Supporting Parents, Building Resilience: SWACH Awards Funding to Gorge Perinatal Mental Health Initiative
Becoming a parent can be one of the most joyful—and overwhelming—experiences in a person’s life. For families in the Columbia Gorge, the Gorge Perinatal Mental Health Initiative is helping ensure no one goes through it alone.
SWACH is proud to award funding to support this vital initiative, which provides peer-led mental health support for new and expecting parents in the region. The funding is part of SWACH’s Collaborative Funding Model, which invests in local, community-rooted solutions that advance health equity across Southwest Washington.
Why It Matters
Mental health challenges during and after pregnancy are common—but too often go unspoken or unsupported. This initiative recognizes that support from someone who’s been there can be life-changing.
Through free, peer-led support groups, the initiative offers safe spaces for parents to share openly, build coping skills, and connect with others navigating the perinatal period. Groups are designed with inclusion in mind—meeting the needs of families from diverse cultural, geographic, and linguistic backgrounds.
Equity in Every Step
In rural areas like the Columbia Gorge, access to mental health care is often limited— especially for specialized services like perinatal support. The Gorge Perinatal Mental Health Initiative helps close that gap by bringing care into the community, led by people who reflect the families they serve.
The model centers:
Peer support specialists with lived experience of perinatal mental health.
Culturally responsive services for Latino/a and Native community members.
Accessible meeting formats, including virtual and in-person options.
A Healthier Future for Families
This funding helps the initiative grow its impact—reaching more families, training more peer leaders, and expanding services to meet evolving needs. It also contributes to a broader movement to treat perinatal mental health as an essential part of whole-person wellness.
SWACH is honored to support this work and the community leaders behind it. Together, we’re building a region where all parents—no matter their background—have the care and connection they deserve.
Learn more about Gorge Perinatal Mental Health Initiative at: https://www.cgpmhi.org/
Learn more about Collaborative Funding Model recipients at: southwestach.org/cfm