Maternal Mental Health Training
Friday, February 7, 2025 | Online via Zoom

Join the Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health to learn about maternal mental health!  

Cost: $99 (early bird price of $89 through January 15)
 
Earn 6 CEUs!
This training has been approved for 6 CEUs by the Minnesota boards of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Behavioral Health and Therapy, and Psychology as well as licensing boards in SD, ND, and WI. (Awaiting approval)

Morning Session | 9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Developmental Psychology of Motherhood: A Critical Need for the Concept of Matrescence
Aurélie Athan, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Columbia University

This 3-hour interactive lecture is designed for mental health providers seeking to deepen their understanding of maternal mental health through the lens of matrescence—the transformative developmental process of becoming a mother. Participants will engage in discussions and activities exploring the history and evolution of this critical yet underrecognized concept, and how it fits within a biopsychosocial framework. Emphasis will be placed on practical applications in clinical practice, ethical considerations, and how recognizing matrescence can enhance treatment perspectives for PMADs (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders) and other maternal mental health concerns.

• Learning Objectives:

1. Summarize the history of the concept of matrescence and its relevance to maternal mental health.
2. Apply a biopsychosocial model to understand the multifaceted changes (biological, psychological, and social) mothers experience during matrescence.
3. Evaluate ethical considerations and practical applications for integrating matrescence-informed approaches into clinical care to enhance treatment perspectives for PMADs and related challenges.

Afternoon Session One | 12:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Beyond the Baby Blues: Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders 101 /
It Takes a Village: Care Coordination for Treatment of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders
Jenna Berendzen, DNP, APRN, The Nightingale Center

Part One - Participants will learn to define and differentiate Peromatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) from the "baby blues," identify various types of PMADs, recognize signs and symptoms, understand risk factors and causes, and learn about treatment options and available support. Ultimately, the objectives aim to equip individuals with the knowledge to recognize, address, and plan effective treatment plans for people dealing with PMADs.

Part Two – The key learning objectives for the second part of the presentation focus on building upon the foundational knowledge of PMADs and expanding into practical application. The objectives emphasize the collaborative approach to care, highlighting the roles of various healthcare professionals and non-clinical staff in screening, education, and care coordination. The importance of effective communication and resource awareness across all levels of the community is underscored to ensure comprehensive support for individuals and families affected by PMADs.

• Learning Objectives:
  • Part One:
  1. Define perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) and differentiate them from the "baby blues."
  2. Identify the various types of PMADs, including postpartum depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychosis.
  3. Recognize the signs and symptoms of PMADs.
  4. Understand the risk factors and causes of PMADs, including hormonal changes, family history, and stressful life events.
  5. Understand the effects of untreated PMADs on the mother/pregnant person, fetus, and the family unit.
  6. Learn about available treatment options for PMADs, including therapy, medication, and support groups.
  • Part Two:
    1. Review of key points from the presentation Beyond the Baby Blues: Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders 101.
    2. Utilization of non-clinician team members (front desk staff, nursing staff etc.) for screening, psychoeducation, and care coordination on PMADs.
    3. Recommendations for care coordination between mental health clinicians (therapists, psychiatrists) and medical offices (primary care providers, OBGYN clinics) for treatment and management of PMADs.
    4. Education on resources and information for professionals and community members at the community, state, and national level on PMADs.

Afternoon Session Two | 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Learning from the Minnesota Maternal Mortality Committee: Mental Health Data and Recommendations
Rachael McGraw, DNP, RN, MN Department of Health

This learning session focuses on data and recommendations from the Minnesota Maternal Mortality Committee on cases that include mental health as a contributing factor. Attend this session for a deeper understanding of the MMRC process and why MMRCs are the gold standard for maternal death reviews in the United Sates. Dr. McGraw will share recommendations for action aimed at multiple levels, along with updates on state initiatives aligned with those recommendations.

• Learning Objectives:

1. Learners will understand how the maternal mortality review committee process develops recommendations designed to improve health outcomes for childbearing families.
2. Learners will identify recommendations at multiple levels (provider, facility, system, policy & community) that could impact mental health outcomes for people in the childbearing year.
3. Learners will make connections between MMRC recommendations and their mental health practices.

Meet Your Speakers:

Aurélie Athan, Ph.D. is an Associate Research Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and clinical psychologist specializing in maternal and reproductive health.  She is the co-founder of the Sexuality, Women, and Gender certificate program and has developed graduate-level curricula in these areas. Dr. Athan's research focuses on evolving conventional diagnostic approaches to reproductive life experiences, incorporating more positive, developmental, and lifespan-oriented frameworks. She revived the term matrescence (similar to adolescence) from anthropology and applied it to perinatal mental health to normalize the transition to motherhood and highlight its potential for resilience alongside risk. Her most recent theorizing includes the emerging concept of Reproductive Identity, introduced in 2020 in the American Psychologist. Her contributions have been featured in prominent public media outlets such as NPR, PBS’s WHYY, New York Magazine’s The Cut, and Forbes, among others.

Dr. Rachael McGraw (she/her/hers) has been invested in the well-being of childbearing families for over 25 years. In her current role at the Minnesota Department of Health she is the Women’s Health Consultant where she coordinates the Maternal Mortality Review Committee and leads the state’s innovative pilot on severe maternal morbidity. As a visiting researcher at Children’s Minnesota, she piloted simulation training on evidence-based implicit bias mitigation strategies. In her clinical work her focus is on relationship-centered care that strives to partner with families. At the heart of her work is the belief that the way we care for families during the childbearing years deeply matters.

Registration Questions:  Email workforce@mnsu.edu or call 507-389-1094
Training Questions:  Email elizabeth.harstad.3@mnsu.edu