The ROWEN Clinic has expanded beyond direct care into research, and provides educational opportunities for doctoral students.
Spalding University’s ROWEN Clinic is working to address the expanding need for perinatal and maternal mental health while also preparing the next generation of psychologists to be able to care for women and families with compassion and expertise.
The ROWEN Clinic was founded back in 2021 by Dr. Amy Young and Dr. Norah Chapman who served as faculty members in the School of Professional Psychology. The clinic operates within the Center for Behavioral Health, and provides support for patients navigating depression, anxiety, birth trauma, pregnancy loss, infertility, postpartum, pregnancy, and other mental health concerns that can display as a result of family formation.
ROWEN Clinic licensed psychologists and doctoral students provided 326 hours of perinatal mental health services to underserved families and women in the Louisville area during the 2024-2025 academic year. The following year that number rose by 7% increase in delivered care to 349 hours.
Those numbers express a significant need in the community. Nearly one in four women experience an anxiety or other mood disorder during their perinatal period, and many more are never screened, referred, or connected to any kind of support.
In an article posted on Spalding University’s website, Dr. Chapman was quoted as saying of the importance of the clinic, “This work is deeply personal for me because I know how isolating these experiences can be. No one should have to navigate infertility, pregnancy loss, or the challenges of the perinatal period feeling alone. Through the ROWEN Clinic, we’re helping more women and families find support while preparing future psychologists to make a lasting difference.”
The name of the ROWEN clinic is a reflection of its mission, and was inspired by the concept of a second harvest. ROWEN is a time of renewal and transformation. As parenthood, pregnancy, infertility, and loss can create large shifts in wellbeing, priorities, relationships, and identities, the clinic was created to support people going through those changes.
Dr. Chapman and Dr. Young have been working to provide more than just direct care. They are also working to advance the field through research. They have been working with doctoral students to create a comprehensive perinatal mental health screening tool which will allow mental health and healthcare providers more easily identify a larger range of risk factors and symptoms than ever before.
The stated goal of this work is to allow more patients to receive the support they need before mental health concerns escalate into dangerous situations, and to create stronger connections between mental health professionals and healthcare providers.
The ROWEN clinic also operates as a one of a kind training opportunity for students studying in Spaldin’s School of Professional Psychology. By working in a clinical setting, doing supervision, research, and advocacy, they are able to gain experiences working in a specialized way with women and families during one of life’s biggest transitions.
Dr. Young said of the function of the clinic, “Some of life’s most joyful moments can also be some of its most vulnerable. The ROWEN Clinic gives our students the opportunity to walk alongside women and families during those transitions while learning how compassionate, evidence-based care can change lives. That’s an experience they will carry throughout their careers.”
Through that combination of professional preparation, scholarship and service, the students working at the clinic are starting to be noticed beyond just the Louisville region. As a result, Dr. Chapman and Dr. Young got the opportunity to travel to the Postpartum Support International Annual Conference in Los Angeles to present the research they developed at the clinic.
The work of the doctors has also been expanding beyond the university. They have been part of the establishment of Kentucky’s chapter of Postpartum Support International and have added to statewide efforts to create better maternal mental health awareness, policy, referral networks, and provider education.
As the clinic keeps growing, it continues to focus on creating more access to affordable and specialized care for women and families who are growing their families as well as creating a better future maternal mental health in Kentucky and the rest of the country.
More information about Spalding University can be found at the school’s website.