Mental Health Awareness of Michiana (MHAM) is pleased to announce our upcoming 2025 Perinatal Symposium, titled “Dads Matter Too: Transforming Perinatal Support for Fathers,” taking place on Thursday, August 14, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST at the Community Learning Center, St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, Indiana.
Fathers and partners play a critical role in the health and stability of families during the perinatal period—yet they are often overlooked in traditional maternal health care settings. This year’s symposium aims to shift that narrative by exploring how providers, systems, and communities can better engage and support fathers during pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.
Key Objectives:
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Learn from national expertise about the role of fathers in promoting whole-family mental and emotional wellbeing.
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Explore local innovations from area perinatal programs that are actively working to include fathers and partners in care.
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Listen to lived experience, as fathers share their personal insights on the kind of support they needed—and what helped them most—during the perinatal journey.
Event Schedule:
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8:30–9:00 a.m. – Registration and Light Refreshments
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9:00–9:10 a.m. – Welcome and Introduction by MHAM Executive Director Lisa Kelly
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9:10–9:55 a.m. – Keynote Presentation: “Elevating Fathers in the Perinatal Period”
Craig Garfield, MD, MAPP, Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Attending Physician, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago -
10:05–10:35 a.m. – Panel 1: Local Perinatal Programs
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10:40–11:10 a.m. – Panel 2: Successful Examples of Engaging and Supporting Men
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11:15–12:15 p.m. – Panel 3: Voices of Lived Experience – Perinatal Fathers Share Their Stories
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12:15–12:30 p.m. – Wrap-Up
Registration is free, and light refreshments will be provided.
Continuing Education Credits:
For a nominal fee of $20, attendees may earn 2 CE hours (for Indiana-licensed LCSWs, LMHCs, LMFTs, LCACs, and LSWs). MHAM Pro Bono Counseling Project Volunteer Clinicians receive CE credits at no cost.
This important conversation is part of MHAM’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers to mental health care and promoting inclusive, family-centered support systems across the region.
To learn more or register, please contact MHAM at info@mhamichiana.org.
Many thanks to Anthem Blue Cross for their sponsorship of this event!
About the speaker:
Dr. Craig F. Garfield is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University and an attending physician at Lurie Children’s Hospital. A graduate of Rush Medical College (MD ’96) with pediatric residency training at Mass General (’96–’99), his research explores the social determinants of child and family health—especially fathers’ roles during the perinatal period—and the development of digital parenting interventions. His current studies include national surveys and clinical trials to improve paternal healthcare engagement and equity in family outcomes.
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