麻豆区

Black Maternal Health: Addressing Disparities, Bridging Gaps, and Building a Better Future

FRIDAY, October 24, 2025
10:00 am 鈥� 12:00 pm (eastern time)
Live Webinar on Zoom
(You will need to register to receive login information)

Registration: 2 CEU Credit Hours
General:  Through Oct.16: $50; Oct. 17-23: $60
Wurzweiler Alumni and Current WSSW Practicum Instructors: Through Oct.16: $40; Oct. 17-23: $50
All Current Students: $15

Registration closes on 10/23/25 at 5:00 Eastern Time (EST)

This program will examine the persistent disparities in Black maternal health and mental health, with a focus on the systemic factors that have contributed to them. 

Based on her practice and research, Dr. Monique Rainford provides an overview of the issues, including consideration of the role of health disparities and their causes. She will also highlight evidence-based strategies and innovative solutions to close these gaps, offering a path toward more equitable and effective models of care. 

Dr. Dominique Phinn will explore the unique clinical risk factors that contribute to disparities in mental health. She will apply evidence-based interventions, illustrated by clinical practice, integrating trauma-informed and anti-racist practices.

Learning Objectives

As a result of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Increase their awareness of disparities in Black maternal health and mental health and their underlying causes.
2. Identify and explore evidence-based solutions to reduce disparities and improve outcomes.
3. Analyze the role of structural racism, systemic inequities, and intergenerational trauma in shaping mental health outcomes.
4. Develop clinical strategies to support advocacy, healing, and culturally affirming care.
    

Presenters

 

Monique Rainford, MD, MBA, is the CEO and Co-founder of Enrich Health, LLC, a maternity healthcare delivery center in Connecticut dedicated to eliminating disparities in maternal health. She is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, author, public speaker, and leading voice on health disparities affecting Black women in America. 

Dr. Rainford is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, where she earned the Robert H. Ebert Award in Primary Care Medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In addition to her current leadership roles, Dr. Rainford has served as Center Medical Director at Baltimore Medical System and as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale Health. She currently holds an appointment as Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.  

Dr. Rainford鈥檚 third book, Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America, was published in 2023. She has been featured on numerous media platforms, and was recognized as one of Poets & Quants鈥� Best & Brightest Executive MBAs of 2024.

Dominique Phinn, DSW, LMSW, brings over a decade of experience in clinical practice, higher education, and community-based work, with a strong focus on trauma-informed care, maternal mental health, and reproductive justice. She has worked with adolescents, young adults, and parents navigating depression, anxiety, birth trauma, racial stress, and identity exploration. She integrates culturally responsive care, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and solution-focused approaches in her work. 

Dr. Phinn received her PhD from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, where she is currently an adjunct professor. She is especially passionate about supporting Black birthing people through postpartum transitions, perinatal mood disorders, and grief and loss.

Podcast

Rabbis, chaplains, and social workers are often called on to provide spiritual care near life鈥檚 end. Whether in response to serious illness, advanced cognitive or physical decline in old age, or unexpected, tragic violence, health care professionals and clergy need to respond compassionately and effectively with families facing spiritual, emotional, and existential crises. Clips from Wurzweiler School of Social Work鈥檚 鈥淪pirituality Near the End of Life鈥� Conference in July 2019 include leading clergy, chaplains, and social workers offering their knowledge, skills, and wisdom to assist professionals seeking to better integrate spiritual care into their professional and community work.

Episode 1

Episode 2