Our group will be traveling to Albany, New York this Friday, October 12th, to take part in the New York State Conference on Maternal Depression sponsored by Project TEACH.  We will be joining our colleagues Dr. Margaret Spinelli from Columbia University and Dr. Lisa Weinstock from the Motherhood Project of New York in this program for healthcare providers in primary care, psychiatry, pediatrics, OB/GYN, and other treaters who care for women and children.

This free conference is part of an initiative launched in 2018 by the state of New York to combat maternal depression.  While leaders in the field and professional organizations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have emphasized the importance of identifying and treating women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, we continue to see women who are unable to access care from providers with expertise in this area.  

During pregnancy and the postpartum period, a woman encounters a broad array of healthcare providers.  Each point of contact is an opportunity to identify women at risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and to provide support and treatment when needed.  Thus we believe it is of vital importance to educate and provide ongoing support to providers serving pregnant and postpartum women.

This conference is a great opportunity for providers to learn how to recognize and treat psychiatric illness in pregnant and postpartum women (6.5 CME/CE credits).  Attendees will enhance their ability to:

 

  • Identify effective evidence-based screening and treatment strategies
  • Prioritize practice change around screening, treatment, payment and more
  • Use strategies that work for patient-centered care, stigma reduction, and engagement
  • Help break down barriers to creating healthy children and families across New York State

 

To register, visit https://projectteachny.org/live-training/maternal-depression.  It’s FREE.

And this conference is just one aspect of this venture.  Project TEACH will also provide access to online content through its online learning management system. Project TEACH will also enable primary care providers to speak on the phone with primary psychiatrists so that providers can continue to  build their capacity to care for pregnant and postpartum women with mood and anxiety disorder.

 

Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD

 

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