PARENT RESILIENCE PROGRAM

Parent Resilience Program (PERC)

Some people find Perinatal Support Washington (PS-WA) after hours googling how parenthood is “supposed” to feel, others arrive having reviewed a pamphlet on “Perinatal Depression” at the pediatricians. However you arrive and whatever direction you want to go, our Parent Resilience Program “PERC” is here for you. 

Everyone and every pregnancy is a different journey. At PERC we know that your emotional wellness experiences will be different and unique. For this reason, we would like to offer SUPPORT in an equally varied and personalized delivery. We are here to support YOU and YOUR wellness goals. 

Our Parent Resilience Program is staffed and designed by PEERs because we also know that mental health therapy is one option, but it’s not the only one and there are many paths to wellness.

Our Parent Resilience Program (PERC) is unique in a few significant ways:

  • 1 This program was developed for YOU.

    Not just “you” as a parent, but the whole “you”. The “you” that may be reconciling unexpected birth experiences, struggling with your partner, managing anxiety, or other challenging feelings and experiences that can be hard to explain to family and friends, and sometimes even ourselves.
  • 2 Our staff are parents with lived experience.

    Not only was this program made with your needs in mind, but it was created and is operated by those who have been where you are now. Our Parent Resilient Specialists have both lived experience and also specialized training in perinatal wellness and mental health in the childbearing period. Our specialists come from 3 communities- Black/African American, Latinx/Spanish Speaking, and Urban Indigenous. Our specialists are well-versed in creating helpful and realistic self-care strategies and tailoring our “Wellness Wheels “ tool to you. Our specialists are great at finding local activities such as storytime in your neighborhood, a local breastfeeding support group, or even attending a pregnancy loss support group with you to overcome the anxiety of going alone.
  • 3 Your wellness journey is led by you.

    Parent Resilience Specialists are trained peer providers who are here to see the power in you, not to try to empower you. They can assist you in getting ready to take your first steps towards emotional wellness. Whether that is connecting to other parent support resources, identifying priorities and boundaries with your family, or just an attentive, non-judgemental listening ear, PERC is here to help you thrive.
  • 4 This program is free and opt-in.

    We do not require insurance and will not bog you down with tedious paperwork. Our program enrolls participants on a rolling basis and our call-back time is 24 business hours. After one initial intake appointment, you are IN and we are here for you.

What the Parent Resilience Program “PERC” does:

  • Parent Resilience Specialists (PRS) meet throughout the week via phone, text, and video while social distancing is still recommended by public health. In-person meetings will resume when safe.
  • PRS' provide the support you need and want, wellness planning, connecting you to resources and referrals, and more.
  • PRS' can work with families for as many weeks or months as your desires change. We’re here to help you to move along on your wellness journey.

Who PERC serves:

  • Pregnant people and new parents who are at risk of, or currently experiencing, mental health concerns related to childbearing
    Some examples could include anxiety, sadness or grief around unexpected parenting/birth outcomes, depression, sleeplessness, scary or intrusive thoughts.
  • People who have experienced a loss, terminated a pregnancy, or had other unexpected childbirth outcomes
  • Parents who are not currently parenting due to loss, removal, etc. are welcome in this program if they are experiencing perinatal mental health concerns
  • King County residents
  • People who not identify as parents but have experienced a mental health challenge related to reproduction/childbearing

Who PERC does NOT serve:

  • Parents/participants outside of King County
  • Parents with Substance Use Disorders who are not currently engaged in recovery services
  • Parents who are currently, or have recently experienced, a mental health crisis resulting in hospitalization and are not actively engaged in mental health services
  • Parents whose primary mental health concern is not related to childbearing/conception/loss

Does this program sound like the right fit for you?

To access any of our programs please submit a request for services below. Providers can refer via the same link

1-888-404-7763

* se habla español

warmline@perinatalsupport.org

REQUEST Services

“I hope all your future participants feel the support you have given me”

-PERC Participant

Meet our Parent Resilience Specialist Team:

Elizabeth Photo

Elizabeth Moore Simpson, LSWAIC, PERC Program Manager

MEET ELIZABETH
Elizabeth Photo

Elizabeth Moore Simpson (she/her), LSWAIC, PERC Program Manager

is a mother of one and also identifies as a bereaved parent. She has worked with new families for over ten years before coming to PS-WA.  She has dedicated her career to the work of ending health and economic disparities for communities furthest away from opportunity. Through an infant-early childhood mental and maternal health lens Elizabeth has practiced as a doula, restorative justice circle keeper, child and family therapist, and community organizer for racial and economic justice.

Additionally, Elizabeth is an Ethnic Minority Specialist with specific training, experience, and connection with the urban native community in the unceded tribal land known as ‘Seattle’. These are commitments that extend beyond her professional career as a social worker and are integral to how she views her responsibility to those whose land she resides on.

Elizabeth was raised in Seattle, and spends her (fleeting) spare time with her partner teaching their little one to fight the power!

Elizabeth.MooreSimpson (at) perinatalsupport (dot) org

IMG-3785

Stephanie Valerdi, Parent Resilience Specialist

MEET Stephanie
IMG-3785

Stephanie Valerdi (she/her/they/them)

Stephanie Valerdi was born in Puebla, Mexico and grew up in Seattle where she currently resides with her 6 year old son. As a mother of a child with special needs, and with a background in community programs, and early childhood education Stephanie firmly believes in using her skills, and gained experience in supporting mental health as a priority for families in the Latinx community. She has personal experience navigating the mental health systems and as an immigrant, she is passionate about using her ability to speak both Spanish and English to help families access the help they deserve without the language barrier as an additional obstacle. Her personal experience with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) as well as trauma, has empowered her in her career to provide compassionate and informed care not only to the children she has worked with, but the parents as well. In her various roles supporting families and parents, from an educator to a peer support provider. Stephanie is supportive in listening and having difficult conversations knowing that talking about her past experiences with mental health and trauma can help destigmatize and normalize for others in need of support.
Latonia Westerfield

La Tonia Westerfield, Parent Resilience Specialist

MEET LA TONIA
Latonia Westerfield

Latonia Westerfield (she/they), Parent Resilience Specialist

Latonia supports pregnant and parenting families as a Parent Resilience Specialist and serves as an encouraging resource and witness for parents navigating the mental health landscape during the perinatal period. Latonia has spent the last 6 year advocating for families, attending births, and providing compassionate care as a birth doula and student midwife. She graduated from Birthwise Midwifery School in June 2021. 

 

Prior to beginning birth work, Latonia studied maternal and infant morbidity and mortality as an undergrad and social-cultural anthropology major at University of Washington until she graduated in 2011. In all of her work and roles, Latonia uses the framework and lens of reproductive justice, equity, inclusivity, and radical rest politics to critically examine and dismantle structural and systemic inequality and oppression. Latonia is a mother of five and has  personally navigated PMADs as a solo parent.  Like so many others, she has experienced personal and professional loss, which allows her to offer families a variety of  support tools and skills to help them along their  wellness  journeys.  Latonia lives with her five vibrant daughters in South Seattle, where lots of dance parties take place in the kitchen while cookies are baking. She looks forward to the springtime when she can spend countless hours nourishing her soul in the garden with her hands in the warm earth. In the meantime, she enjoys binge listening to podcasts that center black femme narratives.

Perinatal Mental Health 101

Interview with Alyson

Parenting in Recovery Interview with Alyson

Interview with Dr. Sparrow

Working with Women in Recovery Across the Perinatal Period Interview with Clinical Psychologist, Joanne Sparrow, PhD., Integrative Psychological Services of Seattle

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