Postpartum Support International

Arkansas
PSI-AR

Postpartum Support International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping those suffering from perinatal mood disorders, the most common complication of childbirth.

Our Mission is to increase awareness, education, prevention, and treatment of perinatal mental health issues affecting individuals, their families, and support systems in all areas of Arkansas.

Our Vision is that all pregnant and postpartum individuals and their families, including those from underserved communities, will have access to perinatal support, mental health/healthcare providers, education, and resources to improve overall well-being through advocacy, training, and increased awareness of perinatal mental health.

Chair

Elizabeth Bojie, LAC, CD/PCD(DONA), PMH-C

Elizabeth Bojie is the mother of seven and is passionate about maternal and paternal mental health advocacy and awareness.

Since 2009, Elizabeth has helped parents as they birthed and brought home a new baby. Elizabeth is a Licensed Associate Counselor in Arkansas, holds a Masters of Science in counseling, is a DONA-certified birth and postpartum doula, a certified perinatal mental health professional (PMH-C), and a mentor with PSI’s peer mentor program. Elizabeth is also a counselor with the HRSA-funded Maternal Mental Health Hotline.

She is honored to serve on the Board of PSI Arkansas and is inspired daily as she serves alongside an amazing group of like-minded individuals who genuinely desire to bring hope.


PSI Chapter Liaison

Stephanie Sweat, LCSW, PMH-C

Stephanie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C). She graduated with a masters in Social Work from Arkansas State University in 2016. She has worked in various settings throughout her career including community mental health, medical social work, and most currently, private practice. Clinical experience includes working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, mood instability, trauma, life transitions, and difficulty managing their work/life balance.

She enjoys working with individuals and families. Stephanie is excited about the opportunity to serve on the board of Postpartum Support International Arkansas Chapter. She looks forward to engaging with individuals and communities across the state to bring awareness and resources for those affected by Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.


Secretary

Morganne Brown, LCSW, PMH-C (pronouns: she/her).

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C). Professional roles include community mental health, medical social work, and private practice. Clinical experience includes working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, mood instability, trauma, life transitions, and difficulty managing daily functioning and/or stressors.

Private practice work focuses on individuals affected by Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. I enjoy helping and guiding individuals, couples, and families through a time full of adjustments and change associated with the perinatal period. Focus areas include mood disorders and anxiety related to or experienced by teen mothers, role changes, breastfeeding, losses, post-adoption depression, and balancing career and home changes.

I am excited about the opportunity to serve as Secretary on the Postpartum Support, International Arkansas Chapter Board. I look forward to engaging with communities across the state to bring awareness and resources for those affected by Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.


Advocacy Lead

Kaitlyn Gardner, LPC, PMH-C

Kaitlyn Gardner is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville and a Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern Arkansas University.

Kaitlyn currently serves the River Valley area specializing in perinatal and postpartum issues and family therapy with an emphasis on caregiver attachment utilizing child-parent psychotherapy. She has a special interest in assisting birthing individuals through infant loss, fertility, and complications during pregnancy.


Board Member At Large

Shona Ray-Griffith

Shona Ray-Griffith, M.D.

Dr. Ray-Griffith is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).  She is board certified in both psychiatry and addiction medicine with fellowship training in perinatal mental health. Dr. Ray serves as the outpatient director of the Women’s Mental Health Program at UAMS.  Her clinical expertise includes the management of mental illness, substance use disorders, and chronic pain throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.


Board Member at Large

Kelsie Hammons, LCSW, PMH-C

Kelsie has been involved with PSI- Arkansas Chapter since March of 2021. She serves as a Board Member at Large. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and is certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C).  Kelsie currently works in private practice serving individuals in their reproductive and parenting journey at RiverStone Wellness Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Kelsie is a mother who has lived and professional experience in the realm of maternal mental health. She is passionate about and committed to supporting individuals and families directly as well as collaborating with community partners that expand resources for families across the state.


Board Member at Large

Melissa Ruiz Eudey, Doula, RYT

Melissa is a Certified Holistic Birth & Postpartum Doula and a Yoga instructor. Melissa is bilingual and serves English and Spanish-speaking families in Northwest Arkansas through doula work, childbirth and postpartum classes. She also provides experiences through Yoga. She currently serves mothers and families with Arkansas Family Doulas and the UAMS Healthy Start program. Her training includes emphasis on prenatal care, holistic birth, anatomy & physiology, conflict resolution, tending the postpartum mind and body, and breastfeeding.

She is passionate about her community and dedicated to improving maternal health care and outcomes by supporting, advocating, educating, and holding space for mothers and families. She is dedicated to empowering and elevating mothers and families in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience that they want. She holds a Bachelor of Public Health from the University of Arkansas and lives in Bella Vista, AR with her husband, son, dog, cat, and a daughter due in late summer


Board Member at Large

Angel Mattes, Doula, LE, CPST

Angel is a postpartum doula and passionate advocate for women and their families. When her first baby was born in 2006, she experienced a traumatic birth and both postpartum depression and anxiety. She realized the wide gap between the support new parents need and what they’re given and set forth to help other families avoid what she had gone through. She trained as a Labor Doula with DONA in 2012, and as a Lactation Educator with CAPPA in 2014. She later became certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician to help new and expectant parents keep their babies safe in the car and while traveling. She loves educating and encouraging new parents to learn about their babies, follow their instincts, and cultivate their confidence. She is an outspoken advocate for nursing mothers in the workplace and helped establish the first lactation room for employees at William Rainey Harper College in Illinois, prior to the Affordable Care Act, which required employers to do so. She has been working toward a nursing degree, with the end goal to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife and lactation consultant. Although she has spent most of her life in the suburbs of Chicago, she now happily resides in Northwest Arkansas with her husband, three children, and two fat cats.


Board Member at Large

Mackenzi Davis, LCSW, PMH-C

Mackenzi Davis received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Philander Smith College in
2010. Returning to school in 2012, she received her Master of Social Work degree from the
University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

She currently works full-time at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and it was here that her interest and passion grew for perinatal mental health.

In 2022, she became a certified perinatal mental health provider in the state of Arkansas. One of the
most consistent things that she has learned in her time as a therapist is that creating safe
spaces for black women is part of her purpose. When she is not working at Arkansas Children’s
Hospital, she enjoys speaking and educating others on working with black women and ways to
create safe spaces. She believes that our voice is one of the most powerful tools that we could
be given, and it is important that her voice is used to advocate for black women through the lens
of perinatal and maternal mental health. She is the owner of Holding Space Counseling, LLC, a
private practice that accomplishes this goal while holding space for women.


Board Member at Large

Jennifer Burleson, MSW, LCSW

Jennifer Burleson, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) has been providing
mental health services in a variety of settings since 2007.  Since 2016, she specializes
in treating mood and anxiety issues in pregnancy and postpartum and currently has a
private therapy practice in Northwest Arkansas. She has received a certificate from PSI
in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) Components of Care, and Jennifer has also
completed Advanced Psychotherapy training in this speciality. Jennifer served on the Board of the New
Jersey Chapter of Postpartum Support International as the Co-President from 2018 –
2020 and is excited to be a part of the Arkansas Chapter Board.

She is also a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator from the Positive
Discipline Association and supports clients through a wide variety of early childhood
parenting transitions that affect the overall well-being of the family.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Georgia and a
Masters of Social Work from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work.


Treasurer

Position Open


Want to make a difference in Arkansas?

Become a member or donate today!

PSI relies on members and contributions from the community to promote awareness, prevention, and treatment of maternal mental health issues related to childbearing.

All memberships are tax-deductible.

Become a PSI-AR Volunteer

There are many ways to help and volunteer with PSI, and we would love to have you join us. All are welcome at PSI! Survivors, mental health professionals, doulas, clinicians, and anyone else interested and passionate about raising awareness about perinatal mental health can volunteer through the chapter in order to give back to their local communities.

PSI Chapters are made up of a variety of local advocates and stakeholders who further the mission of PSI on a grassroots level. Chapters work on a wide range of initiatives that they develop based on their communities needs. While some chapters may focus on passing legislation, others may create a robust network of peer support groups, and all chapters provide scholarships for PSI trainings and events.

Contact the Chapter to find out about volunteer opportunities near you. Explore other volunteer opportunities on the PSI website.

Scholarships

PSI-AR offers scholarships for PSI perinatal mental health trainings and conferences.

Please contact the Chapter for more information.

PSI-AR News & Events

We gather as a community to walk and socialize. We meet fellow survivors, supporters & providers. #climbout