Free Postpartum & Perinatal Peer Support San Diego | PHA
Postpartum Health Alliance (PHA) is San Diego’s go-to nonprofit for perinatal mental health, offering free peer support groups across the county and a 24/7 warmline staffed by trained volunteers — many of whom are themselves parents who have lived through a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder. PHA has been advocating for parental mental health in San Diego for over twenty years and remains entirely free, with no insurance, diagnosis, or referral required to participate.
What to Expect
PHA runs free support groups for pregnant and postpartum parents across multiple San Diego neighborhoods, including Clairemont, Kensington, La Jolla, La Mesa, Serra Mesa, and Sorrento Mesa. The 24/7 warmline at (619) 254-0023 takes messages around the clock, and every message is returned within 48 hours by a trained PHA volunteer. Conversations cover postpartum depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, baby blues, birth trauma, perinatal loss, and the wider experience of becoming a parent. PHA also provides referrals to perinatal mental health professionals across San Diego County when clinical care is the right next step.
Who This Group Is For
Pregnant and postpartum parents in San Diego experiencing perinatal mood or anxiety disorders (PMADs) — including postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum PTSD, baby blues, and perinatal loss grief. Partners, family members, and supporters are also welcome to call the warmline for help understanding what their loved one is going through. PHA welcomes parents at any point in the perinatal period — preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, or the first few years of parenting.
Why Peer Support Works
Perinatal mood disorders are common — affecting roughly 1 in 7 birthing parents — yet they still carry stigma that keeps many parents from speaking up. Hearing from another parent who has lived through the same experience cuts through the shame more effectively than any pamphlet. Peer warmlines also fill a particular gap: clinical referrals can take weeks, while a returned warmline call within 48 hours gives parents real support during the long wait.
How to Join
For the warmline, call (619) 254-0023 anytime — leave a message and a trained PHA volunteer will return your call within 48 hours. For the in-person support group schedule across Clairemont, Kensington, La Jolla, La Mesa, Serra Mesa, and Sorrento Mesa, visit postpartumhealthalliance.org. The national Maternal Mental Health Hotline is also available 24/7 at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), in English and Spanish.