Connect with a Peer Mentor
Talk to someone who has “lived experience” with PMADs
Connect with Someone who has Been There Too
PSVa’s peer mentors are volunteers and staff who have firsthand experience with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. As survivors, they understand the struggle and the path to wellness, and want to offer support, encouragement, and information.
However, volunteers are NOT medical professionals, so they cannot offer medical information or screening. A peer mentor is a great addition to mental health treatment.
Peer Mentors Provide:
- Non-judgmental listening
- Understanding, acceptance, support, and encouragement
- Suggestions for self-care
- General resources about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
- Local resources
*This program is not for people who are currently in crisis or have suicidal ideation. If you need immediate help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-TLC-MAMA (852-6262).
FAQ for Mentees
A peer mentor provides a reliable and knowledgeable friend during the perinatal period for a birthing person. Peer mentorship is an evidence-based support that helps decrease isolation, guilt, and shame; increase the use of positive coping skills; normalize and validate experiences; regain a feeling of control; offer hope; and provide education and outreach. Mentees report a decrease in perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) symptoms following the mentorship.
Mentors are trained volunteers and staff who are knowledgeable about PMADs, their treatment, and how to provide peer support. Mentors have lived experiences with PMADs and have recovered, offering hope and validation to mentees going through similar experiences. Mentees and mentors are also matched based on their backgrounds and other preferences.
Mentorships last approximately six months, with support gradually faded around the third month in conversation with the mentor. With mutual interest, extensions beyond six months, especially for mentees who begin a mentorship in pregnancy, are allowed.
Mentees devote approximately 1 hour per week to the program (total of calls, texts, emails, etc.), with the time commitment lessening as mentor support is gradually faded and other social supports are scaffolded.
You are a great candidate for our program if you are in recovery from a PMAD or PMAD symptoms (no diagnosis necessary) and willing to honor the program’s time commitment to the best of your abilities. If you are currently in crisis (including experiencing suicidal ideation, domestic violence, or housing insecurity), we first assist you with finding resources and putting supports in place through our Care Coordination before matching you with a mentor.
The EDPS is a short, 10-question, multiple-choice form that allows PSVa to track your symptoms and identify any red flags that indicate more support may be needed. Your answers are confidential and only shared with our grantors as aggregated anonymous data to support funding, so we can continue offering this community resource.
The first step to becoming a mentee is to complete the Peer Mentee Application, which helps us learn about your current struggles and mentor preferences. Once we receive your application, the Peer Mentor Program Coordinator will contact you!
Please contact the Peer Mentor Program Coordinator, Maddie Burns, with any other questions!
