PHA Overview | Postpartum Health Alliance

	Host a "Warmline" Only 15% of those suffering with a PMAD receive treatment. To make finding help as easy as possible, trained PHA volunteers provide safe support and specialized referrals through our "warmline." The warmline takes messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and every message is returned within 24 hours.
	Support Professionals PHA serves as a membership organization bringing together diverse and dedicated clinical + allied perinatal professionals. Our members are listed on our directory, receive ongoing perinatal education and networking opportunities, and regularly exchange peer support, resources, and referrals through our active community listserv. Learn more →
	Increase Awareness New parents regularly have their struggles dismissed by well-meaning loved ones and professionals. PHA will not rest until every person a new parent comes in contact with understands PMADs. We do this by providing our PMADs 101 training to community groups, health care providers, and local nonprofits, in addition to supplying hospitals and community clinics with our educational brochures.
	Educate Providers Even though PMADs are the number one complication of birth, MANY health care professionals remain uninformed. This educational gap results in PMADs being minimized, misdiagnosed, or overlooked by the people we count on for help. PHA strives to correct this by regularly presenting our PMADs 101 training to local providers and organizations; in addition to, offering multiple educational workshops a year relating to perinatal wellness and mental health. Learn more →
	Provide Resources With so much information at our fingertips, finding non-bias, research-based resources has never been harder. We tackle this modern-day problem by maintaining this website packed full of educational insights on PMADs, a blog library written by our professional members, and a directory full of specialized, local clinical providers, allied perinatal professionals, and parent support groups.

The San Diego Postpartum Health Alliance (PHA) started in 1996 when several clinicians in San Diego came together and recognized a significant need in our community. Dr. Kelly Boyd, Susan Hickman, Dr. Leslie Craig, and Dr. Adele Josepho all met informally to begin the conversation about the need for adequate screening, treatment, and support for parents dealing with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. At the time, wanting to proactively identify and support Perinatal Mental Health was a pretty progressive idea. However, these providers were treating women with PMADs and, due to their first-hand understanding of these conditions, and they knew they couldn't ignore this larger need in the community, so they stepped up to be the change they wanted to see. Jane Honnikman, who was the founder and President of Postpartum Support International (PSI), flew down on her private plane (!) to attend the initial PHA founder meeting in the conference room at Sharp Mesa Vista in 1997. She helped guide the group and gave ideas on how to organize a non-profit organization. With Jane's guidance, PHA was founded in 1998 by Dr. Leslie W. Craig, Dr. Kelly Boyd-Bragadeste, Dr. Martha Diamond, Dr. Janet Jaffee, Dr. Adele Josepho, and Dr. Robert Hickman- Susan's Hickman's husband. Susan tragically passed away just before the official founding of PHA. Susan's vital legacy in this community lives on through a PSI research award granted every year in her name.

Since then, and very recently with the help of one part-time contract employee, PHA's operations are brought to life by our volunteer board, professional members, and dedicated volunteers. PHA is dependent on the generous support, donations, and grants it receives from San Diego individuals and businesses.

Over the years Jane Honikman, founder of Postpartum Support International, has been of tremendous assistance to PHA. Dr. Leslie W. Craig, M.D., Dr. Barbara Parry, M.D., of UCSD, Mary Obata, MFT, and Dr. Chris Bernet, Ph.D., have each given much to this organization over the years, and we wouldn't be where we are today without their continued support.

We are indebted to the First Five Commission, which provided initial funding for our brochure. We are grateful also to Laura Galinson, of Price-Galinson Charities, who has served as our guide through the world of philanthropy.

About The Postpartum Health Alliance

Our Mission

Our Process

Host a "Warmline"

Support Professionals

Increase Awareness

Educate Providers

Provide Resources

Our History

Special Thanks

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