walking alongside each caller's journey to healing. Receiving and providing peer support is unique and powerful for both the volunteer and parent!

We are looking for parent volunteers, including LGBTQ+ parents and BIPOC parents, to assist those contacting our Warm Line for support. Our Next Volunteer Training is March 28 & 29, 9-2:30 pm on zoom. REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER HERE: https://perinatalsupport.org/event/warm-line-volunteer/

01/05/2026

COMING UP! Learn how to effectively identify and screen parents experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. This free training takes place over 4 days and is appropriate for a range of providers, including OBs, pediatricians, midwives, RNs, social workers, mental health therapists, doulas, public health employees, home visitors, IBCLCs, and more.

Learn more and register here: https://perinatalsupport.org/.../best-practices-jan_feb2026/

Training Objectives:
-Understand the “real” transition to parenthood.
-Know the spectrum of perinatal mental health disorders.
-Know the risk factors for PMADs.
-Know key prevention strategies.
-Understand high-risk populations and health disparities.
-Know the components of a treatment plan.
-Be able to effectively talk about, and screen new/expectant parents for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
-Understand the impact of birth experiences on postpartum emotional health.
-Become knowledgeable about risk and symptoms for partners and fathers.
-Become knowledgeable about psychiatric medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
-Become knowledgeable about supporting families in the NICU
-Become knowledgeable about feeding issues and perinatal mental health.
-Understand the impact on infant and children.
-Understand impacts on partners and relationships.