Seleni Announces Scholarship Recipients for Maternal Mental Health Online Training

January 15, 2020 – New York, NY - The Seleni Institute has been awarded a grant from a philanthropic donor which provides 40 full scholarships for Seleni’s Maternal Mental Health Intensive Clinical Training online courses. The scholarships valued at $20,000 are targeted to support mental health professionals and students serving underserved populations.

Seleni’s Founder, Nitzia Logothetis, states, "As part of Seleni's mission, we are committed to providing greater access to care to families affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and perinatal loss. These trainings allow us to reach a broader population served by dedicated mental health professionals. We are thankful to our philanthropic donor and to the scholarship recipients who will be putting these trainings into practice and making a difference in their community".

Seleni received hundreds of entries from deserving applicants who have dedicated their lives to working with underserved communities. The team was very moved by the many stories the applicants told about their work and applied an extensive selection process. The successful award recipients have been selected and informed. Many have sent a response, including:

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be one of the 40 applicants to receive the scholarship. I am truly hoping to gain extensive knowledge and assist the community we serve.” Seema Dharod

“Thank you so much for this opportunity! I am overwhelmed with excitement to get started on this training and improve the care we provide our families in our clinic. Thank you again and I also look forward to being in touch and getting more involved with the Seleni Institute. Warmly” Hayley Leddington Shinerock

“Thank you so much! I truly appreciate the opportunity to further my education and training in serving clients surrounding struggles with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, loss and grief. Thanks again!  Best wishes” Kimberly Rosario

2019 Scholarship Recipients are:

1. Sharon Itkoff Nacache

2. Chaquira Andrade

3. Elliot Parker

4. Michelle Joseph

5. Julian Ho

6. Dewanna Byrd

7. Melanie Koschnitzke

8. Nicole Bolognini

9. Letizia Rossi

10. Laurie Lunn

11. Megan Haag-Fisk

12. Karen Owes

13. Vu-An Foster

14. Julia Donahue

15. Libby Carter-Otuya

16. Shakila Maloratski

17. Adefunke Obatusin

18. Nicole Weathers

19. Hayley Gonzales

20. Jesseka C Gerardo Cuevas

21. Melissa Radhay 

22. Kimberly Loustau

23. Seema Dharod

24. Christine Mustaca

25. Jillian Mabry

26. Elizabeth Espinosa

27. Rachel Schimmel

28. Damaris Lopez

29. Jamie E Olivieri 

30. Kimberly Rosario

31. Saarika Bhakta

32. Hayley Shinerock

33. Iris Jones

34. Maria Abramovich-Petis

35. Lisette Alvarez

36. Lea Wersan       

37. Christina Smalley

38. Patricia Thomas

39. Stringham Marci

40. Heather Feldman

Seleni is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the emotional health of individuals and families during the family building years. The organization argues that there is a gap in knowledge and understanding that often results in maternal mental health challenges going un-diagnosed or being inappropriately treated. Recognizing this growing need to equip mental health professionals with this critical knowledge to support mothers and their families, this grant will support further education in this specialist branch of mental health.

For further information, please contact [email protected].