New Perinatal Support Programs Come Online

When Sonoma County voters approved Measure I (the Sonoma County Child Care & Children’s Health Initiative) in 2024, Sonoma County made a landmark commitment to strengthening the health and wellbeing of young children and families. Today, through an early round of funding administered by First 5 Sonoma County, a portion of which was recently granted to the Healthcare Foundation, that commitment is taking shape in north county in the form of two perinatal support programs for parents at Alliance Medical Center and YWCA Sonoma County in Healdsburg respectively. In all, the Healthcare Foundation’s Measure I award is enabling $500,000 in new investments to expand access to perinatal and early childhood mental health services, particularly for underserved and Spanish-speaking families.

This funding arrives at a critical moment. Research and community listening led by First 5 has shown that many local parents face persistent barriers to culturally responsive mental health support during pregnancy and early childhood. As First 5 Sonoma County Executive Director Angie Dillon-Shore told us last October, “The degree to which cultural bias, generational poverty, pervasive stigma, lack of awareness, inadequate funding, and siloed systems and services create barriers—especially for families of color, LGBTQ+ families and especially our immigrant community—cannot be overstated. We are greatly appreciative and proud to invest in the efforts of the Healthcare Foundation to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce that is trained to provide the culturally relevant mental health services and supports that young families of color in Sonoma County deserve.”

Through Measure I, the Healthcare Foundation is partnering with organizations to strengthen the region’s network of perinatal care and expand access to bilingual counseling and support for new and expectant parents as well as expectant parents with small children. Together with the Healthcare Foundation’s Mental Health Talent Pipeline, which supports the education and training of a new generation of bilingual and bicultural clinicians, these investments are helping build a stronger, more inclusive system of care for families with young children. 

These resources are already making a difference on the ground at Alliance Medical Center and the YWCA in Healdsburg, where expanded services are supporting parents, infants, and caregivers during one of life’s most critical stages.

At Alliance Medical Center, Measure I funding has helped relaunch the Madres y Comadres perinatal support program, a group originally created to support mothers experiencing postpartum depression and isolation. The program is led by Alliance’s Behavioral Health team and brings together medical providers, therapists, and care coordinators to support new and expectant parents through pregnancy and the early months of parenting.

Maria Juarez Sanchez, LCSW, Alliance’s Director of Behavioral Health Services, helped revive the program just before the pandemic, together with Dr. Ember Keighley, after recognizing how deeply the earlier cohort of participants had relied on it. However, with the onset of Covid the program went exclusively online for several years. Today, the relaunched program integrates behavioral health clinicians, OB providers, and Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP) coordinators to ensure that mothers receive both mental health support and medical guidance in one coordinated setting.

“One of the most powerful themes we’re seeing is isolation,” Juarez Sanchez explains. “Many of the moms we work with are recent immigrants who don’t have family nearby. This program gives them a space to share their experiences, ask questions, and feel supported.”

“Most medical services focus primarily on the baby’s health. What we’re seeing is that parents also need a space where their own wellbeing is the focus. Many are dealing with isolation, major life changes, and emotional stress that often goes unspoken.”

Sophia Flores, Mental Health Talent Pipeline alumna at YWCA Sonoma County

Initially designed as an in-person group, the program quickly adapted after staff heard from participants that transportation, childcare needs, and symptoms of depression sometimes made attending in person difficult. The group now meets primarily via telehealth, allowing mothers to participate from home while still engaging with clinicians and other parents. For those who are uncomfortable in a group setting, Alliance also offers the program one-on-one, ensuring that participants can still complete the curriculum and receive individualized support.

Participants receive guidance through an evidence-based program focused on maternal wellbeing, emotional health, and parenting skills, while also connecting to additional services such as enhanced care management, housing assistance referrals, or educational resources for families with older children. For many mothers, it is the first time they have been able to openly discuss the emotional realities of pregnancy and early parenting.

“This is a fundamental opportunity to support the mental health of mothers during pregnancy and after birth,” Juarez Sanchez says. “When mothers understand and care for their own mental health, they are better able to support their children. That early support can reduce adversity later in childhood.”

The program also reflects the Healthcare Foundation’s broader strategy of building a culturally responsive mental health workforce. One of the program’s key facilitators, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Citlaly Martinez, formerly a part of the Healthcare Foundation’s Bicultural Clinical Training Program initiative at Humanidad, brings bilingual and bicultural expertise to the families she serves.

Just across town, YWCA Sonoma County has launched its own perinatal initiative serving parents in Healdsburg and surrounding communities. The program focuses on helping parents navigate the emotional and psychological challenges of pregnancy and the postpartum period through counseling, skills development, and peer connection.

According to Clinical Director Meghan Nunez, PsyD, the need for this type of support often becomes clear as soon as participants enter the program. While the curriculum emphasizes skills and social support, many parents arrive already experiencing depression, anxiety, or overwhelming stress.

“The perinatal period has historically been overlooked in healthcare,” Nunez explains. “Research shows that many people experience significant depression or anxiety during pregnancy or after birth, yet support for parents themselves is often limited. By identifying those needs early, we can support both the parent’s wellbeing and the child’s development.”

One of the program’s distinctive features is that sessions are led by trained therapists who can adapt the structure to meet each client’s needs. Participants may come seeking parenting guidance but also receive therapeutic support if they are struggling with emotional or mental health challenges.

Sophia Flores, a graduate student in counseling psychology from the University of San Francisco employed by YWCA Sonoma County and one of the Healthcare Foundation’s current cohort of Mental Health Talent Pipeline scholarship recipients, says the program fills a gap many parents experience.

“Most medical services focus primarily on the baby’s health,” she notes. “What we’re seeing is that parents also need a space where their own wellbeing is the focus. Many are dealing with isolation, major life changes, and emotional stress that often goes unspoken.”

“When mothers understand and care for their own mental health, they are better able to support their children. That early support can reduce adversity later in childhood.”

Maria Juarez Sanchez, LCSW, Alliance Medical Center

Flores has seen firsthand how meaningful those connections can be, particularly for parents from low-resource backgrounds. For some participants, the program provides one of the few accessible mental health resources available locally.

Location also matters. Many specialized mental health services in Sonoma County are concentrated in Santa Rosa, which can make them difficult to access for families living in northern communities such as Healdsburg. By offering services locally, the program removes a major barrier for new parents who may not be able to travel far with a newborn.

“We’re really excited to bring these services to Healdsburg,” Nunez says. “Without Measure I funding, we likely would not have been able to offer this program here.”

For both organizations, these new initiatives represent more than the launch of individual programs. They are early steps in building a stronger, more coordinated system of care for young families in northern Sonoma County. By pairing community-based services with workforce development and regional partnerships, the Healthcare Foundation and its partners are helping ensure that parents and infants receive the support they need during one of life’s most formative stages.

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For more information about YWCA Sonoma County’s perinatal support services, call 707-303-8411 or email therapy@ywcasc.org.