Peer/Parent Support Training

This training is open to WA state professionals who support families in the perinatal period, and are part of a Perinatal Mental Health Initiative (PMHI) community. If you’re interested in attending and not sure if you’re part of a PMHI community or would like more information please email training@perinatalsupport.org

Learn how to effectively identify, support and care for parents experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

This two-day training is appropriate for a range of providers who work with childbearing people including peers, home visitors, doulas, community health workers, case managers, SUD providers, midwives, and more.  

This training is developed by Perinatal Support WA to help direct service providers support parents who are currently experiencing or are at risk for perinatal mental health complications in a 1:1 model. This training is designed for peers or care providers who are not mental health providers and provides training in culturally respectful screening and evidenced based behavioral health support appropriate for non-mental health providers. This training will be followed by monthly consultation calls to create a community of practice, support additional learning, and practice skills introduced in this two day training.  

This is a live virtual training and a recording will not be sent out after the training, please only register if you are able to attend the training in its entirety. This is a highly interactive and participatory training.  Learning to create and hold space for people to share their experiences requires learning what it is feels like to be with one another and be present. Learners should plan to be at the whole training, video on for interactive portions, with limited multi-tasking.  In our busy world, and with online trainings, it can be very tempting to think that we can do more than one thing. Please give yourself and the community of learners a gift of allowing yourself to be with us each day, fully, and engaged.

Location: Zoom

Facilitators: Addelle Diedesch, MA, LMHC, PMH-C and Stephanie Valerdi Tellez, Certified peer specialist

Dates: Tuesday-Wednesday, January 20-21, 2026

Time: 9:00am-5:00pm PT

Training Objectives:

• Provide meaningful and respectful screening
• Effectively make referrals and support parents to access resources
• Learn to create culturally attuned wellness plans that include effective self-care and wellness strategies to treat perinatal mental health complications
• Introduce and discuss mental health care in culturally respectful ways
• Introduce and teach coping skills and activities appropriate to common perinatal mental health concerns.  
• Listen to and support families with barriers or reservations about formal mental health therapy
• Walk with families as they navigate complicated mental health care systems

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

• 12.25 Contact hours available for RNs. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 17084 for 12.25 contact hours

REGISTER NOW

Questions regarding the training, please email: training@perinatalsupport.org

About the trainers:

Addelle Diedesch (she/her), MA, LMHC, PMH-C, is a perinatal mental health therapist and site supervisor of the Parent Resilience Program at Perinatal Support Washington. She provides reflective supervision and program oversight for peer support specialists serving families during pregnancy and early parenthood in Skagit and neighboring counties. A perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) survivor and advocate, Addelle brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work. In her private practice, Little Mountain Counseling, she offers perinatal mental health therapy and consultation focused on PMADs, early relational health, and caregiver–infant connection, grounded in community partnership and compassionate, equity-centered care.

Stephanie Valerdi Tellez (she/they) is a certified peer counselor, and activist with over a decade of experience advocating for families. She currently supports peer programs at Perinatal Support Washington and QLaw Foundation, facilitates queer parent groups, and serves as a WA State LGBTQ Commissioner and board member for Somos Seattle. Stephanie’s work is informed by her identity as a queer, chronically ill Mexican immigrant and survivor of gender-based violence. Stephanie specializes in providing affirming, trauma-informed support to QTBIPOC survivors and peers navigating the complexities of the mental health system.

This training is offered by Perinatal Support WA through a grant from Strengthening Families Washington at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).