12th Annual Force for the Future Luncheon
12th Annual Force for the Future Luncheon
Getting “Through the Blues” – Supporting the Mental Health of New Parents
A Community Conversation on Perinatal & Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders
“As many as 1 in 7 moms (1 in 10 dads) experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during the postpartum period. People of every age, income level, race and culture can develop Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) during pregnancy and within the first year after delivery.” – Postpartum Support International
The Family Place’s annual Force for the Future Luncheon was held on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at the Cornerstone Community Center. We are extremely proud of and grateful to our speaker panelists from last week’s 12th Annual Force for the Future Luncheon! The panelists included Steve Chapman, Dartmouth Health Pediatrician; Amy Johnson, Director of Northwestern Counseling & Support Services’ Parent Child Center; Samantha Palmer, Child and Family Therapist at the TLC Family Resource Center, and three staff members from The Family Place: Lauren King, Tonya McMurray, and Ashley Ricard. The panel conversation focused on perinatal and postpartum mental health disorders, in observance of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Our panel shared their experiences, both personal and professional, on this topic and highlighted community resources for families and their new children to thrive.
Executive Director Nancy Bloomfield said, “The Family Place’s staff and all panelists brought heart, passion, and thoughtful insight to the conversation – grounding the topic in real experiences and offering hope.” Kelli Boucher, Gentle Landing Birth Center, said, “After attending the Luncheon, we were not only connected to the incredible available resources that support the perinatal mental health of our community’s parents but also to the caring individuals who make up these organizations. There’s truly nothing more hopeful and powerful than being in a room full of practitioners and parents who understand the struggles of parenthood, and give back to the community out of abundance, compassion, and love.” Another attendee said, “Having experienced postpartum depression myself and having struggled to find support and validation, I was impressed with the number of services that are available for families. I left the event with a lot of hope for those facing challenges.”
Resources:
Mothers & Babies Program
HEART (Helping Everyone Access Resources and Thrive) Program
Postpartum Support International
The Postpartum Stress Center
Postpartum Progress
Book Recommendations:
What Am I Thinking? Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers
This isn’t What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression
Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Unwanted Thoughts in Motherhood
Speaker Panelists
Steven H. Chapman, MD, is a pediatrician with over 25 years of experience. Dr. Chapman practices at Dartmouth Health Children’s Hospital and teaches at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He has served in the National Health Service Corps and is currently the medical director of the Boyle Community Pediatrics Program and school physician for the Dresden School District.
Amy Johnson has worked for over 20 years in the field of human services, both domestically and internationally. Originally from Michigan, she started her career as a foster care case manager in Detroit. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts degree in Social Justice and Human Rights, she has forged diverse partnerships to create programming that has sought to strengthen protective factors in families, promote positive child development and parent-child relationships, and mitigate the risk and impact of perinatal depression and related disorders. Amy Johnson lives in Jericho with her daughter, Luna, and is a volunteer coordinator for Postpartum Support International. She is currently the Director of the Parent Child Center of Northwestern Counseling & Support Services and a member of the Vermont Parent Child Center Network.
Lauren King is a Children’s Integrated Services Early Intervention Service Coordinator and Family Support Home Visitor at The Family Place. Lauren has worked at The Family Place for over 2 years and has worked in the Human Services and Early Childhood field for a total of 8 years. Lauren is passionate about building healthy relationships with her clients as well as forming connections with the community. Lauren relies on her strengths-based approach to communicate with families, support them in connecting with resources to meet their basic needs and find peace and stability in their mental and emotional well-being. Lauren is a certified facilitator of the Mothers and Babies course which is inspired by concepts of mindfulness, attachment theory, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is intended to support mothers in building a toolbox to manage stress. Lauren has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
Tonya McMurray (Panel Moderator) is the Clinical Director for The Family Place. She has 20 years of experience providing therapy to children, adolescents, and families, with extensive experience and training working with children and families impacted by trauma and adversity. She has a Masters in Mental Health Counseling Degree from Plymouth State University and a certificate in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation through Georgetown University.
Samantha Palmer, MSW, PMH-C, has 11 years of experience in early childhood education and development. She is credentialed in the State of New Hampshire as an Early Childhood Master Professional Workshop Trainer and Program Consultant and has a Master of Social Work Degree and Certification in Infant Mental Health. Samantha also obtained her PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) and is passionate about supporting moms with their mental health in the perinatal period. As a Child and Family Therapist at the TLC Family Resource Center in Claremont, NH, she provides in-home therapy to pregnant and parenting people and their children in rural New Hampshire. Samantha is a volunteer Support Coordinator for the State of New Hampshire for Postpartum Support International (PSI) and a specialized adolescent parent support coordinator for PSI.
Ashley Ricard is a parent, resident of White River Junction, VT, and employee of The Family Place since May 2019. During prenatal and postpartum periods, she was a recipient of perinatal mental health support through Children’s Integrated Services at The Family Place. She is a mother of four biological children and one stepchild, their ages ranging from 4 to 17 years old. She has over ten years of experience working with young children and their families; and is Lead Teacher in one of the Early Care and Education Program classrooms. She attended River Valley Community College and Community College of Vermont and currently has a level 3-A certificate through the Northern Lights Career Ladder.
Thank you to our event sponsor!
About The Family Place
Founded in 1985, the mission of The Family Place is to deliver comprehensive programs designed to strengthen positive relationships, teach essential skills and promote enduring healthy growth for families with young children in the Upper Valley and surrounding communities.