In February of 2017, three perinatal professionals came together to create an organization for people ‘of color run by women of color to provide support, advocacy, information, and resources around perinatal mental health. We saw a need for a resource built and held by communities of color, and we created the PMHA-POC to support women, families, and professionals. click on our names to learn more about our individual work
Click on our names to learn more about our individual work
Divya B. Kumar, LCSW, ScM, CLC
Divya Kumar is a South Asian-American psychotherapist with a public health background and who specializes in perinatal mental health, trauma, and anti-oppression work. Her work connects clinical services with public health by addressing unmet needs in direct perinatal mental healthcare and the structure and delivery of perinatal support services. She is a Commissioner on the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression in Massachusetts and has also written several articles on the intersections of race, trauma, and perinatal mental health. Divya lives in Jamaica Plains, MA with her husband and two children.
She makes breastfeeding a habit and a hobby. Jabina, a mother of two, Licensed Social Worker and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant has dedicated more than a decade of her life to protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding. Jabina focuses a lot of her work on educating women, families and the community to make informed decision about breastfeeding. She empowers women to trust their bodies throughout the perinatal period and provides guidance during the process. She specializes in perinatal mood disorders and helping women and families adjust to motherhood and parenting. Jabina lives in the Philadelphia, PA area.
Through her own journey into motherhood, Desirée knows just how far compassion can go. An African-centered clinician, with a foundation of authenticity, integrity and fully understanding the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” Desirée works each day to assist women in their own journeys and understanding through parenting, support and healing. As a licensed social worker, herbalist, reproductive psychotherapist and partner of the maternal wellness space, The Bloom Collective, Desirée’s mission is to open access to therapy for families of color and train as many providers of color about perinatal mental health as she can. She is a member of Baltimore Legacy chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers, the Maryland Maternal Mortality Review committee and National Perinatal Task Force (founded by Jennie Joseph). Desirée lives in Baltimore, MD with her two sons and cat, Shadow.
Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color 