ABOUT US
Supporting Washington Care Providers & Families Since 1989.
Perinatal Support Washington (PS-WA) is a statewide non-profit committed to shining a light on perinatal mental health to support all families and communities. We support people in the emotional transition to parenthood, including those experiencing depression, anxiety, loss, infertility, trauma, and more. Find out what's new at Perinatal Support Washington.
Our toll-free telephone support line, the "Warm Line", has been operating since 1991, providing peer support to parents in need. We also offer mental health therapy, free and low-cost new parent support groups, culturally-matched peer support in King County, training and consultation for health care providers, and education and advocacy. We do all of this with the help of our dedicated staff, board members, and dozens of volunteers.
While we are based in the Seattle metro area, our support resources are found all over our beautiful state of Washington. Check out our directory to search for resources in your area, or learn more about opportunities for collaboration in your community, or become a professional member of Perinatal Support WA. Perinatal Support WA is proud to manage the WA Postpartum Support International State Chapter.
Learn more about our work by viewing our Theory of Change and 2025 Strategic Plan Dashboard.
OUR TEAM
Emma York-Jones, Executive Director
Emma York-Jones (she/her), Executive Director
Emma York-Jones is a passionate leader in social services dedicated to empowering individuals and fostering thriving communities. With over 19 years of experience, she possesses a unique blend of strategic vision and operational expertise, honed through years of successfully developing and implementing impactful programs, primarily for vulnerable youth. From building strong community partnerships to translating data into actionable insights, Emma excels at driving sustainable growth and delivering high-quality services. Her diverse experiences, from her roots in North Carolina to her service as a Health Educator in Tanzania with the Peace Corps, have instilled in her a global perspective and a deep understanding of the human condition.
Emma is passionate about increasing awareness of perinatal mental health services. She understands firsthand the isolating and overwhelming experiences new parents encounter and firmly believes that accessible and supportive resources are crucial for parental well-being and child development. She envisions a future where every parent feels seen, heard, and supported, allowing them to thrive and nurture the next generation. By fostering awareness and breaking down the stigma surrounding perinatal mental health, families can flourish and children can reach their full potential.
Outside of work, Emma enjoys exploring the world with her wife and two sons, whether it's hiking in national parks, cheering at a baseball game, or supporting their favorite women's soccer team. She is an active member of her community, dedicating her time to coaching youth sports and leading a Cub Scout pack.
Emma.YorkJones (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Danielle Yamamoto, Operations Director
Danielle Yamamoto, MSW, Operations Director (she/her)
Danielle joined Perinatal Support Washington in 2020. At the time was the fourth staff member and was the first person to answer live on the Warm Line. Her role has changed significantly over the years and she now serves as the Interim Operations Director. She is passionate about serving her community and is proud to be a part of such a dedicated and mighty team of caring people.
In her free time Danielle enjoys spending time with her dog, Annabelle, binging shows on Netflix and going out to eat.
Danielle.Yamamoto (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Victoria Cherniak, Senior Warm Line Program Manager
Victoria Cherniak (she/her), MSW, Senior Warm Line Program Manager
Victoria, a mom of 2, is passionate about peer support and access to perinatal mental health due to the upheaval of her birth trauma and postpartum anxiety which a year later caused a happy upheaval in her professional life that lead to a 9 year stint as a postpartum doula and ultimately to PS-WA in 2018, where she loves supporting Warm Line staff, interns and volunteers. Victoria became a social worker due to her love of being in and creating community, particularly as a change agent. In 1999, she received her MSW from the University of Michigan, specializing in practice with communities and social systems.
Victoria has been a volunteer facilitator of the Queer and Trans Parent Support group with Postpartum Support International since 2020. Since 2021, she has been a member of Postpartum Support International’s Best Practices Committee for Perinatal Mental Health Equity. She has presented on topics around peer support in the perinatal space and serving LGBTQIA+ parents and was previously a board member of NAPS Doulas.
Victoria worked as a social worker and program manager before her work in the perinatal world. She provided public education and led policy work in Washington state focused on consumer justice issues. She also managed two pro bono programs that served the legal needs of immigrants and people experiencing homelessness. In 2007 she received the Golden Door Award from Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) for her work with the Newcomers Resource Project which trained volunteer attorneys to assist undocumented workers to recover wages employers intentionally withheld.
Victoria lives in Seattle with her dog, 2 cats, teen and her oldest who has recently flown the coop to chase her dreams of becoming a nurse. Victoria enjoys spending time with family and friends especially when good food is involved, she loves karaoke, singing at the top of her lungs, and has dreams of being in a choir.
Victoria.Cherniak (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Elizabeth Moore Simpson, PERC Program Manager
Elizabeth Moore Simpson (she/her), LICSW, PERC Program Manager
Is a parent of two and also identifies as a bereaved parent. Prior to joining PS-WA she had over ten years of experience working with growing families. With an infant-early childhood mental health (IECMH) and perinatal health focus, she has held roles as a full-spectrum doula, restorative justice circle keeper, child and family therapist, PMH therapist and community organizer.
Elizabeth practices as a perinatal therapist, abortion doula and is the program manager for PS-WA’s Parent Resilience Program. She enjoys bringing tarot and body-based awareness to her personal and professional practice. She is passionate about supporting families impacted by the child welfare system to sustain, develop and strengthen secure attachments with family and community and working upstream to challenge mandated reporting laws causing harm and distrust between families and providers.
Elizabeth enjoys improvising crafts with her kids and manifesting cozy fall days. She aspires to bring levity, integrity and realness to her work with colleagues and families and can often be found scouring thrift stores for costumes and craft supplies.
Elizabeth.MooreSimpson (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Lyndsey Williams, Clinical Therapy Program Manager
Lyndsey Williams (she/her), LICSW, Clinical Therapy Program Manager
Lyndsey Williams, LICSW (she/her) is the Clinical Therapy Program Manager at Perinatal Support Washington and a licensed clinical social worker practicing across Washington, Idaho, Maryland, and Washington, DC. With over a decade of experience in maternal and child health, Lyndsey blends clinical expertise with strategic program leadership, supervision, and advocacy to advance reproductive mental health care across individual, community, and systemic levels.
Lyndsey has supported families through infertility, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, and perinatal mood disorders since 2012 and holds a perinatal mental health certification (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International and the Seleni Institute. Her approach centers self-compassion, narrative healing, and identity-affirming care that recognizes the emotional, physical, and cultural layers of reproductive life transitions.
In her current role, she oversees clinical programming and supervises a growing team of therapists and interns delivering culturally responsive, trauma-informed support to perinatal clients. She also designs and facilitates workforce trainings and workshops on perinatal mental health, domestic violence, and burnout prevention for providers, community organizations, and public health teams.
Lyndsey is the founder of Kyla Care Therapy, a reproductive mental health and wellness practice that offers therapy, educational resources, and digital tools to support women and birthing people through every stage of the reproductive journey. Her work is grounded in the belief that supporting the emotional wellbeing of women transforms families and communities.
Lyndsey.Williams (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Kimiko Goldberg, Development & Communications Manager
Kimiko Goldberg, MPA, Development & Communications Manager (she/her)
Kimiko has worked in the nonprofit sector for nearly 20 years in roles including Communications and Advocacy, with the bulk of her time spent specifically in Fundraising. As a mother who has experienced Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders herself, She is incredibly excited to join PS-WA's heroic team.
Kimiko earned her Masters of Public Administration from Evergreen State College, and prior to that majored in Social Sciences at UW. Unafraid to face the toughest challenges, she wants to bring more attention to maternal mental health issues which are critically underrepresented and underfunded in the US.
Kimiko is also a Fundraising Consultant who adheres to the Community-Centric Fundraising model which treats donors as partners and acts to end exploitative practices and outdated, inequitable fundraising models.
She lives in Seattle, and on her days off, you can find her spending time with her little one and diving into making candles, jewelry, and other things to share.
Kimiko.goldberg (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Karina Saunders, Community Outreach & Training Manager
Karina Saunders (she/her), Community Outreach & Training Manager
Karina loves people and creating spaces for connection and community-building. In both her nonprofit and higher education background, karina has advocated and created programming for bringing BIPOC students together and expanding support for people experiencing food insecurity and homelessness. In all her roles she has worked to center marginalized voices and create spaces for connection, learning, and reflection.
Karina is excited to join the PS-WA team as she navigates her own postpartum mental health journey. She is a strong advocate for the role peer support groups play in perinatal mental health and the bonus of long-term friendships that sometimes result. She's excited to join the inspiring all-star PS-WA team and support the expansion and defining of resources for people in the perinatal period. She plans to put her master's in education to work encouraging the budding perinatal support communities across Washington state.
La Tonia Bussell-Packard, Peer Support Specialist
La Tonia Bussell-Packard (they/she), Parent Resilience Specialist, Traditional Midwife
La Tonia is a queer Black femme who supports pregnant and parenting families as a Parent Resilience Specialist in King County. They serve as an encouraging resource and witness for parents navigating the perinatal mental health landscape by using their firsthand experience as a parent who has lived with anxiety and depression. La Tonia knows firsthand the barriers that exist for Black and queer folx seeking support for their mental health. La Tonia has experienced personal and professional loss, which allows them to offer supportive tools and skills that are based on lived experience and shared community ways of ‘knowing’ and processing grief and loss.
La Tonia has spent the last 7+ years advocating for families, attending births, and providing compassionate care as a birth doula and student midwife. They graduated from midwifery school in June 2021 and now practice and attend births as a traditional midwife. In all their work, La Tonia centers Black, Indigenous, and QTPOC families in their role as a midwife, doula, and peer. They use the framework and lens of reproductive justice, the intersections of race, class, gender/sexuality, and ability, and radical rest politics when supporting families in their community.
Amy Menjivar, Peer Support Specialist
Amy Menjivar (she/her), Peer Support Specialist
Amy is a Latina and mother of two children and PMAD’s survivor and Bilingual Spanish speaker. She has a passion to provide strong contributions to our society, with awareness of the use of stigmatizing language around mental illness. She has a background in Early Childhood Education and has worked with children for the past 9 years. She has supported King County Families and children of all ethnicities with special needs. She has worked mostly with Latin families as their family support specialist.
Amy is passionate about helping the community, engaging families and building community. She is committed to help immigrants in the community and teach families that there is someone here to listen to them and also to receive help.
Stephanie Valerdi, PERC Program Support Coordinator & Latinx Peer Support
Stephanie Valerdi (she/her/they/them), PERC Program Support Coordinator and Latinx Peer Support
Stephanie Valerdi Tellez (she/they) brings over a decade of experience advocating for families and parents through a variety of community-based roles. Stephanie is deeply committed to promoting equity and accessibility within community services, centering their work around a trauma-informed approach to support families.
With a background in mental health and early childhood education and development, Stephanie has offered compassionate, bilingual support (in English and Spanish) to parents navigating challenges in the birth-to-five age range. Stephanie has provided culturally aligned, strengths-based peer support within the Latinx community and has worked to expand access to Spanish mental health and community resources. Her work is grounded in a passion for improving outcomes for families most impacted by systemic oppression.
Stephanie also brings her lived experience to her work. As a Queer, chronically ill Mexican immigrant and survivor of gender-based violence, she understands firsthand the complexities of navigating the mental health system. She draws on this experience to connect deeply with QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) survivors and peers, offering affirming, trauma-informed peer support.
In addition to her one-on-one support work, Stephanie facilitates Queer parent groups and serves her community as a board member of Somos Seattle a Latinx LGBTQ+ organization, and the WA State LGBQT Commission.
Outside of her work, Stephanie is rooted in both family life and community care. They find joy in everyday moments, spending time in nature with her wife, 9-year-old child, and their dog, or attending drag shows and celebrating Queer & Latinx joy. Stephanie remains fiercely committed to challenging racism, homophobia, and systemic oppression in all its forms, bringing that purpose into every aspect of her daily life.
stephanie.valerdi (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Melissa Burden, Warm Line Volunteer Supervisor
Melissa Burden (she/her), Warm Line Volunteer Supervisor
Melissa supports Perinatal Support Washington as the Warm Line Program Specialist. She is a mother to one, and after experiencing a PMAD herself became a dedicated volunteer and patient advocate for those who are struggling through the perinatal experience. As the Warm Line Program specialist, she supports the volunteers who provide the warm support and helpful resources to parents who are struggling and need space to be held. She also answers on the Warm Line, aligning with her dedication to supporting parents. Additionally, she dedicates her time to volunteering as a facilitator of a peer-support group. She is trained in the GPS (Group Peer Support) model, and is going on 4 years of facilitating for the Village Circle (Bellingham, WA). Melissa resides in Bellingham, Washington and spends her spare time building Lego with her 4 year old, reading, and spending time with her family & friends.
melissa.burden (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Aida Juarez, Therapist & Warm Line Bilingual Specialist
Aida Juarez (she/her), Warm Line Bilingual Specialist
Aida coordinates our Spanish Warm Line, supporting our Spanish-speaking callers, developing culturally-relevant policies and procedures, and translating outreach materials. Aida joined PS-WA after attending a group peer support (GPS) training in Yakima.
For the past 20 years, Aida has been working with pregnant mothers, infants, and their families, providing brief counseling and referrals as a certified counselor and lactation specialist. She is the Social Services Department Manager at Tri-Cities Community Health, running the day-to-day operations of the department’s Maternity Support Services, WIC, Peer Counselor, and Outreach Programs.
Aida.Juarez (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Ada Figueroa, Warm Line Bilingual Specialist
Ada Figueroa (she/her) Warm Line Bilingual Specialist
Ada Figueroa is coming to us from her liaison position where she passionately advocated for language access and navigation of public education systems for Spanish speaking communities in Pierce County.
As a Latina mother of two having gone through the emotional stew of parenthood, she has supported Latinx mothers through the peer support group Caminemos Juntos. She has had the opportunity to serve disabled individuals as well as implement behavioral plans for children with Autism and related disorders.
She enjoys spending time with her family, going to festivals and traveling. She is also very passionate about herbology and reviving cultural herb practices for self healing.
Ada.Figueroa (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Stephanie Lewis, Parent Support and Warm Line Specialist
Stephanie Lewis, (she/her) Parent Support and Warm Line Specialist
My name is Stephanie Lewis and I am a wife , and mother to 3. I have served the African American/black community as a doula for 3 years and found my passion in supporting families as they transitioned into parenthood and the postpartum period. Shortly after attending births as a doula, I began to facilitate PEPs groups for black/african american families in my community and have a passion for holding space for families during this transitional time and offering support around resources, education and ways to pour into their wellness through parenting.
After having my last child, I had a challenging time with my mental health trying to adjust to being a mother of 3 and feeling isolated with lack of community. Over the years navigating my mental health and finding the tools and support I needed made all the difference for me. I want to be able to share and support others the way I wish I had support in such a rocky time. Being able to join PS-WA and hold space for families on the warm line and support them in finding the resources they need to create wellness for themselves is an honor.
I have a passion for learning and exploring holistic health and wellness and teach yoga in my community. I homeschool my 3 children and love being outdoors in nature whenever I can.
stephanie.lewis (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Nathan Friend, Warm Line Dad Specialist
Nathan Friend (he/him), Warm Line Dad Specialist
Nathan Friend is the Dad Specialist for the PSWA Warm Line. Since 2022, he has helped dads and partners to navigate the struggles of new parenthood through peer support and resource sharing. Leaning on his personal lived experience with pregnancy loss, traumatic birth, and postpartum depression, Nathan brings authenticity, curiosity, and care to his work with fellow dads. He facilitates a vibrant weekly Dads Support Group, bringing new dads from across Washington State together to build community and to share the challenges of parenting. A compassionate listener who loves cloudy days and any kind of movement, Nathan and his wife raise their three young children in a lively multi-generational, multicultural household.
nathan.friend (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Megan Sloan, Operations Coordinator
Megan Sloan (she/her), Operations Coordinator
Megan joined Perinatal Support Washington in 2023 as the Operations Coordinator. She has been a part of the Seattle birthing community for over ten years and has regularly recommended Perinatal Support Washington to her pregnant and postpartum students. As a pre/postnatal yoga teacher she was often surprised that she was the first point of contact for students looking for support and resources they couldn’t find elsewhere and as she watched students struggle in pregnancy and as new parents, she became passionate about providing people the positive resources they needed to navigate this challenging time. Her own direct experiences with conception and pregnancy as a queer family and her own struggles postpartum have made her passionate about normalizing the struggles of parenthood and facilitating the establishment of systems of support for new families.
In her free time Megan and her wife and their two kiddos try to spend as much time outdoors as possible whether its hiking, growing veggies in their garden or travelling locally and internationally to adventure as a family.
Megan.sloan (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Kay Hwang, Program Support Coordinator
Kay Hwang (she/her), Program Support Coordinator
Kay Hwang joined PS-WA in 2021 and provides program and operational support. She has worked in higher education for 12 years and finds it fulfilling to serve individuals, families and care providers in the perinatal professions since 2011.
Eager to play a role in advocating for mental health care and wellness, she is gratified to provide assistance and learn from other people’s diverse perspectives and experiences.
Kay studied economics at the University of Washington and resides in Seattle. She loves yoga, the changing seasons, exploring different cultures & cuisines, and cats.
kay.hwang (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Kelli Mae Willis, Warm Line Program Coordinator
Kelli Mae Willis (she/her), Warm Line Program Coordinator
Haley Brandenburg, Therapist
Haley Brandenburg, LICSWA (she/her)
My name is Haley Brandenburg. I hold an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Washington State University and a Masters degree in clinical Social Work from Walla Walla University. I have experience conducting therapy groups with children and adolescents within an educational setting.
Gigi Perez, Perinatal Mental Health IMAGINE Grant Intervention Facilitator
Gigi Perez, MSW, LCSW, Perinatal Mental Health IMAGINE Grant Intervention Facilitator
Gigi Perez, MSW, LCSW, is a Latina social worker, bilingual in Spanish and English, and is passionate about connecting people with mental health services, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. Her focus is on making families feel supported during challenging times, especially because many people do not have access to support during this period. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, discovering new restaurants, and dancing.
Gigi Perez, MSW, LCSW, es una trabajadora social latina, bilingüe en español e inglés, apasionada por conectar a las personas con servicios de salud mental, especialmente durante el embarazo y el posparto. Su enfoque es apoyar a las familias durante momentos difíciles, especialmente porque muchas personas no tienen acceso a apoyo durante este período. Fuera del trabajo, disfruta pasar tiempo con su familia, descubrir nuevos restaurantes y bailar.
Addelle Diedesch, Skagit PERC Program Manager
T. Addelle Diedesch (she/her), PERC Program Manager Skagit County, MA, LMHC, PMH-C
Addelle is the Skagit and North Sound Site Manager, where she provides strength-focused reflective supervision to Parent Support Specialists, builds community connections, and advocates for systemic change. She also helps grow and guide the program, tending to the behind-the-scenes details of program management while keeping the focus on people and families.
Her career began in substance use disorder treatment, including a perinatal inpatient program and later medically assisted treatment with the Stillaguamish Tribe, where she supported Indigenous families through culturally affirming care. She also worked in community mental health and school-based services for children and adolescents before her own experience with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders shifted her path. Facing the lack of rural PMAD support firsthand inspired her to focus on perinatal mental health, community advocacy, and building stronger systems of care. Today, she is especially passionate about supporting families with young children and developmental differences. Alongside her work with PS-WA, Addelle maintains a private therapy practice specializing in the reproductive journey and in supporting parents of children ages 0–5.
Her leadership is rooted in empathy, humility, and lived experience. Growing up and raising her family in rural North Sound communities has given her a deep understanding of the gaps families face, particularly those in underserved groups. As a neurodivergent individual supporting a neurodivergent household, she is committed to bridging divides and creating meaningful change through culturally relevant care and advocacy.
Outside of work, Addelle enjoys the lively chaos of raising three kids, staying grounded in her spiritual community, and spending time with friends. She loves live music, co-creating fantasy role-playing worlds with her family, and serves on the board of Skagit Preschool and Resource Center, supporting children with developmental differences and their families.
addelle.diedesch (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Briseida Fredrickson, Skagit Peer Support Specialist
Briseida Fredrickson (she/her), Skagit Peer Support Specialist
Briseida Fredrickson is a proud Latina, DACA recipient, and mother to a young daughter. With a background in education, she has worked as a teacher supporting multilingual and diverse learners. Briseida is bilingual in English and Spanish and passionate about creating inclusive spaces where families feel seen and supported. She is deeply committed to giving back to her community and draws on her own lived experiences as a first-generation college graduate and parent to connect with others with empathy and care.
Crystal Kombol, Skagit Peer Support Specialist
Crystal Kombol (she/her), Parent Resilience Specialist
Crystal has supported youth within the educational system and housing displaced families in Skagit County for the last 8 years. Equitable access to educational opportunities and behavioral health have been a cornerstone of Crystal’s 15 years of social service work.
Crystal experienced unexpected pregnancy complications leading to the premature birth of her child. Art journaling, mindfulness coaching and healing in community helped Crystal endure the highs and lows of both infertility and NICU parenting. Crystal’s lived experience led her to become passionate about advocating for systemic practices that promote perinatal wellness within the whole community.
OUR BOARD
If you are interested in joining our Board of Directors read more here.
Ready to sign up? Complete the Interest Form here.
Sumi Garg, Board Chair
Maggie Meyers
Maggie Meyers works as Deputy Chief Communications Officer for the Washington State Charter Schools Association, a statewide nonprofit that supports a free, public, innovative options that meet the needs of systemically underserved students. A communicator by trade and at heart, Maggie is a fierce advocate for families who have been marginalized in and beyond our education systems. Maggie’s own experience becoming a mom and navigating the preconception to postpartum period fuels her deep belief in the importance of maternal mental health care, and to PS-WA she brings a commitment to increasing access to just, equitable, and quality care for all parents.
Maggie previously worked for a local, women-owned marketing firm, and as an NYC magazine coordinator, freelance editor, and writer for various magazines and children’s book publishers. Maggie earned her B.A. from Bowdoin College and holds a Master of Education in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Washington. Outside of work, Maggie is in the throes of early childhood parenting with her husband and enjoys chasing their two young sons around Seattle’s parks and playgrounds.
Stephiney Foley (she/her)
Stephiney Foley is the CEO and founder of Yuzi Care, a women’s health company dedicated to reimagining the postpartum experience in America. Her inspiration for creating Yuzi Care is deeply personal, stemming from her own experience with postpartum depression, which highlighted critical gaps in maternal care and recovery support for new mothers. Stephiney is also a DONA-certified postpartum doula, trained at Bastyr University, and brings her expertise in maternal care to every aspect of her work.
A West Point graduate and combat veteran, Stephiney served her country with distinction before transitioning to the private sector. She earned her MBA from Dartmouth College and built a successful career as a technical product leader at global companies, including Amazon, Tesla, and IDEO.
Stephiney lives in Seattle with her partner, two bi-racial children, and their 90-pound labradoodle, where she continues her mission to transform postpartum care for families nationwide.
Shantell Smith
My name is Shantell Smith, and I’m a contract coordinator for Astronics AES which is an aviation empower supply vendor. I’m a transplant to the Seattle area of 5 years originating from Memphis TN. My professional background includes experience in finance and social work. Before relocating to Seattle, I worked as a family support worker and liaison for Lebonheur Children’s Hospital in conjunction with the FedExfamilyhouse. That position allowed me the opportunity to develop a full spectrum view of what happens when childbirth does not go according to plan and the aftermath for the family. I have had my own experience with postpartum depression after my first child which did not come to surface level until she was about six months old and continued until after the birth of my third child. When the opportunity was presented by my dear sister and friend Dr. Chelsia Berry, I did not hesitate to raise my hand and get involved.
Outside of work, you can find me spending time with my three girls Kennedy 19, Madison 18, and Reagan 16. They keep me very busy with all their activities and sports. I enjoy traveling, reading, and my new hobby yardwork.
Bonnie Middleton-Sterken
Bonnie Middleton-Sterken is the Equity and Justice Lead at the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA). She manages programs to support the WA Supreme Court's Access to Justice Board and WSBA's Council on Public Defense. The core of her work is to help advocates and legal professionals create true justice and dismantle systems of oppression through policy reform, cross-system collaboration, and centering the leadership and solutions of those most impacted by the issues. Bonnie is passionate about racial and social justice and contributes to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the WSBA. Bonnie earned her Masters in Public Administration from Seattle University.
Lara Effland
Lara Effland is highly respected in the mental health community, with extensive experience in treating adults with eating disorders, mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma. She is the Director of Adult Program Development at Equip, a virtual eating disorder treatment center that operates nationwide. Before joining Equip, she served as Regional Clinical Director at the Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center. There, she co-developed a program for mood and anxiety and played a key role in launching new treatment centers across the U.S.
In addition to her clinical work, in 2021, Lara founded the Clinician Development Collective. This organization focuses on mentoring mental health therapists and offering clinical supervision, consultation, and training.
Tristan Heart-Myers
James "Lamar" Foster
Dr. James “Lamar” Foster is a research and data professional with over fifteen years of experience working cross-functionally to tell stories with data. His work seeks to identify and analyze levers of change to make organizations more equitable for people marginalized due to their race, gender, economic status, and other social axes of difference. He is currently a senior data scientist at the Gates Foundation, working at the intersection of employee experience and operational expenses. In his free time, Lamar enjoys spending time with his wife and son at the local library.
Krystin Morgan
Krystin Morgan is a multi-passionate solopreneur, focused on freelance writing, fractional talent acquisition, and career consulting. Prior to self-employment, she spent 15 years in talent acquisition and leadership at tech companies including Redfin and HubSpot. She also serves on the board of her daughter’s co-op preschool.
While pregnant with her daughter (born November 2021), Krystin experienced prenatal depression and anxiety and found the lack of information and support challenging. That’s what brought her to PS-WA and why she feels so strongly about giving back in this way.
Krystin lives in south Seattle with her daughter, husband, and black Lab. When not working or board-member-ing, Krystin loves to read, lift weights, run (slowly), and spend time with friends and family.
Myla Rugge
Myla Rugge is a parent supporter and community builder with a keen ability to bring people together. She is especially passionate about normalizing the struggles and challenges of parenthood and has a deep desire to honor and celebrate the superpower of moms and caregivers. She supports parents via events, workshops, and support groups. She is particularly well-versed in the transition to parenthood and all the changes it brings. She is the founder of the Seattle Mom Prom – an annual all-ladies dance party that has benefited PS-WA since 2010.
In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks, doing random acts of kindness, collecting Wonder Woman memorabilia, and hanging out with her wonderful husband and two awesome teenage sons.
Maggie Bolton
Maggie Bolton, CNM, PMHNP-BC, brings more than two decades of experience supporting families through life’s most profound transitions. For 20 years, she practiced as a midwife, walking alongside birthing people and their families with compassion, clinical expertise, and a deep respect for the transformative journey of becoming a parent.
Building on this foundation, Maggie is now a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, expanding her scope to provide holistic, trauma-informed, and evidence-based mental health care. Her clinical focus includes perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, reproductive transitions, and the unique mental health needs of families navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. She also works closely with Opal Food and Body Wisdom supporting people in their journey to a healthy relationship with food.
Maggie’s lifelong commitment is to ensure that no family feels alone in the transition to parenthood. She is passionate about integrating physical and mental health, bridging gaps in care, and advocating for comprehensive support systems that honor the complexity of perinatal experiences.
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDING PARTNERS:
