Improving Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorder for Parents

This Champions Information Sharing Webinar is designed for health-care providers and students who are interested in learning more about improving maternal mental health, from perinatal to postpartum, in primary care. 

The purpose of this webinar is to give an overview of the Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood Disorder Support (PPMD) pogram at the Guelph Family Health Team, and describe the implementation of RNAO’s Assessment and Interventions of Perinatal Depression best practice guideline (BPG) in primary care.

Participants will learn about how the PPMD Program enhanced its screening process and expanded the program beyond the postpartum period to also include the support of parent’s prenatal health. 

Through attending this presentation, participants will become familiar with how the Guelph Family Health Team expanded their PPMD Program to improve the perinatal population’s accessibility to mental health care. The audience will also learn about the tools this program implemented to improve screening for perinatal mood disorders and why improved screening for PPMD can lead to earlier intervention. This dynamic program has helped parents feel more connected and supported and improved their symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

During this presentation participants will learn about the:

• Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood Disorder Support (PPMD) Program;
• use of best practices as the foundation for transforming and enhancing the services in an existing program; and
• use of recommendations within a BPG to support the implementation of a standardized screening tool.

Presenters:

• Laura Adam, MSc, RD, CDE
  
  Clinic Coordinator, Guelph Family Health Team
• Kasi Shanmukanathan, MSW, RSW
  
  Mental Health Counsellor, Guelph Family Health Team