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Matriculation Requirements

Admission is limited to:

• Licensed professionals whose scope of practice includes assessment, diagnosis, and treatment (e.g., Licensed Clinical Social Worker [LCSW / LCSW-R] and Licensed Psychologist); and
• Licensed professionals who have obtained or are eligible to obtain diagnostic privileges, where required under New York State regulations (e.g., mental health counselors, marriage, family therapists, and psychoanalysts).

Verification of current licensure in one of the above professions is required for enrollment.

Applicants must have a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.00. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 in graduate courses is required to maintain matriculation.

Applicants are interviewed and may be required to demonstrate written proficiency in English.

International applicants for whom English is a second language are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 575 on the paper-based test or 233 on the computer-based test or 79 on the internet-based test, before being considered for admission.

Program Requirements (18 Credits)

Students must complete 18 credits in the following 6 cross-listed courses with the ECAE and/or Psychology departments.

• : Social Determinants of Health and Psychological Health Inequities during the Perinatal Period
• : Parent-Child Dyad Relational Health
• : Biopsychosocial Aspects of the Perinatal Period
• : Psychopathological Conditions during the Perinatal Stage (Note: Diagnostic authority and treatment interventions are discussed within the context of the trainee’s professional scope of practice. This course does not authorize diagnosis or psychotherapy outside of licensure).
• : Clinical Assessment and Intervention for Perinatal Mental Health Issues
• : Perinatal Mental Health Practicum

This PMH program requires at least 120 hours of supervised in-person clinical internship/practicum (and reflective supervision) in settings such as hospitals, medical clinics, community settings, and/or families’ homes. It is designed to be completed in one year (fall, winter, spring, summer). Note: Students working with perinatal clients will use most of those 120 hours toward the internship/practicum requirement.

Student Learning Outcomes

Expected outcomes following completion of the Advanced Certificate program in PMH include:

• Trainees will be prepared to take the .
• Trainees will gain knowledge of the social determinants of health (SDOH), cultural humility, and skills needed to address health and mental health inequities throughout the perinatal period and improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.
• Specific knowledge and skills of Advanced Certificate in PMH graduates will include:
  • Identify and address disparities in perinatal care and services due to SDOH, race, ethnicity, poverty, socio-cultural, and gender factors that exacerbate maternal mortality and morbidity, particularly for Black women; address factors leading to lower health seeking and reporting of PMH issues (e.g., stigma, language barriers); recognize perinatal psychological disorders and how they disproportionately affect BIPOC and under- resourced communities; recognize how inequities in structural factors (housing, distance to facilities, poor quality) are associated with maternal trauma and stressors— in turn, negatively related to health outcomes for mothers, their newborns, and family well-being.
  • Understand the psychological and emotional processes of becoming a parent to help mothers, fathers, and caregivers across diverse cultures develop an attachment with their fetus and newborn throughout the first year of life; understand how culture and protective factors strengthen maternal and infant health, and parent-child relationships beginning prenatally; closely observe and support newborn development infant-caregiver interactions.
  • Understand maternal mental health conditions such as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), depression and postpartum depression, and other emotional distress throughout the perinatal period as well as the etiological (i.e., genetic, biological, developmental) and socioeconomic/sociocultural risk factors during the perinatal period.
  • Understand and describe how maternal health conditions (e.g., PMADs), perinatal loss and grief, trauma, and SDOH affect a mother’s sense of self, the baby, the mother-child relationship, and family, and how these experiences may differ within and across cultures and communities
  • Engage in cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and relational perinatal care with parents and their families from diverse backgrounds, including reflective practice and understanding transference and countertransference; screen mothers for maternal health conditions (e.g., PMADS) and make appropriate referrals to support healthy perinatal outcomes for all mothers.
  • Apply the DSM-5-TR classification system of mental disorders to case studies to assess and formulate diagnoses and differential diagnoses during the perinatal period; apply culturally responsive evidenced-based psychotherapeutic assessments and interventions to treat a broad spectrum of mental health conditions from pregnancy through the first postnatal year.
  • Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical decision-making, and include diversity issues in determining the appropriate treatment approach for mothers and families.
  • Apply attachment and parent-child psychotherapy assessments and interventions in support of new mothers, including those struggling with depression, anxiety, loss and grief, substance use disorder, or other emotional difficulties and/or systemic health care inequities to enable them to better cope, parent, bond with, and engage in sensitive interactions with their newborns/infants.

Admissions Requirements

• Fall Application Deadline—August 15
• Spring Application Deadline—December 15

Supporting Documents for Matriculation

Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

• Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously (and currently) attended. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree outside the United States will submit a course-by-course international transcript evaluation. See Graduate Admissions for more information.
• A copy of their licensure in a mental health profession
• Two letters of recommendation
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• A statement of purpose (500–1,000 words) describing your reasons for pursuing the advanced certificate in PMH program. Share your background, training, and experiences and describe why a focus on PMH will advance your educational and career goals/competencies.

Applicants from non-English speaking countries outside of the United States must submit an English proficiency exam: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are exempt.

Interview

Tuition and Fees

For current tuition and fee, visit Graduate Tuition and Fees.

Contact

Jacqueline Shannon

2309 James Hall
E:
P: 718.951.5205

Or contact:

Office of Graduate Admissions

222 West Quad Center
2900 Bedford Avenue, ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï, NY 11210
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P: 718.951.4536

Office Hours

Mondays–Fridays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.