Online Perinatal Mental Health Certification Program. 

WINTER/SPRING 2027 REGISTRATION

The Perinatal Mental Health Program is designed to establish a strong foundation in perinatal mental health competency. It equips participants with the tools needed to effectively identify, assess, and respond to mental health concerns within their professional scope.

By the end of the program, participants will understand the core concepts of perinatal mental health, recognize challenges faced by clients, and provide meaningful support in line with the CPMHT Perinatal Mood Framework. The program emphasizes the impact of social, historical, and cultural systems on mental health and parenting experiences, ensuring a culturally aware approach to client care.

The Canadian Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health (CC-PMH) comprises four eight-hour workshops (32 hours). The workshops do not need to be taken in the order listed, and can be taken as a stand-alone workshop for those not yet ready to commit to the full program.   

**You can save $337 by registering for the full program. Payment plans are available and we offer group and organizational discounts to support your team's training in perinatal mental health. Contact us for options. 

Who Is This Program For?

This program is open to all who wish to enhance their ability to support perinatal clients with their mental health. We invite experienced practitioners, students, and allied health professionals. No prerequisites are required to participate in this program.

Workshop 1: Foundations of Perinatal Mental Health. 

Key Learning Outcomes: 

By the end of this workshop, participants will have a foundational understanding of the core concepts in perinatal mental health, the ability to identify clients experiencing perinatal mental health challenges and respond with meaningful support. 

Core Competencies: 

The professional knowledge gained from the workshop include: 

✔️ Define and differentiate the symptoms of perinatal mental health disorders.

✔️ Identify the everyday signs of perinatal mental distress.

✔️ Recognize the biopsychosocial influences that shape perinatal mood  


Professional Skills: 

The skills gained during the workshop can be applied directly in client care, including:

✔️ Symptom Identification: Increased ability to recognize informal and conversational cues of perinatal mental distress.

✔️ Risk Assessment: Strategies to differentiate between common, concerning, and urgent symptoms of distress.

✔️ Supportive Psychoeducation: Enhanced capacity to provide simple yet effective education, aligning with the Perinatal Mood Framework.

✔️ Reflective Practice: Heightened awareness of how parental surveillance impacts the safety and comfort of different parenting communities and how to apply this knowledge to client interactions.

Cost: $579 (plus HST)

When: Thursday, February 11th, 6 hours
9:00PT / 9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET / 12:00 AT / 12:30 NT 

Workshop 2: Perinatal Mental Health Assessment and Support.

Key Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to screen and assess perinatal mental health to develop individualized support plans for clients concerned about their mood.

Core Competencies:

The professional knowledge gained from the workshop include: 

✔️ Understand the mechanisms for screening and gathering information from perinatal clients who are concerned about their mental heath. 

✔️Synthesize and contextualize client information to assess mood concerns in relation to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

✔️Amplify client strengths and resources, and identify potential referrals to bridge support gaps.

Professional Skills:

The skills gained during the workshop can be applied directly in client care, including:

✔️ Screening Administration: Ability to apply validated screening tools, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and informal assessments to gather robust client information.

✔️Build Perinatal Support Toolbox: Learn new tools that can be immediately applied to support clients in managing anxiety, reducing stress, and promoting well-being.

✔️Support Planning:  Develop tailored support plans that are based on the client's needs, in accordance with your scope of practice.

Cost: $579 (plus HST)

When: Thursday, March 4th, 6hrs
9:00PT / 9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET / 12:00 AT / 12:30 NT 

• Workshop 3: Navigating Complex Issues and Relationships in the Perinatal Period.
  

Key Learning Outcomes: 

By the end of this workshop, participants will have a deeper understanding of the complexities and intersections of perinatal mental health and interpersonal relationships. This will include an exploration of the mental load associated with parenting and the phenomenon of perinatal rage. 

Core Competencies: 

The professional knowledge gained from the workshop includes:

✔️ Understanding how the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems function and their impact on parenting.

✔️ An awareness of how interpersonal relationships intersect with perinatal mental health.

✔️ The ability to identify and reflect on our own biases regarding clients' views on relationships, boundaries, and communication.

✔️ Acknowledging the mental load of parenting and its impact on relationships and mental health.

 ✔️ Recognizing, working with, and normalizing perinatal rage.

Professional Skills: 

The skills acquired during the workshop can be directly applied to client care. These include:

✔️ Nervous System Regulation: Learning strategies to help clients calm their nervous system to cope with the challenges of parenting effectively.

✔️ Relationship Navigation: Developing skills to support clients in achieving their unique goals while navigating their relationships and perinatal mental health, including improving communication and setting boundaries.

✔️ Mental Load Management: Gaining tools to assist clients in managing and coping with their mental load.

✔️ Perinatal Rage Support: Applying nervous system soothing techniques to support clients dealing with Perinatal Rage.

Cost: $579 (plus HST)

When: Thursday, April 15th, 6 hours
9:00PT / 9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET / 12:00 AT / 12:30 NT

Workshop 4: The Intersections of Perinatal Mental Health. 

Cultivating cultural humility This workshop reviews specialized considerations when working with particular perinatal populations. 

Key Learning Outcomes: 

In this workshop, participants will explore systemic disparities in perinatal care while cultivating cultural humility and recognizing the impact of personal biases. The workshop will provide trauma-informed and culturally sensitive practices through case studies and interactive activities.

Core Competencies: 

✔️ An understanding of systemic disparities in perinatal care, including racial, ethnic, economic, and gender inequalities.

✔️ Recognition of the impact of personal biases and privilege in client interactions.

✔️ Implementation of trauma-informed care, with a focus on intergenerational and policy-related trauma affecting marginalized communities.

✔️ Insight into the mental health impact of experiencing a lifetime of microaggressions and structural discrimination.

✔️ Advocacy for equitable access to healthcare and the elimination of systemic barriers.

✔️ Current research and best practices in culturally competent and inclusive perinatal care.

Professional Skills: 

✔️ Inclusive Language: Using inclusive and non-judgmental language when interacting with diverse perinatal clients.

✔️ Communication Skills: Fostering open communication to better understand client needs and concerns.

✔️ Culturally Competent Collaboration: Working with diverse healthcare teams and making culturally sensitive referrals.

✔️ Client-Centred, Tailored Care: The ability to tailor care to clients' cultural, social, and economic backgrounds, prioritizing client-centred decision-making.

Cost: $579 (plus HST)

When: Tuesday, May 13th, 6 hours
9:00PT / 9:00 MT / 10:00CT / 11:00 ET / 12:00 AT

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Canadian Certified  - Perinatal Mental Health (CC-PMH)

Our certification programs provide supervision groups to assist graduates in meeting their supervision hour requirements. The main objective of supervision is to showcase expertise in delivering care within one's scope of practice. As our programs are attended by mental health professionals of various backgrounds, your supervisor will collaborate with you to determine personal goals. If you're interested, please click the link in our bio to learn more and register.

Tier Two - Competency:

Builds on the components of the Perinatal Mental Health Online Certificate of Completion to effectively support clients within a participant’s scope of practice.

Expectations: 

• ✔️ Be able to identify signs and symptoms of perinatal mental health concerns and make appropriate referrals based on their scope of practice. 
  
  
• ✔️ Feel comfortable discussing mental health concerns with a basic comprehension of the social determinants of health, equity-oriented mental health care, and topics that apply to specific perinatal populations. 
  
  
• ✔️ Understand how to administer screening tools and apply assessment strategies.
  
  
• ✔️ Able to interact comfortably with a person struggling with their perinatal mental health without causing harm.
  
  
• ✔️ Comprehend and apply knowledge of referral pathways for potential diagnoses, treatments, and supports (in both healthcare and community care).
  
  
• ✔️ Feel comfortable creating safety plans for patients/clients in crisis and offering or arranging case management.

Requirements: 6 hours of small group supervision