Words from PSI Leadership
And yet—just as we did during the pandemic—PSI is navigating it well.
We’ve learned how to respond quickly and wisely, how to pull back when needed, and how to expand when opportunity calls. That resilience is one of the reasons your investment in PSI is so worthwhile. In a world where so much feels uncertain, PSI is constant, reliable, and strong.
Because of you, we can say to every parent:
We are here. We are listening. We will help you find the resources you need.
With your support this year, we’ve maintained and expanded our peer support groups, increased our support for parents who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss, launched the pilot program for the Blue Dot Spot program, extended our efforts to support caregivers, and continued our work in dismantling misunderstandings and shifting the conversation around postpartum psychosis.
The people we care for are the people you care about. Every story of hope and recovery carries your fingerprints.
Travel with us through this report to reflect on our growth over the years, what we’ve accomplished in 2025, and look toward PSI’s future.
Wendy Davis, PhD, PMH-C
PSI President and CEO
Andrea Clark
Deputy CEO
PSI started as a wish.
Before Postpartum Support International was founded in 1987, there was PEP.
In 1977, PSI Founder Jane Honikman wished there were a place where new parents could discuss the anxiety, stress, and emotions surrounding early parenthood. Along with several other mothers, she launched a community-based, volunteer-led group called Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) with the goal of providing emotional support to parents. PEP featured a “warm line” and parent discussion groups, where parents could bring their questions and concerns without the fear of judgment.
Today, that wish has evolved into PSI’s HelpLine, local and specialized support coordinators, support groups, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, perinatal mental health discussion tools, and so much more.
“I believe that knowledge, empathy, and attention to the generational mental health needs of expectant parents and new families strengthens our communities and makes them healthier. This can be achieved by embracing the point of view that postpartum lasts a lifetime.”
Jane Honkiman, Postpartum is Forever, 2022
PSI has a history of turning
wishes into reality.
We wished that we had greater representation of people of color.
The Alliance for People of Color
PSI has had a long-standing commitment to improving services and responsiveness to communities of color. This commitment met opportunity in February 2017 when three visionary women of color came together to create the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color (“The Alliance”), a supportive organization led by and for people of color, to provide advocacy, information, and resources related to perinatal mental health.
After attending a PSI conference in 2016, three dedicated perinatal mental health professionals: Divya B. Kumar, LICSW, Sc.M., PMH-C; Jabina Coleman, LCSW, IBCLC; and Desirée Israel, PhDc, LCSW-C, LICSW, LCSW, CBS, recognized the need for perinatal mental health professionals of color to find support, means of collaboration, and opportunities to give voice to the experiences of perinatal individuals of color. All three had been involved as PSI members and volunteers.
Since transitioning into a fully funded program within PSI in 2022, The Alliance has expanded to have a full staff and has become an integral part of PSI, enabling the organization to continually improve its services and responsiveness.
Because of the vision of those three dedicated women, the continued vision and work of PSI’s Alliance staff and leadership, and the support of funders Perigee Foundation and Ernst & Young Foundation, PSI continues to make the wish for a more equitable perinatal mental health landscape a reality.
We wished there was somewhere new parents could call for support.
The HelpLine
The PSI HelpLine has become an international hub for connecting individuals with direct peer support, online support groups, local volunteers, and additional resources. Through PSI’s rapid growth and the advancements in technology, the strength of the HelpLine remains, and can be found in the direct empathy and non-judgmental, informed peer support provided to each person seeking help.
The PSI HelpLine began in the home of PSI Founder Jane Honikman, one woman with a phone, responding to calls from pregnant and postpartum individuals struggling with their emotions and mental health. Jane understood from the very beginning that listening is at the heart of effective care, and that providing step-by-step support could help launch the helpseeker on the path to recovery. She also recognized that connecting with and informing caregivers and supporters was essential to fostering a true community of care.
PSI established its first all-volunteer HelpLine responder team based on best practices from peer support groups around the world. The HelpLine is dedicated to providing compassionate peer support and essential resources. In 2010, PSI built a core team of Spanish-speaking volunteers. Over time, the HelpLine has evolved in tandem with new technology, enhancing PSI’s ability to reach and serve those seeking help each year. Thanks to the financial support of generous donors, PSI implemented a database platform in 2019 that automates continuity of care, record-keeping, and follow-up across PSI.
PSI has always had confidence in and gratitude for the steadfast volunteers who staff the HelpLine, understanding that PSI is strengthened and informed by creating opportunities for those who have recovered to provide support for those in need. The HelpLine would not be possible without the countless hours of dedication from these committed volunteers or the donations made to PSI over the years, from individuals and organizations.
We wished we had a way to legitimize the field of perinatal mental health.
Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C)
To address a gap in professional training, PSI developed a comprehensive PMH certification program, enabling the training, certification, and designation of providers as knowledgeable and current, ultimately creating a workforce of informed providers.
PSI has always provided perinatal mental health (PMH) training and education to professionals and peer supporters, utilizing evidence-based references, clinical expertise, and the insights of individuals with lived experience. Despite a growing number of PMH groups, trainings, and programs, a gap existed: there was a lack of quality, standardized treatment, and no professional certification for the growing field. The end result was varied competency and treatment, leading to inaccurate treatment, inappropriate and ineffective therapy, and limited or no follow-up.
The certification program would not exist without the support from a major donor, whose generous donation was the catalyst that turned the dream into reality.
The PMH Certification Program launched in the Fall of 2018. PSI assembled a group of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to develop essential components of the certification, including the test blueprint, standards for minimally qualified candidates, and examination questions. As of December 2025, PSI has over 7,000 active PMH-Cs who recognize, diagnose, and treat PMH disorders. The certification examination establishes the performance standard for individuals practicing as perinatal mental health specialists.
We wished pregnant and postpartum parents had somewhere to call to receive immediate support and resources, day or night.
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
PSI had long dreamed of a 24/7 hotline, staffed with trained responders and connected to resources, so pregnant and postpartum help-seekers, families, and providers could find support and resources any time, day or night. The cost and infrastructure of a hotline were always out of reach. PSI leaders dreamed of the possibility that the federal government would provide such a service, but it felt like a long shot. After years of national advocacy and direct appeals to members of Congress, PSI’s dream was met with congressional support, and a national hotline became a reality.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) successfully established the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (NMMHH), powered by PSI, and committed to ongoing quality improvement. The hotline offers real-time assistance, information, resources, and referrals. Hotline counselors are available in both English and Spanish, and interpreter services are offered in 60 additional languages. Crucial to its success, the NMMHH partners with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the Disaster Distress Hotline, MotherToBaby, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Becoming a federal contractor and committing to run a secure and reliable hotline marked a significant milestone for PSI. Since its launch on Mother’s Day 2022, the hotline has received more than 70,000 calls and texts, serving pregnant and postpartum individuals, their healthcare providers, and their loved ones.
The commitment of mental health advocates, along with the funding and vision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, made this dream a reality.
1-833-TLC-MAMA
We wished new parents and parents-to-be could easily find specialized care—doctors, midwives, therapists, doulas—all in one place.
PSI Provider Directory
In 2016, the Walton Family Foundation provided a grant to develop a sustainable online database of perinatal mental health providers, with the pilot goal of establishing a PSI Colorado Chapter to collaborate with PSI leadership and developers to launch a Colorado PMH Directory. Until the Directory was launched, there was no online database of trained perinatal mental health providers.
Fueled by Lucy Ana Walton’s motivation and insight, the Walton Family’s Zoma Foundation made possible the creation of a sustainable online directory. The directory features standardized criteria, vetted providers, and up-to-date listings based on location, licensure, specialty, and insurance coverage.
Today, PSI’s Provider Directory has expanded to be used across the United States, Canada, and a growing number of additional countries, to a network of over 10,000 providers, support groups, clinics, and hospitals with specialized training in perinatal mental health. Providers can add their listing at no cost and add unique badges to identify if they are also PMH-Cs or prescribers. The Directory is a vital part of the bridge PSI provides, and is used by many, including PSI Peer Support Programs and the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, connecting new families with the specialized care they need to be well. The vision and funding provided by the Walton Family Foundation and the hard work of the first Colorado PSI Chapter and PSI central leadership made this dream a reality.
We wished there were somewhere providers could call for free, accurate information and consultation related to psychiatric care for perinatal patients.
Perinatal Psychiatric Consultation Program
The idea for an independent national psychiatric consultation line stemmed from a gap in provider education and expertise related to perinatal mental health. The University of Illinois previously ran a free perinatal psychiatric consult, established by Dr. Laura Miller, MD, which was discontinued in 2012. This left a gap in care and provider education, increasing barriers to primary care screening and misinformation in the provision of psychiatric services for perinatal patients.
In 2018, PSI created a new Psychiatric Consultation line, using the same model as PSI’s HelpLine. This telephone service provides valuable information and resources to providers, including research data and recommendations for medication use in pregnancy and lactation, treatment options, resources for further education, and technical support for professional offices.
Today, PSI’s Perinatal Psychiatric Consultation Program is staffed by psychiatric experts who are members of PSI and specialists in the treatment of perinatal mental health disorders. The service is free and available by appointment. In 2019, the PSI Consult Line joined the Lifeline4Moms Network, connecting with state-based Perinatal Psychiatry Access program around the country. The dedication and commitment of our volunteer experts, along with the stewardship of PSI staff and Board members, make the Perinatal Psychiatric Consultation Program possible. Without them, the consultation program would remain simply a dream.
“Women’s health advocates who had once wondered how to find anyone who would take their situation seriously have transformed into a professional body that defines a specialization.”
Rachel Louise Moran, Blue: A History of Postpartum Depression in America, 2024
Continue on to read about our impact on thousands of new parents and their families in 2025.
