This great bit of news was sent to me at the beginning of May but I’m just now getting around to posting it because my little pumpkin pie has been keeping me very busy. (She’s now three months old and quite entertaining!) Anyway, my apologies to Washington for being so late in sharing the great news:
The state of Washington has launched a new "Speak Up When You’re Down" PPD public awareness campaign. It focuses on providing basic information about the signs and symptoms of postpartum mood disorders, offering a toll-free phone number (1-888-404-7763) and a website (www.speakup.wa.gov) for more information. The phone line is handled by Postpartum Support International of Washington.
A law passed in 2005 by the state legislature authorized the campaign. That law was largely driven by Washington resident Thomas Soukakos, owner of a popular Seattle cafe, who led a grassroots effort after losing his wife to PPD in 2003. Thank you, Mr. Soukakos, for turning a personal tragedy into a positive resource for women all across Washington.
Thank you Katherine from your friends here in Washington State for helping us get the word out! We also offer our gratitude to New Jersey for allowing us to use their highly successful campaign in our state.
And for anyone in the Seattle area who would like to attend our Speak Up launch event, Thomas Soukakos is hosting an evening celebration at his restaurant, Vios, on June 19. The event is co-hosted by WCPCAN and PSI of Washington. Feel free to contact me if you would like to join us! Chris: chris@wcpcan.wa.gov