Interns and Externs

Perinatal Mental Health Internship and Externship Opportunities for Clinical Therapy

Open to:  Graduate level Interns,  New Therapists,  or Therapists new to perinatal mental health.   

We have two cohort start dates per year- May and September

Applications for September 2023 are closed.

We are accepting inquiries for May 2024.  Interviews will begin in late Fall/Early winter 2023

Perinatal Support Washington launched a new clinical training program for interns (masters level graduate students) and externs (newly graduated therapists, or therapists looking for intensive perinatal mental health training) in Fall 2020. This unique training program begins each Fall and runs for one year (Sept- August).  Each Fall we welcome a new cohort of intern and externs.  This program is intensive and comprehensive and will prepare therapists to treat the wide range of perinatal mental health experiences. This program balances didactic training, clinical application, and intensive supervision.  Interns and Externs apply their learning in our clinical therapy program that provides treatment for individuals experiencing a wide range of concerns including infertility, perinatal loss, birth trauma, postpartum adjustment, experiences such as perinatal depression, anxiety, and panic, breast/chestfeeding stress/trauma, relationship concerns since baby, and unwanted feelings such as anger, rage, and irritability. We serve individuals throughout the entire perinatal period including preconception/conception, pregnancy, perinatal loss, and parents up to 24 months postpartum who are experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

The objectives of this program are:

  • To provide high quality perinatal mental health services to communities that have systematically lacked access to this specialized care. Families served regardless of income/insurance status.
  • Train therapists of color to increase access to culturally matched services.
  • Train therapists with intention of continuing in the perinatal mental health field to increase high quality supports for parents in Washington State.

Overview of clinical CORE services Interns/externs will provide:

  • Home based therapy: Provide therapy to pregnant/new parents in their homes.
  • Telehealth: Provide therapy to new parents via secure telehealth platform.
  •  Embedded Services: Interns/Externs are embedded at local organizations throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties that currently serve childbearing people. Interns will provide individual and/or group therapy. Interns may attend staff meetings and/or have a supervisor on site. All clinical training and supervision will be provided by PS-WA clinical staff.
  • Office based therapy in North Seattle.
  • Therapy/Support groups for pregnant or new parents.
  • Note: Our program is entirely telehealth at this time due COVID-19.

This is a unique opportunity for an intern or extern to bring perinatal mental health services to their community and provide culturally matched services. Through partnerships with local non-profits serving diverse communities we can grow culturally matched services throughout the Puget Sound region. New partnerships welcome!

Perinatal Mental Health Training Overview:

The Perinatal Mental Health training program provides small group, individual and team training and support throughout the year to support you in developing your clinical voice and style. The following is an overview of the training program:

  • Perinatal Mental Health Intensive. This 10 week intensive goes through the entire Perinatal Mental Health Spectrum. It is designed to provide therapists with knowledge of common mental health concerns, diagnoses, and overview of interventions.
  • Weekly Team trainings covering:
    • General mental health skills (how to complete a perinatal mental health intake, clinical notes, PMH treatment planning, treatment via telehealth, etc).
  • Weekly 90 min clinical team meetings/case consultation.
  •  Weekly supervision - 1:1 or dyads depending on caseload.
  •  Interns and Externs are invited and encouraged to attend PS-WA trainings throughout the year such as:
    • 1 or 2 Day Perinatal Mental Health trainings
    • Group Peer Support Facilitator training
    • Any specialty trainings hosted by Perinatal Support WA throughout the year.

For more information or to submit your resume and cover letter, please email Mia.Edidin@perinatalsupport.org. Please put PMH Intern or PMH Extern in the subject line.

 

Internship opportunities for 1st year MSWs:

Warm Line
Our Warm Line provides support for parents when they need it.  Interns answer the phone and provide support, information, resources, and referrals. This internship opportunity is designed for 1st year MSW students who would like to develop their skills supporting individuals in the perinatal period. Open to students who identify as peers (parents who experienced a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder) and also students who do not. Warm Line interns are provided 20+ hours of training to learn about perinatal mental health complications, how to support parents during this time, and will learn about brief counseling skills.
For more information or to submit your resume and cover letter, please email Victoria.Cherniak@perinatalsupport.org. Please put Warm Line Intern in the subject line.
Parent Education and Resilience Collaborative:
Parent Resilience Program - open to MSW students who identify as peers (parents or individuals who have experienced a mood and anxiety disorder related to childbearing).  Parent Resilience Specialists (PRS) are trained peer providers. Instead of trying to empower their participants (clients), our PRS see the power in them. They assist participants in getting ready to take their first steps towards emotional wellness. Whether that is connecting to parent support resources, identifying priorities and boundaries, or just an attentive, non-judgmental listening ear. The Parent Resilience Program provides service via phone, text, and virtual meetings and will return to in person appts following King County public health recommendations. PRS carry a caseload of 5-12 participants depending on the intensity of services, and support parents with a variety of emotional wellness needs including perinatal anxiety, loss, depression, birth trauma or simply finding the right language to explain how challenging the transition to parenthood is to their co-parent. This program is based in King Co and interns must be able to meet with clients in King Co.
For more information or to submit your resume and cover letter, please email Elizabeth.MooreSimpson@perinatalsupport.org. Please put PRS Intern in the subject line.

Learn More About Our Programs:  

washington state perinatal online therapy

Now offering Telehealth therapy for people trying to conceive through 24 months postpartum.

Perinatal Support Washington is excited to announce a new Perinatal Mental Health Therapy Program for people during the reproductive period.

Services available regardless of income or insurance.

We treat a variety of common concerns including  infertility, perinatal loss, birth trauma, postpartum adjustment issues such as depression, anxiety, and panic, breast/chestfeeding stress/trauma, relationship concerns since baby, and unwanted feelings such as anger, rage, irritability.

We are not able to offer services in the following circumstances:

  • Clients who are actively suicidal.
  • Clients who are transitioning out of inpatient mental health services.
  • Clients who are not in recovery or actively engaged in recovery services for substance use.
warm line support phone washington

Help parents access support and programs through our Warm Line

Our Parent Support Warm Line is the access point for all our programs. We are here when families need us. Calls are answered live M-F, 9am-4:30pm, and we provide prompt call backs on evenings and weekends. Calls are answered by parents or professionals. At the end of the call parents will have a plan that includes wellness and self care planning, referrals, and next steps.

1-888-404-7763

To access any of our programs, clients can call our Warm Line or request a call back. Se habla español.

online therapy

Discover the Perinatal Education Resilience Collaborative

Connect clients with one of our Parent Resilient Specialists. Each specialist has both lived experience and specialized training in wellness and mental health in the childbearing period. They can help clients develop helpful and realistic self-care and wellness plans, and arre great at finding local activities such as storytimes, breastfeeding support groups, or even attending a new parent support group with them to overcome the anxiety about going alone.