Luna Perinatal Counseling and Consultation (LPCC) offers Mental Health Consultation to systems that are interested in a cross-disciplinary approach to imbedding a deeper understanding of mental health and responsiveness to addressing mental health needs in their community-based work. Jen Perfetti has provided Parent-Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (PIEC-MHC) to multiple systems, with a focus on parents’ mental health needs, infant and early childhood social emotional development, and the parent-infant relationship. In her role as a consultant, Jen provides support and capacity building to the provider, not direct service to families, keeping the provider in the primary role with the family. This support involves thinking reflectively and collaboratively with the provider about their experiences and observations of a family, using a strength-based approach, and collaboratively developing next steps to address needs.
Mental Health Consultants can offer professional development trainings, reflective support to staff and supervisors, development of mental-health informed policy and procedures, and collaboration on the development of programming that supports families’ mental health. Central to LPCC’s Mental Health Consultation is a Case-Based Reflective Discussion Group, facilitated by the Mental Health Consultant, in which providers talk as a team about their work with families and provide support to each other. Reflective Practice has been shown to reduce burnout, increase staff retention, increase a provider’s confidence and feelings of competence in their work, and increase empathy and a non-judgmental approach with families.
