Mission
The California Perinatal Wellness Alliance (CPWA) is a survivor- and community-led coalition advancing perinatal mental health and justice in California and beyond.
Vision
To transform fragmented perinatal mental health systems into a just, inclusive, and sustainable ecosystem where every birthing person and family has access to care, dignity, and support.
Our Story
CPWA was born from a simple belief: stories can transform systems.
In October 2024, more than 200 survivors, providers, and policymakers gathered in Los Angeles for From Pain to Power, an unprecedented convening that broke the silence around perinatal mental health through storytelling, connection, and collective action. The event premiered The Imperfect Mothers Club documentary and sparked a new statewide movement grounded in survivor leadership, healing, and systems change.
Since then, CPWA has grown into a survivor- and community-led statewide alliance bringing together parents, providers, health systems, state agencies, researchers, advocates, and policymakers to build a more coordinated, equitable, and preventive perinatal mental health system across California. Together, we’ve shown what’s possible when lived experience drives policy and systems change:
- Convened 200+ stakeholders through the inaugural From Pain to Power convening, launching a statewide movement and coalition.
- Co-created SB 626, to strengthen California’s approach to perinatal mental health screening, follow-up care, and accountability.
- Organized From Pain to Power Advocacy Day, bringing 25 survivors among 40 advocates for 50+ legislative visits at the State Capitol.
- Convened the California Perinatal Mental Health Agency Roundtable, bringing together 40+ leaders from state agencies, health systems, health plans, clinicians, researchers, and community organizations—including the Office of the First Partner and the California Surgeon General—to strengthen coordination across California’s perinatal mental health system.
- Published the Breaking the Silence Storybook, uplifting dozens of survivor and provider voices from across California as both evidence for change and a roadmap for action.
Our Founding Director
Cassie Gardener Manjikian, MPH, brings lived experience and two decades of advocacy expertise to this work. A postpartum psychosis survivor whose risk factors went unrecognized despite excellent insurance and education, Cassie transformed her experience into a lifelong commitment to change. She serves on the board of Maternal Mental Health NOW, completed a Policy Fellowship with the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, and co-founded CPWA to ensure no parent falls through the cracks. Cassie shares her story publicly—in The Imperfect Mothers Club, on Spectrum News, and at storytelling events—to break stigma and drive change.
