Darcy Sander, ARNP began her nursing career in 1989 in Seattle, WA. She was employed in a community hospital childbirth center where she held positions in post-partum, labor and delivery, special nursery and post-discharge follow up care. Following a move to Eastern Washington she began working with WA state Medicaid population providing perinatal support services with the program Maternity Support Services. Ms. Sander entered a Master’s program in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing after seeing a real need for perinatal mental health services. Upon graduation from Washington State University with a Masters of Nursing-Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Ms. Sander became employed in a community mental health clinic in Eastern WA. She has been a psychiatric provider for crisis respite, PACT and outpatient services. She has enjoyed meeting mental health needs of both acute and chronic mental health conditions. Ms. Sander maintains a special interest in the perinatal population and completed a post-graduate certificate in infant mental health from the University of Washington in 2015. She has recently attended the Postpartum Support International Annual Conference in Portland and is participating in the perinatal ECHO program at the University of Washington. She plans to sit for certification in perinatal mental health created by Postpartum Support International.
There is a significant shortage of psychiatric providers in Washington and the nation. Ms. Sander is looking forward to participating in the Collaborative Care/Integrated Care fellowship to improve access to services for mental health for clients presenting to medical clinics, and for medical care from mental health clinics. Ms. Sander is particularly interested in increasing access for the perinatal client. She wants to gain expertise in consultative strategies to meet the needs of prenatal care providers ensuring evidence based psychiatric care for clients. Darcy’s hope is that participation in this fellowship will ultimately increase access to care, and ultimately increase awareness and treatment of perinatal disorders and infant mental health in Grant County and beyond.
A vision for Collaborative Care/Integrated Care 5 years from now would include regular communication between medical, psychiatric, and substance use disorders service providers while including clients in decisions and goals of care. Interagency agreements would be commonplace and fluid evolving to meet biopsychosocial changes of providers and clients. Care will include care provided across the lifespan and extending into child care centers, schools, and long term care facilities.