News
May 16, 2023
Session Recordings and Resources – Early Support is Community Care 2023
WithinReach is proud to have hosted, Early Support is Community Care, a free week-long webinar series of community conversations that allowed us to connect and collaborate with some amazing people across Washington State! Over the course of the week, we heard from community leaders who covered important topics such as parent mentoring; promoting positive mental health in infants, toddlers, and their caregivers; the health disparities Black, Indigenous and families of color face and supportive community programs; developmental milestones and questions to ask your provider; and school readiness.
Below you will find recordings of each session and the resources that speakers provided for their topics!
Session Recordings
The Importance of Peer-to-Peer Support in the First Year | Monday, May 8
Beth Graves (she/her) and Farah Khan (she/her) from NurtureNW talk about the importance of support for parents and caregivers in the first year after birth. This session includes a Q&A at the end!
Please note: Due to technical difficulties, portions of this session were not recorded. For more information, view Beth and Farah’s presentation here.
Amplifying Ancestral Practices: Decolonization as Community Health Care | Monday, May 8
Elizabeth Montez (she/her), a Lactation Consultant with Open Arms Perinatal Services, shared the history of Indigenous ancestral perinatal practices, how they have been impacted by colonialism and white supremacy, and how we can emphasize the importance of re-centering the experiences and expertise of Indigenous people.
Elizabeth has provided a copy of her presentation and a list of resources.
Early Mental Health Panel | Tuesday, May 9
This expert panel of health services professionals covered a wide range of topics within the early mental health realm. Some of the topics that were covered include: the importance of positive childhood experiences, shifting from a “deficit-based” approach to mental health, emphasizing the importance of parent/caregiver mental health in the first few years, and a large focus on diversity-informed tenets and the importance of representation and accountability within the early mental health realm. The panelists answer audience questions throughout the session.
- Rumyana Kudeva (she/her), Spokane Regional Health District
- Dr. Nucha Isarowong (he/him), University of Washington
- Dr. Diane Liebe (she/her), Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
- Dr. Meyleen Velasquez (she/her), Hummingbird Counseling
Here is a list of resources from panelists.
Birthing in the Diaspora: Providing Black Families with Culturally Responsive Holistic Care | Wednesday, May 10
This session focused on the support and services that Black families need through their reproductive, perinatal, postpartum, lactation and parenting journeys. Speakers Damarria and Jessy from BLKBRY discussed health disparities faced by Black families with a focus on Black infants and their birth parents. BLKBRY uses culturally responsive, evidence and practiced-based intervention to mitigate the impacts of structural racism. Their care uses a holistic approach, and this session will dive further into what holistic practices are available to Black families and their benefits. There is a Q&A portion at the end.
Here is BLKBRY’s presentation, and here is their list of resources.
Supporting Black Families in Early Childhood Education | Wednesday, May 10
This session answered the questions, “How can our community create action that can close the gap in care for Black mothers?” and “How can we understand and hear the concerns about Black mothers during the postpartum period?” Stephaine also focused on resources available to doulas and how we can support health workers as a community. Stephaine leads The Learning Project Network whose mission is to advocate on behalf of underserved families throughout Eastern Washington. They serve as a multi-purpose educational hub for educators, childcare and health care providers. This session includes audience questions.
A Conversation with WithinReach | Thursday, May 11
This session was a panel with some of the staff at WithinReach! At WithinReach our priority is to provide programs and services that benefit families in Washington State with an emphasis on supporting marginalized communities. This session will also features audience questions.
Activate Your Village | Friday, May 12
This session focused on what to look for in a quality childcare center, what questions to ask of potential care providers, how to show up for your community in a meaningful way, and the importance of building a village of support. Kerra runs the RAZE Early Learning & Development Center which seeks to eradicate the school to prison pipeline in Eastern Washington through early learning programming that highlights our shared experiences and is created through the lens of the Black American. This session features a Q&A at the end.