Maternal Mental Health and OT

Earn 1 hour of continuing education by joining OT Potential after taking this course.

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Research is backing up what many of us are experiencing in our communities: the pandemic is exacerbating mental health issues. 

And, one can imagine how this would be true for new mothers—so many families’ birth experiences have been drastically impacted by COVID protocols, followed by increased isolation once the family arrives home.

The article we will be discussing in this one-hour podcast course is a call to action to support the positive mental health of new mothers, particularly during this pandemic. 

Whether you approach this topic as a pediatric OT, an OT who specializes in maternal mental health, a parent yourself, or simply an involved community member, I think there are important takeaways for all of us.

After reviewing the article, we will welcome Dr. Carlin Reaume, OTD, OTR/L, PMH-C, PCES. Carlin is an occupational therapist, maternal wellness specialist, and owner of Supported Mama. Her and I will discuss ways you can support maternal wellness in your traditional OT practice, and ways for you to become even more deeply involved in this practice area.

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• The promotion of Positive Mental Health for new mothers during covid-19

Resources from the Podcast

Websites

• Supported Mama
• OTs in Maternal Health
• Postpartum Support International

Facebook Groups

• Occupational Therapy in Postpartum Care
• WomensHealth4OT
• OTs for Pelvic Health
• The Lactation OT Community
• OTs in Perinatal Mental Health

Assessments

• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
• Mental Health Screening Form III
• Postpartum Social Support Screening

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• Covid-19 pandemic and Maternal Mental Health: A systematic review and meta-analysis
• A call to action: Addressing maternal mental health in pediatric occupational therapy practice

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to describe how promoting maternal wellness can impact the health of your pediatric client. 
• You will be able to identify maternal mental health screens that can be used in OT practice. 

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• What was the purpose of this article?
• What do we already know about maternal mental health?
• How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting maternal mental health?
• So, what is the role of OT here?
• Case study example
• What were the implications for OTs?
• Takeaways for OT Practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with guest Dr. Carlin Reaume) (50 minutes)

• Can you tell us the story of how you found OT and maternal wellness?
• Can you tell us about your practice at Supported Mama?
• In your work, have you seen the kind of exacerbation of mental health challenges that the article talked about?
• What was your impression of the case study and call to action?
• What do you personally think pediatric OTs can be doing in their practice to support maternal wellness?
  • Do you have any advice for introducing conversation about maternal wellness?
• If OTs want to get specifically involved in maternal wellness, what do you see as the current avenues to doing this?
• My impression after reading this article is we need more holistic pre- and post-natal support for new parents. Do you agree with this? Do you think OTs have a larger role to play than we are playing?
• Are there any simple strategies you would like to leave us with that we could all adopt to be more supportive of new parents? 

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about Maternal Mental Health and OT. The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic. Dr. Carlin does have a financial stake in her own maternal wellness practice, but does not have a product of service targeted at OTs.

Speakers

Dr. Carlin Reaume, OTD, OTR/L, MAEd, PMH-C, PCES:

Dr. Carlin Reaume has more than 15 years of experience as a therapist and educator. Utilizing her clinical expertise in Lifestyle Redesign®, she has focused her career on expanding occupational therapy’s role in non-traditional and emerging practice areas including workplace wellness, college student health, and maternal health. She holds specialty certifications in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International and Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise (PCES) through Core Exercise Solutions. Dr. Reaume is also a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), a certified postpartum doula through Cornerstone Birthwork Training, and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s Yoga Therapy RX Certificate Program. She launched Supported Mama in 2020 as a way to provide holistic support for women on the journey before, during, and after pregnancy.

Dr. Reaume graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with both her Master of Arts and Doctoral degrees in Occupational Therapy. She also completed her Master of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University. She has presented her work both nationally and internationally, as well as held leadership positions on the Board of Directors for the Occupational Therapy Association of California. Dr. Reaume currently serves as Assistant Clinical Professor for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at the University of the Pacific in Sacramento, California. Read full bio.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L:

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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