1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on What is Maternal Mental Health? An Introduction to the Basics is presented by Alinne Barrera, PhD. 

This program introduces participants to common mental health disorders experienced during the perinatal period (i.e., pregnancy and postpartum) with an emphasis on maternal depression and anxiety. This program describes screening tools and recommendations, along with prevention and treatment interventions. Finally, the Mothers and Babies program, an intervention for the prevention of postpartum depression (PPD) recently recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force for women at high risk of PPD, is introduced.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe common maternal mental health disorders and symptom presentations.
  • 2 Describe factors that impact disparities in maternal mental healthcare.
  • 3 Describe the principles and adaptations of the Mother and Babies program.

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals interested in perinatal mental health, including those specializing in clinical psychology, counseling, social work, maternal-child mental health, and related fields. It is also suitable for professionals who support pregnant and postpartum women and families.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental health professionals (psychologists, counselors, social workers)
    • Allied health professionals (nurses, midwives, occupational therapists)
    • Maternal-child health specialists

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with perinatal mental health.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to perinatal mental health and seek foundational knowledge about common disorders, screening tools, and introductory interventions.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with perinatal clients and are looking to deepen their understanding of disparities, refine screening and intervention skills, and learn about evidence-based programs like Mothers and Babies.

  • Practice Setting

    Participants typically practice in clinical, medical, and community-based environments serving pregnant and postpartum individuals and families. They work in interprofessional or independent settings using validated screening tools and evidence-based prevention and treatment approaches for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including Mothers and Babies. Care is delivered through in-person and virtual modalities across diverse settings and populations.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Outpatient mental health clinics and private practices
    • Integrated OB/GYN and perinatal care clinics
    • Hospital labor & delivery, postpartum, and NICU units
    • Community health centers and public health programs
    • Home visiting and family support programs
    • Primary care and pediatric practices
    • Birth centers and midwifery practices
    • Telehealth perinatal mental health services

Presented By

Alinne Barrera, PhD Full Professor at PAU and the Director of the PhD Clinical Psychology Program.

Alinne Barrera, PhD is a California licensed clinical psychologist. She is an expert clinician and researcher whose scholarly work focuses on depression prevention, intervention adaptations, and the use of technology to disseminate perinatal mental health resources and interventions. Dr. Barrera is an internationally known expert trainer and consultant on the implementation of the Mothers and Babies Course (MB) which was recognized by the US Preventive Services Task Force as an evidence-based prevention intervention for high-risk perinatal persons. She created and empirically tested the first digital versions of the MB, the Mothers and Babies Online Course (www.eMB.health) and the BabyText Program (SMS version). Dr. Barrera previously served as an Executive Board Member and Clinical Advisor at the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health and on the Clinical Advisory Board to digital platform companies (EmmaWell, Canopie). Most recently, she served as Chief of the Adult Psychosocial Interventions Research Program in the Division of Services and Intervention Research at the National Institute of Mental Health, where she managed a portfolio of extramural grants and provided technical assistance for clinical trials focused on developing, adapting, and implementing evidence-based treatments in real-world settings. Alinne Barrera, PhD joined the PAU faculty in 2009. She is a Full Professor and the Director of the PhD Clinical Psychology Program.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Alinne Barrera, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Introduction to common mental health disorders experienced during the perinatal period.

  • Review screening tools and recommendations, along with prevention and treatment interventions.

  • Introduce the Mothers and Babies Course, an intervention for the prevention of postpartum depression (PPD) recently recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force for women at high risk of PPD.

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.