Perinatal Mental Health, Advanced Certificate (Online)

Matriculation Requirements

Admission is limited to:

• Licensed professionals whose scope of practice includes assessment, diagnosis, and treatment (e.g., Licensed Clinical Social Worker [LCSW / LCSW-R] and Licensed Psychologist); and
• Licensed professionals who have obtained or are eligible to obtain diagnostic privileges, where required under New York State regulations (e.g., mental health counselors, marriage, family therapists, and psychoanalysts).

Verification of current licensure in one of the above professions is required for enrollment.

Applicants must have a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.00. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 in graduate courses is required to maintain matriculation.

Applicants are interviewed and may be required to demonstrate written proficiency in English.

International applicants for whom English is a second language are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 575 on the paper-based test or 233 on the computer-based test or 79 on the internet-based test, before being considered for admission.

Program Requirements (18 Credits)

Students must complete 18 credits in the following 6 cross-listed courses with the ECAE and/or Psychology departments.

• ECAE/PSYC 7564G: Social Determinants of Health and Psychological Health Inequities during the Perinatal Period
• ECAE/PSYC 7562G: Parent-Child Dyad Relational Health
• ECAE/PSYC 7563G: Biopsychosocial Aspects of the Perinatal Period
• ECAE/PSYC 7566G: Psychopathological Conditions during the Perinatal Stage (Note: Diagnostic authority and treatment interventions are discussed within the context of the trainee’s professional scope of practice. This course does not authorize diagnosis or psychotherapy outside of licensure).
• ECAE/PSYC 7568G: Clinical Assessment and Intervention for Perinatal Mental Health Issues
• ECAE/PSYC 7569G: Perinatal Mental Health Practicum

This PMH program requires at least 120 hours of supervised in-person clinical internship/practicum (and reflective supervision) in settings such as hospitals, medical clinics, community settings, and/or families’ homes. It is designed to be completed in one year (fall, winter, spring, summer). Note: Students working with perinatal clients will use most of those 120 hours toward the internship/practicum requirement.

Student Learning Outcomes

Expected outcomes following completion of the Advanced Certificate program in PMH include:

• Professionals will be prepared to take the Postpartum Support International’s Perinatal Mental Health exam.
• Professionals will gain knowledge of the social determinants of health and skills needed to address health and mental health inequities throughout the perinatal period and improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.
• Specific knowledge and skills of Advanced Certificate in PMH graduates will include:
  • Identifying and addressing disparities in PMH services due to social determinants of health, race, ethnicity, poverty, socio-cultural, and gender factors that exacerbate maternal mortality and morbidity, particularly for Black women; addressing factors leading to lower health seeking and reporting of PMH issues (e.g., stigma, decreased awareness, language barriers); recognizing perinatal psychological and substance use disorders and how they disproportionately affect BIPOC and under- resourced communities; recognizing how inequities in structural factors (housing, distance to facilities, poor quality) are associated with maternal trauma and stressors— in turn, negatively related to health outcomes for mothers, their newborns, and family well-being.
  • Engaging in cultural humility and applying preventive and culturally and linguistically appropriate PMH care and interventions to support healthy perinatal outcomes for all mothers; understanding how culture and protective factors strengthen maternal health, infant development, and mother-infant relationship beginning prenatally; screening mothers for depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder and making appropriate referrals.
  • Applying culturally responsive evidenced-based psychotherapeutic assessments and interventions to treat a broad spectrum of mental health conditions from pregnancy through the first postnatal year; engaging in ethical decision-making and including diversity issues in determining the appropriate treatment approach for mothers.
  • Applying attachment and parent-child psychotherapy assessments and interventions in support of new mothers, including those struggling with depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, or other emotional difficulties and/or systemic health care inequities to enable them to better cope, parent, bond with, and engage in sensitive interactions with their newborns/infants.
  • Developing a deep understanding of the psychological and emotional processes of becoming a parent to help parents develop an attachment with their fetus and newborn throughout the first year of life; engaging in culturally responsive and respectful interactions with mothers from diverse backgrounds, fathers, and their families; closely observing and interpreting infant-caregiver interactions; engaging in trauma-informed care and relational work including reflective practice and understanding transference and countertransference, while working with mothers/fathers and infants.
  • Detailing how maternal health, perinatal loss and grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder impact a mother’s sense of self, the baby, the mother-child relationship, and family, and how these experiences may differ within and across cultures and communities.

Admissions Requirements

• Fall Application Deadline—August 15
• Spring Application Deadline—December 15

Supporting Documents for Matriculation

Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

• Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously (and currently) attended. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree outside the United States will submit a course-by-course international transcript evaluation. See Graduate Admissions for more information.
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• A statement of purpose (500–1,000 words) describing your reasons for pursuing the advanced certificate in PMH program. Share your background, training, and experiences and describe why a focus on PMH will advance your educational and career goals.
• Required Tests: F-1 or J-1 international students must submit an English Proficiency Exam.
• Online interview

Tuition and Fees

For current tuition and fee, visit Graduate Tuition and Fees.

Contact

Jacqueline Shannon

2309 James Hall
E:
P: 718.951.5205

Or contact:

Office of Graduate Admissions

222 West Quad Center
2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210
E: 
P: 718.951.4536

Office Hours

Mondays–Fridays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Schedule an appointment with a graduate admissions counselor.