Portland – October 28, 2026 -- Postpartum Support International (PSI) has launched a legal justice program backed by $120,000 in new funding, led by a $100,000 "Decriminalizing Mental Illness" grant from the Sozosei Foundation, the philanthropic arm of healthcare company Otsuka. Two $10,000 gifts from private donors complete the funding.
The program trains attorneys and other legal professionals, prepares perinatal mental health specialists to act as expert witnesses, and supports women and families drawn into the legal system because of perinatal mental illness. PSI says unrecognized or misunderstood conditions in criminal, family or employment proceedings can separate families, end careers and lead to incarceration.
PSI President and CEO Wendy Davis said nowhere are the consequences of that misunderstanding greater than in a courtroom.
PSI schedules expert witness and attorney trainings from November 2026 through Q2 2027
A one-day advanced training for expert witnesses runs live online on November 19, 2026, with a second session planned for the first quarter of 2027. A new advanced training on parental capacity is in development, with a live presentation targeted for the second quarter of 2027.
PSI is also running webinars by practice area:
- Criminal attorneys: available on demand now, with a live session in the first quarter of 2027.
- Family law attorneys: live on November 18, 2026.
- Employment attorneys: in development, with a live session planned for the second quarter of 2027.
PSI will exhibit at NACDL, AFCC and ABA conferences and launch an attorney directory
The organization plans to exhibit at conferences hosted by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the American Bar Association. It will also publish a directory of attorneys who have completed its training, modeled on its existing provider directory, to help families find informed legal representation.
Yates Children Memorial Fund grant seeded the program
The program was developed with a grant from the Yates Children Memorial Fund, co-founded by George and Mary Parnham after they defended Andrea Yates in Houston in 2001. Yates's retrial ended in a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict. PSI states that the U.S. justice system lags other developed nations in its legal handling of maternal mental illness.