About the Conference
Topic: Maternal Health and Healing
Date: October 11 & 12, 2024, to include event speakers, a Q&A panel, and an organized walk to support the event topic.
Location: Alaska Pacific University Campus and virtual options.
Join us for the “Perinatal Health and Healing” conference, presented by the Counseling Psychology Graduate Student Council at Alaska Pacific University on October 11th and 12th, 2024. This event will examine pre- and postnatal care in-depth, including the latest evidence-based interventions and clinical strategies.
Keynote sessions will feature prominent Alaskan health professionals who will present on integrating Native healing practices and Indigenous values within clinical frameworks, emphasizing our respect for these traditions. Topics will encompass psychological support, medical management, and culturally tailored approaches that address the unique needs of Alaskan populations.
This conference aims to bridge contemporary scientific methods with traditional practices, emphasizing the importance of a holistic, culturally competent approach to perinatal health. In this two-day conference, through online and in-person engagement, participants will learn from experts in the field and gain valuable insights into enhancing maternal and infant care through innovative and respectful methodologies throughout Alaska.
This Year’s Guest Speakers
Joclyn Reilly, LCSW, PMH-C
Joclyn has worked as a mental health therapist at Providence Alaska since 2012. Her clinic is called Perinatal Support: Pregnancy and Postpartum Counseling. She has many volunteer roles, including with Postpartum Support International Alaska Chapter, PSI Central as a local coordinator, and involvement with several other local non-profits. Joclyn parents three school-aged boys with her husband.
Stephanie Hruska, LCSW, PMH-c
Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Perinatal Mental Health professional with experience in child and adult psychotherapy, crisis intervention, substance use prevention & recovery, trauma-informed care and maternal mental health. She has lived and worked in metro, rural and Tribal communities across the country but has roots in Wisconsin and is proud of her Bohemian heritage. With a background in the arts, education and hospitality, Stephanie considers herself a lifelong learner, passionate about wellness, culture and community, and is committed to social justice. She currently works for the State of Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Health where she is the maternal mental health specialist for the Maternal and Child Death Review (MCDR) program, abstracting maternal cases, facilitating death reviews and enhancing community engagement efforts. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys trail running, travel, reading, the company of good friends and trying new things.
Rei Shimizu, PhD
Rei Shimizu is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work. She is a licensed social worker with a clinical background in trauma-focused therapy for survivors of IPV in the United States and Japan. As a social work researcher, she applies her clinical expertise to inform her research on health behavior change and health-related decision-making. Her research primarily focuses on understanding behavioral mechanisms in three topical areas where behaviors are highly variable by psychosocial factors such as poverty, mental health, and interpersonal dynamics. Rei’s three topical research areas are (1) understanding how DV/IPV interventions and frameworks (such as restorative justice) can change interpersonal behavior, (2) understanding how dietary interventions can influence food-related decision-making, and (3) understanding how intersections between macro/micro and individual level factors may create disparities in these areas. Rei holds a Ph.D. from New York University Silver School of Social Work and an MSW from Columbia University.
Amy Stiffarm, PhD
Amy Stiffarm is a member of the Aaniiih (White Clay) Tribe of the Fort Belknap Indian Community. She also is a descendant of the Chippewa Cree and Blackfeet Tribes of Montana. Amy earned a PhD in Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota in 2023. She specializes in Maternal Mental Health issues in American Indian communities. She received her Masters of Public Health from the University of Montana. She is so excited and grateful to work with The Montana Coalition of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (HMHB)) in supporting mothers, pregnant people, and babies across Montana.
Britt Pope, PsyD
Dr. Brittany Pope, LPC, LPC-S is a highly skilled provider who has a Masters and a Doctoral degree. In her PsyD in Psychology, she specialized in working with perinatal loss and infertility. She provides therapy and psychological assessment. She works with families experiencing perinatal loss, infertility, and support with adoption. Dr. Britt has worked hard to combine the highest quality of services with compassion.
Mallory Wetherington LPC, PHM-C, CDC-I, RTSCBC
