Perinatal Mental Health: Culturally Responsive Strategies for Intervention and Support

In this course, Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji (Ph.D., LPC, NCC; CEO of CREST; founding Director, Center for Traumatic Stress Research at Xavier University, Louisiana) introduces a comprehensive approach to culturally responsive interventions for infant and maternal mental health. Building on principles of race-based stress, healing-centred engagement, and systemic advocacy, Dr. West-Olatunji explores frameworks such as Indigenous Ways of Knowing, historical trauma theory, and paediatric counselling to enhance clinical outcomes. The course offers real-world applications, including culture-congruent assessments, collaborative family engagement, and advocacy tools, to reduce systemic barriers and promote sustainable healing within communities. <br><br>This is an essential training for clinicians seeking to deepen their cultural competence and impact across diverse client populations, and is the second part of a two-part series on this topic. The first course is titled <a href="/catalogue/courses/foundations-of-infant-and-maternal-mental-health" target="_blank">Foundations of Infant and Maternal Mental Health</a>.