History of the Perinatal Mental Health Society
(written in October, 2016, by Kathie Wisner)
At the Perinatal Mental Health Conference in Chicago, IL, a group of perinatal specialists (listed below) met to from 6 to 8 PM, Tuesday, Nov 3, 2015, at the Allerton Hotel, Ogden Board Room for a detailed consideration of – Should a Marcé regional group be initiated?
The invited work group included:
Katherine Wisner, MD MS (Psychiatry), Chair
Cheryl Beck, DNSc (Nursing)
Crystal Clark, MD MSc (Psychiatry)
Cindy-Lee Dennis, PhD
Camille Hoffman, MD, MPH (MFM)
Margaret Howard, PhD (Psychology)
Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH
Emily Miller, MD MPH (MFM)
Michael O’Hara, PhD, Psychology
Barbara L. Parry, MD (Psychiatry)
Debra Tucker (administration for conference)
The group was unanimous in the proposal to begin a perinatal mental health society for North America. The discussion included:
- Advancing an agenda specific to North American members and our health care systems, advocacy in our countries, and leadership opportunities for younger faculty.
- A strong financial health plan from the initiation, with capable and affordable organizational management.
- A commitment to actively engage in and develop the new organization.
Cindy Lee Dennis was nominated by the group to be the Canadian representative. Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo agreed to represent Mexico and other North American Spanish speaking countries.
When the criteria to become a regional group of the Marcé Society are met (anticipated for January, 2018, after the next PNMHS meeting in Chicago), the name will become Marcé of North America (MONA), as suggested by Mike O’Hara.
Debby Tucker (Debra Tucker Associates, LLC) agreed to be our organizational manager, and we worked with her to develop our Constitution and Articles of Incorporation. The startup funding was generously provided by the organizational committee members. We have our regulatory requirements at this point and are prepared to move forward with membership to the Perinatal Mental Health Society, Inc., in 2017. The inaugural officers were: Katherine Wisner, President; Samantha Meltzer-Brody, President-Elect; Crystal Clark, Secretary; Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo, Treasurer.
We look forward to collaborating with our partners, Postpartum Support International, Postpartum Progress and the North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology to advocate on behalf of childbearing women.
Our vision is a world in which childbearing women, their children and families enjoy the benefits of mental health and well-being.
We are thrilled to continue
our work toward an
organizational structure
to advance clinical care
and research in
perinatal mental health in
North America!
Marcé of North America
Mission Statement.
The Marcé Society of North America (MONA) is committed to the advancement of Clinical Care, Advocacy, Research, and Education (CARE). We accomplish our mission by:
- Promoting interdisciplinary preventive and treatment services to childbearing women, their families, the public, and general medical community.
- Encouraging the development of novel assessment, diagnostic, treatment and integrative care strategies.
- Translating our science into practice and policy from the local to the global audience through publications, training, service development and leadership in perinatal mental health.
- Supporting the development of a highly skilled, diverse, multi-disciplinary professional staff at the cutting edge of perinatal mental health through continued education, research and encouragement of creativity.
- Conducting our organizational functions in an ethical, professional and fiscally responsible manner.