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Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Pediatrics conference

Jan. 30, 2026
Jamie Manser, MLSt, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine – Tucson

On Jan. 17, our department produced Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Pediatrics: Advancing Mental Health for Women & Children — a vitally important in-person conference at Hacienda del Sol. With 1 in 5 women in the U.S. suffering from maternal mental health complications, including addiction, and with 1 in 5 youth between ages 3-17 in the U.S. suffering from an emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder, there is a significant mismatch between need and availability of care.

Supported in part by Banner – University Medical Center and Banner – University Health Plans, the conference was produced to close treatment gaps by empowering primary and behavioral healthcare providers to more confidently care for their perinatal, child and adolescent patients living with psychiatric disorders through interactive case discussions and practical medical updates.

Presenters included U of A Psychiatry faculty Kathryn Emerick, MD, Jacquelin Esque, MD, Saira Kalia, MD, and Kathy W. Smith, MD. National speakers included Emily Miller, MD, MPH (Alpert Medical School of Brown University); Lauren Osborne, MD (Weill Cornell Medicine); and Justine Welsh, MD (Emory University School of Medicine). The conference attracted 115 attendees — 34% were physicians and 66% were non-physicians — and included providers such as MSWs, LCSWs, NPs, DNPs and PhDs. A big shoutout to conference volunteers PGY2s Leigh Myles, MD, Daniel Sandberg, MD, and Lucy Soule, MD, and to the department’s multimedia design assistant Erin Choi for all of her graphic design and logistics work. The conference was produced by Jamie Manser, MLSt, manager of program innovation and strategic initiatives, and directed by Jordan Karp, MD, psychiatry professor and chair.

Click on the titles below to open the presentation PDFs. 

Press Inquiries

Jamie Manser, MLSt
jlmanser@arizona.edu