Perinatal Mental Health Summit Speakers

Paige Bellenbaum, LCSW, PMH-C

Paige Bellenbaum, LCSW, PMH-C, is the founding director and chief external relations officer at The Motherhood Center of New York, which provides clinical support and treatment for birthing people experiencing mild to severe perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).

With 20 years in the nonprofit sector, Paige has held senior leadership roles at organizations including Hamilton Families, The Partnership for the Homeless, Habitat for Humanity, and Settlement Housing Fund, managing a portfolio of community-based programs aimed at reducing disparities for homeless families and disadvantaged youth. After experiencing severe postpartum depression and anxiety following her first child’s birth, Paige became a passionate advocate for maternal mental health using her own lived experience as a tool for change. She drafted legislation, championed by State Senator Liz Krueger, requiring New York hospitals to educate and screen for PMADs—a bill signed into law in 2014. She has been deeply involved in civic engagement, serving a decade on Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 and as district leader for Brooklyn’s 52nd Assembly District, advocating for equitable maternal mental health care.

Paige collaborates with multiple NYC agencies on maternal mental health policies, including the DOHMH’s Maternal Hospital Quality Improvement Network, Nurse-Family Partnership; the Administration for Children’s Services; and the NYPD. She currently serves on the New York State Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Advisory Council and is an adjunct professor teaching the first-ever maternal mental health course at the Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work. A recognized expert in the field of PMADs, she has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR, and PBS Newshour—and in Fortune, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Mary Evelyn Carroll, MSN, CNM, FNP-BC

Mary Evelyn Carroll received her MSN from Vanderbilt School of Nursing, specializing as a Certified Nurse-Midwife and as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She was hired as the first Certified Nurse-Midwife at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, decades since their last midwifery service.  Since then, she has been building the foundation of the emerging midwifery practice at Lincoln and instilling a new culture. She has helped to implement the doula partnership with Bronx Rebirth and has re-started Lincoln’s childbirth education classes. Her past experience in public policy and public health in Latin America guides her passion for midwifery and expanding doula and midwifery presences in all reproductive health settings. She is certified as a bilingual Spanish provider and committed to providing equitable care for all patient populations, currently in the South Bronx.

Jennifer Dembo, LCSW

Jennifer Dembo, LCSW, studied social work at Simmons University and has completed advanced training in maternal mental health, perinatal loss, sexual pain, menopause, and challenges for pregnant/postpartum survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Jen has provided support to women and their families for over two decades. She recognizes that every parent-child relationship is unique and honors various perspectives on pregnancy, adoption, assisted reproduction, sexual health, surrogacy, childbirth, parenting, grief, and loss.

Jen is certified in both labor support doula practice and childbirth education, and has attended births in home, birth center, and hospital settings around the NYC tri-state area. She is the former president of the Hudson Valley Birth Network and founding chair of its Social Justice Committee. She is a board member of Birth Education Beyond the Ordinary (BEBO), an organization that provides low-cost labor, postpartum, lactation, and childbirth education support to families throughout Westchester County. Additionally, Jen is an adjunct faculty instructor and guest lecturer at the Simmons University School of Social Work.

Leah L. Habersham, M.D., MBA, MLIS, MSCR, FACOG, FASAM

Leah L. Habersham, M.D., MBA, MLIS, MSCR, FACOG, FASAM, is an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, holding primary appointments in both the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Psychiatry.

As a dual board-certified OB/GYN and Addiction Medicine specialist, Dr. Habersham leads The Bridge Program, an innovative initiative providing integrated obstetric, gynecologic, and addiction care. Her research is centered at the intersection of maternal health and substance use and use disorders, with an additional emphasis on inequities. Dr. Habersham has authored peer-reviewed publications and is recognized for her contributions to advancing equitable and compassionate care for pregnant and parenting individuals with substance use disorders.

Fatima Kadik, M.A.

Fatima Kadik, M.A., is the director of early childhood mental health programs at the New York City Health Department. She oversees the NYC Perinatal and Early Childhood Mental Health Network (P+ECMH Network), publicly funded in 2016 to increase the availability of community-based early childhood mental health services. The ECMH Network’s specialized perinatal and early childhood clinics serve children birth to 5 and their families and the perinatal population using evidence-based trauma and resilience-informed relational models. Clinics are paired with a training and technical assistance center tasked with building the capacity of the NYC perinatal and early childhood workforce. Previously, Kadik worked for the Bureau of Early Intervention within the NYC DOHMH, supporting organizations and clinicians that serve children from birth to 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. Kadik has published and presented on the topics of early childhood mental health services and workforce development; she has also taught undergraduate courses at Brooklyn College on topics of child development, family health and relationships, and personal and community health. Kadik holds a Master of Arts in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science from Brooklyn College, CUNY. She was a Zero to Three Fellow in the 2022-2024 cohort.

Venus Mahmoodi, Ph.D.

Dr. Venus Mahmoodi is an assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center and a Whitaker Scholar in Developmental Neuropsychiatry. As a clinical psychologist, she provides care through the Women’s and Reproductive Mental Health Program, specializing in addressing distress across the reproductive lifespan. Her clinical expertise includes perinatal mental health, perinatal loss, fertility challenges, childhood trauma, and family support.

Dr. Mahmoodi’s research examines the impact of cultural factors on perinatal experiences, with a focus on mental health and overall functioning. She has conducted both qualitative and quantitative studies on Muslim women’s perinatal mental health to better understand their unique experiences.

She earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Palo Alto University in collaboration with the Center for Neuroscience in Women’s Health at Stanford University. Her training includes an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and a postdoctoral fellowship specializing in maternal mental health at the Seleni Institute.

Christiane Manzella, Ph.D.

Christiane Manzella, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, is a senior psychologist at the Seleni Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive reproductive and maternal mental health services. She specializes in working with individuals navigating grief and bereavement, trauma, fertility challenges, miscarriage, late-term loss, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons, child loss, and life transitions. She is purposeful and caring as she helps those with whom she works clinically to recover and navigate the complexities of bereavement, trauma, and fertility challenges.

Zahirah McNatt, DrPH, MHSA

Dr. Zahirah McNatt is the chief equity officer and deputy commissioner for the Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness (CHECW) at the New York City Health Department. In this role, she oversees the agency’s equity portfolio and provides direct oversight and management of programs and initiatives that work to increase visibility of the harm perpetuated by centuries of racist, socially unjust policy while pushing towards redress for the most impacted NYC communities.

She previously served as the assistant commissioner for the Bureau of Brooklyn Neighborhood Health in CHECW where she oversaw and managed the development, implementation, and evaluation of community-level and systems-level strategies in North and Central Brooklyn that aim to address health inequities.

Dr. McNatt’s expertise lies at the intersection of global public health, humanitarian systems, and human rights. She has more than 15 years of experience in the Americas, the Middle East, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. Her work has spanned academic, nonprofit, and government sectors. Prior to her role at the Health Department, Dr. McNatt served as the Godley-St. Goar Chair of the Department of Community Health and Social Medicine and assistant professor at the University of Global Health Equity. Dr. McNatt also served as the director for leadership, education and practice at the Yale Global Health Leadership Institute. In these and other roles, Dr. McNatt has launched national programs to improve hospital quality in low- and high-income countries, fostered effective partnerships with community-based organizations, schools, and health centers, and conducted research on governance and accountability in health.

She has also championed health service improvements for refugee communities and centered efforts to improve prevention and treatment for noncommunicable diseases and mental disorders. Dr. McNatt earned her doctorate from Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health and her master’s from the University of Michigan, School of Public Health.

Haroula Ntalla, M.S.Ed., CSE, LP, FIPA

Haroula Ntalla, M.S.Ed., CSE, LP, FIPA, is a New York State licensed psychoanalyst in private practice with a focus on perinatal mental health and over 20 years of experience supporting infants and parent-child relationships beginning in the prenatal period. She is a certified member of the Contemporary Freudian Society and a fellow of the International Psychoanalytic Association. Additionally, she serves as the chair of training for The Spring Project, an initiative aimed at supporting women during the perinatal period. Ntalla was a clinical director and supervisor at the Seleni Institute, an organization that provides clinical services to women in the perinatal phase.

For over 18 years, Haroula Ntalla has been an adjunct professor in early childhood, early intervention, and parenting at the Department of ECAE at Brooklyn College. Ntalla regularly shares her clinical work at professional conferences internationally, including those organized by the IPA and IPSO.  She is also a faculty member at the Metropolitan Institute for Training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (Department of Child and Adolescent) and serves as a supervisor at the Training Institute of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at the Contemporary Freudian Society. Furthermore, Ntalla is currently a doctoral candidate in clinical psychoanalysis at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis.

Anabel Rivera

Anabel Rivera is a dedicated full-spectrum doula with a profound commitment to serving the Hispanic, Latine, and migrant communities, advocating for equitable access to compassionate, culturally sensitive maternal care. Born and raised in Borikén, Rivera draws strength from their rich cultural heritage, using their lived experience to uplift and empower expectant individuals and families throughout the perinatal journey.

Their work extends beyond traditional doula care, embracing a holistic and inclusive approach to reproductive health. With the firm belief that every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves access to quality support, Rivera tirelessly advocates for accessible birth education, culturally congruent wellness practices, and equitable maternal healthcare. Her mission is rooted in the understanding that addressing systemic barriers is essential for achieving positive birth outcomes, particularly for historically marginalized communities.

As a parent of two, Rivera understands firsthand the unique challenges and needs faced by expectant and new parents. This personal insight informs their practice, enabling them to provide care that is not only compassionate but also tailored to the cultural and social realities of the families they support. They integrate ancestral practices with modern evidence-based approaches, ensuring each birthing person feels seen, heard, and empowered in their reproductive choices.

Central to their work is the promotion of cultural humility and reproductive justice. They actively engage with the Hispanic, Latine, and migrant communities, offering education, advocacy, and hands-on support while respecting each family’s unique traditions and values. Their approach recognizes that culturally congruent care is essential to the overall well-being of both parents and infants, fostering stronger, healthier families and communities.

Through their work, Rivera has become a voice for change, challenging inequities in maternal health while uplifting the resilience and strength of the communities they serve. Whether through direct support, advocacy, or community education, they are committed to breaking down barriers and creating a future where every expectant parent, regardless of race, ethnicity, or immigration status, has access to the care they deserve.

Proudly representing Puerto Rico and the Latine diaspora, Rivera continues to stand at the intersection of culture, community, and care, advancing a movement toward inclusive, culturally sensitive, and holistic maternal health for all.

Ines Robles-Urgiles, LCSW, IMH-E®, CLC

Ines Robles-Urgiles, LCSW, IMH-E®, CLC, is a bilingual social worker currently working with the Nurse-Family Partnership program at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). She has more than 15 years of experience working with young children and their families from different ethnic and racial backgrounds in a variety of settings, including the Child Center of New York, the New York Center for Child Development, and the Early Childhood Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Robles-Urgiles is endorsed as an Infant Mental Health professional and a Reflective Supervisor by the New York State Association for Infant Mental Health (NYSAIMH). She is rostered in child-parent psychotherapy and trained in perinatal child-parent psychotherapy. Additionally, Robles-Urgiles is a certified facilitator of Circle of Security® Parenting™, Practical Resources for Effective Postpartum Parenting (PREPP), and is a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). Her clinical expertise includes working with pregnant individuals with trauma histories, infants and young children (birth to age 5), and their families. She also has experience supporting children with developmental delays and families navigating the foster care system. Robles-Urgiles first became an infant/early childhood clinician as a young clinician, with the understanding that early intervention is crucial for fostering healthy caregiver-child relationships. Through her work with dyads, she discovered that many of the challenges stemmed from caregivers’ unresolved childhood trauma. This realization led her to deepen her understanding of perinatal mental health. Driven by her passion for supporting families, Robles-Urgiles hopes to raise awareness about maternal mental health and its vital roles in nurturing strong, healthy parent-child bonds.

Ashanda Saint-Jean, m.D., FACOG

Dr. Ashanda Saint-Jean is a graduate of The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education/CUNY Medical School. She received her doctorate in medicine from New York Medical College and completed her residency training at Danbury Hospital/Yale New-Haven affiliate in Danbury, Connecticut. She is a board-certified OB/GYN physician with over 20 years of experience working in New York City, focused on the delivery of quality care to underrepresented minority women. Her life’s work has been devoted to the excellence in health care delivery via a patient centered approach that is inclusive of comprehensive care, mental health, wellness, and combating social determinants of health.

Dr. Ashanda Saint-Jean is the chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Health Alliance Hospitals of the Hudson Valley, part of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network and an associate professor in the Department of OB/GYN at New York Medical College. She is a consultant for the New York City Department of Health; a member of the Ulster County Board of Health; the Hudson Valley section chair for ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) District II (New York State); the ACOG District II Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion delegate, representing New York State, for the ACOG national DEI delegation; a physician member for the New York State Coalition for Doula Access; and an appointed member of the New York State Maternal Mortality Review Board and co-chair of the New York City Maternal Mortality Review Board.

Nneka Symister, LCSW

Nneka Symister is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families. She specializes in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, grief, loss, and life transitions, using approaches like EMDR, CBT, and mindfulness.

As the founder of My Local Therapist, LLC, Nneka is dedicated to providing culturally responsive care and advocating for accessible mental health services. She is a sought-after speaker passionate about reducing stigma and fostering resilience in diverse communities.

Alison Whitney, MSW, MPH

Alison Whitney is the Assistant Director for Clinical and Community Partnerships at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She oversees and directs hospital doula-friendliness within the Citywide Doula Initiative, focusing on organizational culture change to build anti-racist health care systems. She has extensive experience with program design and evaluation, quality improvement, and technical assistance. She co-leads the New York Coalition for Doula Access (NYCDA), and led publication of the Hospital Doula-Friendliness Guidebook. She is passionate about maternal, infant and reproductive health, rights, and justice. Alison holds an MSW from University of Maryland – Baltimore, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.