PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

This unique training experience with small group format provides an enduring foundation for personal and professional growth. Designed to enhance clinical skills and therapeutic effectiveness, participation in this training will increase your knowledge of treating postpartum illness and greatly expand your clinical repertoire. This program will provide you with the information, tools, and confidence you need to enhance your role as an expert in this highly specialized field of practice.

Level I & II: 10 Hour Postgraduate Training Program
Level III: PPD Master Class (4hrs) (1 yr post)
PPD 101: On-site Training for Healthcare Practitioners
Mentoring Partnership Program

INFORMATION & RESOURCES

If you are a healthcare practitioner who works with pregnant and postpartum women, you need to pay particular attention to symptoms of depression and anxiety and conditions that may put your patient at risk. We encourage you to use the following screening tool for all of your pregnant and postpartum patients:

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (Download PDF)
10-item, highly effective assessment tool. A score of 10-12 is considered the cut off for PPD. This is a valid and reliable screening tool that is patient friendly, easy to administer and easy to score.

Postnatal Negative Thought Questionnaire (PNTQ)*
(Download PDF)
The Postnatal Negative Thought Questionnaire (PNTQ) has been shown to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing postpartum negative thoughts (Hall & Papageorgiou, 2005). The authors of the self-report questionnaire suggest that clinicians use the PNTQ to help new mothers determine whether negative thoughts are being experienced as problematic.
*Hall, P. & Papageorgiou, C. (2005). Negative thoughts after childbirth: development and preliminary validation of a self-report scale. Depression & Anxiety, Vol. 22 Issue 3, p121-129.

The following are tools made available by The Postpartum Stress Center. Any and all information on this website has been designed for personal use for individual women and their families. If organizations or agencies are interested in the use of any or all PPSC materials on this website for educational or training purposes, please contact the PPSC for license agreement information.

The PPSC Suicide Assessment (for positive EPDS score #10) (download PDF)
Clinicians administering the Edinburgh Screen need to continue with follow-up questions for all patients who answer #10 with a 1, 2 or 3. (Please refer to MedEdPPD.org, for an in depth discussion "PPD Safety Assessment: Identifying Patients at High Risk for Psychosis, Suicide, and Homicide" presented by Margaret G. Spinelli, RN, MD which inspired this assessment)
Download ready-to-use assessment questions without annotations

The PPSC Postpartum Depression Risk Assessment
A non-scientific tool we use in our practice to increase our awareness of the factors that may put a woman at risk for depression. We find that it includes questions that are rarely asked during a routine medical exam yet the answers to these questions may alert the practitioner to cases where early intervention is indicated.

The PPSC's PPD Screening and Tips for Healthcare Practitioners
Includes a short list of assessment questions that should be asked of every postpartum woman regardless of her clinical presentation. It has been our experience that postpartum women who feel particularly vulnerable are least likely to express their concerns about how they are feeling. This is why it is imperative to ask the right questions in order to accurately assess the degree to which her symptoms may be interfering with her life. While many women who struggle with symptoms of PPD may try desperately to present themselves as together and in control, they often secretly embrace the hope that someone will ask the right questions, recognize how bad they are feeling and reassure them that treatment is available.

The Patient Information Sheet (download PDF)
A handout that is available as an educational supplement for your patients. It is written with FAQs in mind and includes tips for self-care and management of symptoms. Also available in tear-off pads, 75 sheets each for our production cost plus shipping. Email us at info@postpartumstress.com with your request if you would like these handouts available for your patients.

The TRANSITIONS Program
The Postpartum Stress Center now offers an intensive program to assist women after inpatient or partial hospitalization. The Transitions Program is a unique program which allows women who have been treated for acute prenatal or postpartum illness to continue their treatment in a specialized outpatient setting. This program is also suitable for women who require a more concentrated outpatient treatment program who have not been hospitalized. Healthcare professionals who are considering referring a patient should contact the PPSC for eligibility criteria.
Download PDF Flyer

PPD Awareness Poster (Poster size 18 x 24)

The PPSC does not receive any profit for the sale of this poster. The fee covers printing and shipping cost.

Cost: $24.00 plus tax (shipping costs will be added if no FedEx or UPS account provided) for an unframed poster.

To place an order: If you are interested in ordering a poster for your waiting room please contact Robin at RELMprint to place an order. Posters are typically sent out 48 hrs after order is made.

To order by phone: 732.544.2100 ask for Robin
To order by fax: 732.544.2280 atten: Robin
To order by email: robin@relmprint.com

*DISCLAIMER: Any and all information on this website has been designed for personal use for individual women and their families. If organizations or agencies are interested in the use of any or all PPSC materials on this website for educational or training purposes, please contact the PPSC for license agreement information.