3 Clinical Category CEs in Suicide Prevention from NASW NH

This interactive and engaging class provides Behavioral Health professionals with essential knowledge about preventing suicide during the perinatal period, by learning more about how PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders), and IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) present during this time, and what they can do as Behavioral Health professionals to most effectively address it.

Topics will include prevalence, risk factors, and barriers to Mental Health and IPV care, as well as discrepancies in outcomes for marginalized populations. Specifics about PMADs and IPV, relevant to pregnancy and postpartum, will be covered, delivered with Health Equity and Trauma Informed Care at the core of all class materials. 

The curriculum includes practical exercises and strategies for integrating maternal health considerations into standard mental health practices, enhancing understanding and application of key concepts. Participants will leave feeling confident about their ability to screen and recognize symptoms, provide appropriate support, and to coordinate care with maternal health professionals, allowing mental health specialists to most effectively prevent suicide during the perinatal period. 

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

• Explain key concepts of PMADs and IPV as they contribute to increased risk of suicide during the perinatal period
• Identify signs and symptoms of PMADs and IPV within the perinatal population
• Develop PMAD and IPV screening and referral processes
• Describe best practices for coordinating care with maternal health providers

About the Presenter

Paige Beauchemin, RN, PMH-C has been working with moms and babies for nearly 25 years as a massage therapist, educator, and nurse. She earned her degree in Psychology with a focus on Women’s Health from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2009 she graduated from UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing. She is certified in Perinatal Mental Health by Postpartum Support International, the first and most comprehensive certifying organization in the US.

As a nurse, she has experience in a variety of maternity and psychiatric settings from inpatient to outpatient, and from very high-risk pregnancies to working with midwifery patients. She was part of an elite team that built one of Pennsylvania’s 1st Perinatal Mental Health Outpatient Clinics and worked diligently to provide education and community outreach about Perinatal Mental Health. Most recently, she has worked in health tech, building digital coaching programs for the reproductive years, with a strong focus on Mental Health and Birth Equity. Throughout her career, Paige has always been an educator, teaching everything from baby-wearing and infant massage to hypnobirthing and perinatal mental health. She is committed to building her professional practice on a foundation of inclusion, equity and justice, always keeping Health Equity at the center of her work.