Postpartum Support Virginia
Hope and help
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Addressing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders is a two-generation approach that creates multigenerational wellness because children thrive when their parents are physically and mentally healthy. Untreated PMADs negatively impact the mother, baby, family, and community. The five-year cost of untreated PMADs is $32,000 per mother/infant dyad. PMADs affect 20% of women in the general population, 40% of Hispanic women, and 44% of Black/African American women. Black and Hispanic people, in particular, are suffering from an increased risk of both negative maternal and mental health outcomes during the perinatal time. Fortunately, PMADs are temporary and treatable. Most people recover through a combination of self/community care, peer support, therapy, and medication. The interventions described in this proposal are an evidence-based way to address PMADs that can help return people to wellness quickly.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Warmline Support
It is very important to connect with others who have experienced similar challenges. Our 365-day-per-year warm line provides support and resources. You are not alone.
Peer Support Groups
Support groups offer the opportunity to validate experiences, share coping strategies, and gain support and encouragement.
PSVa offers 60 support groups per month -- we have specialty groups and general groups. Our specialty groups focus on a particular need or community and include NICU parents, Women of Color, Spanish Langauge, feeding support, and military families.
Learn more at https://postpartumva.org/support-groups/
Find out more at http://www.postpartumva.org/support-groups/
Information and Resources
Our information and resources include over 150 specially-trained mental health providers.
Outreach and Education
Our outreach and education includes training maternal-child healthcare providers to educate, screen, and treat women for postpartum depression.
Peer Mentor Program
PSVa’s peer mentors are volunteers who have firsthand experience with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. As survivors, they understand the struggle and the path to wellness, and want to offer support to those who are suffering.
They provide support, encouragement, and information about where to go for help. However, volunteers are NOT medical professionals, so they cannot offer medical information or screening. A peer mentor is a great addition to mental health treatment.
Care Coordination
PSVa has a referral list of 200+ specially trained mental health care providers. We remove barriers to mental health care by matching clients with mental health professionals and coordinating referral to other necessary supports.
Shelane's Fund
Shelane’s Fund provides grants up to $500 to help perinatal families overcome postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Funding can be used to cover expenses such as appointments with a therapist or psychiatrist; child care or transportation to attend such appointments; hiring a doula or night nurse or other birth / postpartum professional; travel expenses for a family member to come and help.
This fund was created in honor of Shelane Gaydos, a mother of three girls who tragically ended her life while in the grips of severe postpartum depression.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsAverage number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This number represents the hospitals, churches, community organizations, maternal and pediatric health providers and other stakeholders who distributed our materials. Over 100,000 educational pieces
Number of phone calls/inquiries
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Warmline Support
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of training events conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
1. Increase screening rates in Virginia
2. Reduce the severity and duration of symptoms for those who experience PMADs through direct support services that are free, easily accessible and culturally appropriate for all communities in Virginia
3: Increased the number of trained mental health providers in Va
4. Reduce barriers to care, including childcare, lack of trained mental health providers, access to mental health services and other supports such as doulas.
5. Interrupt systemic racism in the healthcare system through our training programs
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
PSVa has helped thousands of women overcome PMADs by providing:
1. Free support for those experiencing PMADs via phone, email, text, social media, and social support groups in English and Spanish. Our support programs include a 365-day-per-year warm line, a peer mentor program, and virtual and in-person peer support groups.
2. Mental Health Provider training to increase the number of providers specializing in treating PMADs across the state.
3. Care Coordination services, including referrals and warm hand-offs to 200+ specially-trained mental health professionals with expertise in treating PMADs.
4. Outreach and education to maternal-child healthcare providers so they will educate all child-bearing women about PMADs, screen for them routinely, and connect affected women with resources for recovery.
Training for mental health providers in the treatment of PMADs.
5. Create community-level solutions to address PMADs through our Perinatal Mental Health Coalition of Virginia and Regional working groups in each community in VA.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Postpartum Support Virginia is managed by a staff and Board of Directors that consists solely of female-identified individuals who are all survivors of or experts in PMADs (many are both survivors AND experts).
PSVa has ensured that survivors of PMADs are infused throughout our organization so that programs are grounded in the lived experiences of the women we serve.
PSVa is led by an executive team consisting of an Executive Director and Deputy Director. The Deputy Director is a licensed clinician and oversees PSVa’s direct services. PSVa’s Executive Director focuses on fundraising, strategy, and partnerships. She has over twenty years of experience in managing nonprofit organizations. The executive team is committed to collaborative leadership and ensures that all positions have access to decision makers and power.
PSVa also has a senior staff team that provides input and direction in organizational vision and day-to-day operations. This senior staff team ensures all programs are represented and considered in decision-making. PSVa’s leadership team has an excellent working relationship with the Board of Directors. The Board has committees focusing on clinical oversight, financial management, human resources, fundraising, and policy and procedures.
Postpartum Support Virginia’s Executive Director has two decades of experience in non-profit management, academia, and anti-racist activist work. She became an expert in perinatal mental health through her experience as a childbirth educator and doula.
PSVa’s Deputy Director is a Licensed counselor specializing in perinatal time and trauma, providing her with the expertise to lead PSVa’s direct services. PSVa’s Spanish services are led by an MSW specializing in maternal/child health.
PSVa’s Board of Directors includes a clinical review team of experts in the field of perinatal mental health, including two well-regarded psychiatrists and two clinicians specializing in perinatal mental health. This review team ensures PSVa’s services and training are the epitomai of professional excellence.
PSVa offers 20-hour training for all peer support facilitators to ensure they are equipped to provide excellent peer support. This training includes the spectrum of PMAD illnesses, understanding intrusive thoughts, warning signs of suicidality, emergency protocols, safety planning, and the dynamics of leading peer support.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
xx
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Postpartum Support Virginia
Board of directorsas of 08/28/2023
Tanya Singleton
Private Practice
Term: 2022 - 2025
Natasha Sriraman
MD
Marissa Newberry
PMP
Jamitta Covington
MSW, Private Practice
Amy Vox
Booz Allen Hamilton
Kara Keefe
VCU
Amanda Wheeler
Child Development Resources
Anna Whetsel Rucker
Private practice doula
Charity Robinson
IT
Natasha Sriraman
MD
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/28/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.