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 believe all parents should receive appropriate, timely, and culturally relevant care from conception to baby's first birthday. 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 free and low-cost new parent support groups, 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.
OUR TEAM
Allie Lindsay Johnson, Executive Director
Allie Lindsay Johnson, Executive Director
Allie joined Perinatal Support Washington as Executive Director in September 2019 and has worked in non-profit management and fundraising for nearly 10 years. For over seven years, Allie served as Deputy Executive Director and Interim Executive Director of Seattle CityClub, collaborating with cross-sector partners to strengthen our state’s civic and community health. Prior to Seattle CityClub, Allie directed fundraising campaigns in Washington DC for national non-profit clients including Planned Parenthood. She’s beyond excited to get back to work to advance women’s health and support parents and providers across our state. Allie enjoys last-minute camping trips, rummaging through antique stores, wearing boots in honor of her Tennessee roots, and small-town life in Bremerton.
Allie.Johnson (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Mia Edidin, LICSW, Clinical Director
Mia Edidin, LICSW, Clinical Director
Mia is Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Seattle and has worked with families for more than 15 years. Mia works primarily with women and young children, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum emotional adjustment, attachment, and relationship difficulties.
Before getting her MSW in 2006, Mia worked as a doula and apprenticed with a midwife, where she learned about many aspects of maternal and child health. Mia’s professional and personal experiences have led to a fascination and deep commitment to exploring our experiences as mothers–both working individually with mothers processing their unique stories, and sharing the experiences that bind all mothers together. Mia has extensive experience working in community mental health and serving low income families. Mia continues a small private practice and her weekly new parents group, Adjusting to Parenthood, to keep her clinical skills sharp and stay up on current experiences of parents. Mia was a long term board member and is our current Clinical Director. She lives in Seattle, WA with her techie partner and has a (mostly) launched 20 year old.
Mia.Edidin (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Victoria Cherniak, MSW, Program Manager
Victoria Cherniak, MW, Program Manager
In addition to her work with PS-WA, Victoria is a postpartum doula supporting families as they navigate the new and ever-shifting landscape of parenthood and has been a long time board member of NAPS Doulas.
Victoria worked as a social worker before her work in the postpartum world. Her positions included the Economic Justice Project at Columbia Legal Services doing public education and policy work in Olympia focused on consumer justice issues and at the King County Bar Association, she 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. In 1999 she received her MSW from the University of Michigan specializing in practice with communities and social systems.
Victoria lives in Seattle with her two children and dreams of summer when she can camp and backpack with her children.
Victoria.Cherniak (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Elizabeth Moore Simpson, LICSWA, PERC Program Manager
Danielle Yamamoto, Program + Operations Coordinator
Danielle Yamamoto, MSW
Danielle Yamamoto, MSW, supports our mission as the Program and Operations Coordinator. Danielle is the newest member of Perinatal Support Washington and is excited to serve parents and families during one of the most significant chapters of their lives. She is the Program & Operations Coordinator and supports our mission by providing support to families and assisting with program and operational tasks. Danielle is passionate about serving her community and has worked with families for over 10 years.
Danielle obtained her MSW in 2011. She previously worked as a Victim/Witness Counselor for the Hawaii County Prosecutor’s Office, where she provided emotional support and assistance to individuals and families who were victims or witnesses of a crime. Prior to that she worked for a Mediation Center where she coordinated mediations and found her passion for being a part of small and growing nonprofits.
In her free time Danielle enjoys getting outdoors with her dog, Annabelle, binging shows on Netflix and going out to eat.
Danielle.Yamamoto (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org
Aida Juarez, Spanish Warm Line Coordinator
Aida Juarez, Spanish Warm Line Coordinator
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
OUR BOARD + VOLUNTEERS
Perinatal Support Washington is a small but mighty statewide nonprofit and we are growing. We do a lot with very little - thanks to the help of our volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering or joining our Board of Directors contact us here.
Board openings include: Fundraising, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), Legal, & more!
Learn more about board membership.
Volunteer opportunities include: Warm Line Support, helping out at events, sharing your story, and more.
Erin Galvin, LICSW
Erin is a licensed clinical social worker with an extensive background working in the fields of maternal mental health and violence against women and children. In 2014 she completed an assignment with the University of Washington as a therapist on a five year NIMH-funded intervention study using evidence-based psychotherapy in the treatment of perinatal and post-partum depression.
Erin has over 20 years of experience working as a therapist, clinical supervisor, emergency room social worker, domestic violence trainer and manager. Her background includes consulting, training, private practice, and providing clinical supervision to social workers in a range of clinical and shelter settings. In 2010 she left Public Health – Seattle & King County, after many years of service as a lead social work administrator where she provided clinical support and training to Maternity Support Service providers. Today, much of her work involves human resource management and consultation. Erin joined the board of Perinatal Support Washington in 2014. She received her Master of Social Work from Portland State University in 1996.
Erin currently serves as our Board Chair.
Jenny Boe
Jenny is an Assistant Vice President and commercial relationship manager with Washington Trust Bank, a privately held regional bank headquartered in Spokane, WA. Having joined the company in 2006, she has served in a variety of roles within the institution prior to advancing into the relationship manager position in 2012.
Her areas of expertise include commercial and private banking as well as commercial real estate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration (accounting focus) from Eastern Washington University as well as a master’s degree in business administration (finance focus) from Seattle Pacific University.
After having her first child in November 2016, she experienced several postpartum mood disorders, including anxiety and OCD. Upon completing the Day Program through the Swedish Center for Perinatal Bonding and Support, she became passionate about giving back to the community and being able to help other mothers and families prevent and recover from perinatal mood issues.
Her favorite things include time with family and friends, lots of coffee and wine, time to relax and enjoy a good book, trips to Canon Beach, and Christmas.
Jenny currently serves as our Board Treasurer.
Cynthia Salzman
Cynthia is a communications professional in the University of Washington School of Medicine who struggled with post-partum anxiety and depression after the birth of her first child 35 years ago, before there was even a name for what she was going through. She is glad to now be part of an organization dedicated to helping mothers who are going through similar struggles and educating health professionals to recognize and treat perinatal mood disorders. She is also a PS-WA Warm Line volunteer.
Cynthia currently serves as our Board Secretary.
Samantha Konikoff
Samantha Konikoff is Chapter Liason for Postpartum Support International and a board member at large. She has 2 elementary school children and is a stay at home parent. She had postpartum anxiety and depression 9 years ago with her son and after she had her daughter 6 years ago decided to find a way to help new mothers in Whatcom County. She is a trained support group leader, and co-facilitates The Village Circle, a support group for pregnant and new mothers in Bellingham,WA. Sam is a patient advocate, and sits on the Maternal Mental Health Task Force through the Whatcom County Department of Health. She has been a guest on 2 podcasts, telling her story and keeps helping families so that hopefully one day, no one will have to go through what she did.
When not running support groups or volunteering, Samantha loves to read and spend time with her friends. The weekends are for family fun and jigsaw puzzles are one of her favorite things to do.
Luisa Bakhoum
Luisa Bakhoum is an environmental chemist who has worked for several years with children and families in different capacities from infancy to adolescence. She discovered her life commitment to be an active part of the support system that families need to thrive while being a preschool teacher. She has a two year old child who she has been at home with full-time since birth. The beginning of motherhood was easy for her, and this made it harder to notice symptoms of postpartum depression that developed several months after having her child. It was her experience on a parent support group that gave her the opportunity to access resources, and learn about perinatal mental health. After this, Luisa became a parent educator in Seattle, where she facilitated several newborn and toddler parent groups. Recently, Luisa was accepted to the Masters of Art in Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of Washington.
She is excited to unify all these different aspects so that she can fulfill her commitment to support families in her communities. During her time to play, Luisa likes painting, swimming, and having many dance parties with her family at home.
Serrina Pantera, MHSA
Serrina Pantera is the Network Business Development Director for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and brings 20 years’ experience in health care administration. Her interest in maternal mental health stems from seeing the dramatic increase in emergency room visits for kids in mental health crisis. Her passion is building a network to connect kids and families to community and social support services, and she participates in the Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County initiative sponsored by Mary Bridge. She is also interested in public policy and health care reimbursement mechanisms that support early childhood interventions that enable better long-term outcomes for families. Serrina joined the board of Perinatal Support Washington in 2020. She received her Masters of Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan.
Kim Brinkmann
Kim Brinkmann is the Director of Communications & Operations for Better Health Together, a non-profit organization based in Spokane, focused on tackling health inequities. Kim joined BHT in June of 2018 but has been an unofficial member of the team since 2014 when she consulted on the application for ACH designation. Since then, she has provided graphic design and communication services on countless projects and initiatives. More recently, she has taken on a role within the HR and operations.
Kim has worked in the Marketing and Communication field since 2004, after graduating from Portland State University with a degree in graphic design. Aside from running her own consulting business, she has also worked for several local organizations in the non-profit and public services sectors. When not working, Kim spends her time with her husband, two daughters, dogs, and pet bird.
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDING PARTNERS:
and...
individual donors like you!