California Perinatal Wellness Alliance (CPWA)

The California Perinatal Wellness Alliance (CPWA) is a survivor- and community-led statewide coalition working to ensure every California family has access to equitable, compassionate, and timely perinatal mental health care. Through policy and systems change, storytelling and narrative shift, and cross-sector movement-building, we bring together families, community organizations, healthcare providers, researchers, philanthropy, and government partners to strengthen California's perinatal mental health system.

Perinatal mental health conditions—including postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis—are the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth and the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States. In California, these conditions affect 1 in 3 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers, yet 85% go untreated, despite the fact that they are highly preventable and treatable with early recognition and care. The consequences ripple across generations, affecting parents, babies, families, and communities while costing California an estimated $2.4 billion each year.

Founded in 2024, the California Perinatal Wellness Alliance (CPWA) is building a statewide movement to transform that reality.

Rather than providing direct clinical services, CPWA serves as a statewide backbone organization, connecting survivors, families, community organizations, healthcare providers, researchers, philanthropy, and state agencies to advance coordinated systems change. We believe that lasting change happens when people with lived experience work alongside decision-makers to strengthen policies, systems, and public understanding.

Our work is grounded in three interconnected strategies:

• Policy & Systems Change – advancing policies that improve prevention, screening, treatment, care coordination, accountability, and equitable access to care.
• Storytelling & Narrative Change – elevating the voices of parents, families, providers, and survivors to reduce stigma, inform public understanding, and influence policy.
• Convenings & Movement Building – bringing together diverse partners to build trust, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate collective action across California.

In just two years, CPWA has grown into a coalition of more than 20 partner organizations and hundreds of supporters across California. We've convened statewide advocacy days and cross-sector leadership events, helped advance landmark perinatal mental health legislation, launched a statewide storytelling initiative, and are helping build the infrastructure needed to transform California's perinatal mental health system for the long term.

We're now entering an exciting new chapter as we hire our first full-time staff member. If you're energized by building relationships, coordinating complex initiatives, and helping grow a statewide movement from the ground up, we'd love to hear from you.

Our Values

• Survivor leadership
• Collaboration over competition
• Equity and justice
• Shared leadership
• Curiosity and continuous learning
• Wellness and sustainability
• Transformational over transactional relationships