President
Sarah Kelly
For the past 17 years, Sarah has served Lincoln as a RN, BSN at Bryan Health, experienced in Women’s Health and Postpartum care. Her additional work is in the Specialty Clinic and as a SANE nurse. Sarah recently obtained her certification for Nebraska as a Peer Support Specialist and has led efforts in developing a peer led birth trauma support group, MomEmbrace. This support group will soon be holding their first in person meeting. Sarah’s own lived experience with birth trauma encouraged her involvement with United Brachial Plexus Network, sharing her story at family camps and Bryan Health conferences through presentations about birth trauma and PTSD. Sarah and her husband reside in Lincoln, Nebraska, where they have raised three children. Sarah’s personal experiences and her family are what has inspired Sarah to want to support any mom struggling with perinatal mood disorders. Sarah Previously served as PSI-NE’s Vice-President. Sarah and her husband reside in Lincoln, Nebraska, where they have raised three children. Sarah’s personal experiences and her family are what has inspired Sarah to want to support any mom struggling with perinatal mood disorders.
Vice-President 
Ashlee Reed
Ashlee Reed is a Nebraska-born Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner with over a decade of experience in private practice. She specializes in supporting individuals navigating perinatal and postpartum struggles, as well as those dealing with grief, anxiety, depression, and life adjustments. Ashlee holds the PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification) and actively pursues continuing education to deepen her expertise and enhance her ability to help others. She administers local mental health provider social media groups and accounts. She also co-developed and co-facilitates a Nebraska-based consultation group for therapists specializing in perinatal mental health. Outside of her professional roles, Ashlee loves spending time with her family, which consists of 1 husband, 3 children, 3 dogs, and 2 cats. She is honored and excited to serve as a member of the PSI Nebraska Board.
Treasurer 
Melissa Bowers
Melissa is currently the Director of Programs at Wellbeing Initiative. She brings strong empathy and compassion to her work in peer support, as well as her personal life. Her lived experience with postpartum struggles and birth trauma inspired her to get involved with PSI. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication with a minor in Human Relations and is currently obtaining her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training certification. She loves spending time with her family and friends, concerts/live music, animals, traveling, dance, sports (Go Seahawks and KC Royals!), cooking, running/boxing, true crime/horror and reading.
Secretary 
Jennifer Brown
Jen Brown is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and holds a certification in perinatal mental health (PMH-C). She provides outpatient mental health services, in private practice, for individuals throughout the perinatal period. Jen continues to seek ongoing education and training to enhance her clinical practice. She also partners with a colleague to facilitate a perinatal mental health consultation group to connect other providers in the community and strengthen treatment interventions and outcomes. Jen serves on the Lincoln Caregiver Education group and has held various roles on other leadership boards for local organizations. She is currently a field instructor for students at Nebraska Wesleyan University. In her free time, she loves traveling with her family and going for walks with her 2 dogs.
Liaison Chair
Patti Gardner
Patti Gardner, DNP, APRN-NP, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at Creighton University and a practicing psychiatric–mental health nurse practitioner. Her work is grounded in broad clinical experience across adult psychiatric care and substance use disorders, informed by earlier practice as a Certified Nurse Midwife and Lactation Consultant. Dr. Gardner continues to practice at Lincoln Psychiatric Group in Lincoln, Nebraska, providing outpatient psychiatric care across diverse populations.
Her program of scholarship focuses on the use of evidence-informed and digital interventions to improve medication adherence, psychiatric mental health workforce development and preceptor support, and clinician well-being. She is the principal investigator on a university-funded grant examining digital tools to improve medication adherence and a co-investigator on state-funded workforce initiatives, including interprofessional Stress First Aid training. Dr. Gardner has published and presented locally, regionally and nationally and serves in national and regional professional organizations supporting graduate nursing education and workforce development.
Region Chair
Andrea Thinnes
Andrea Thinnes is an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy with 24 years of experience as a practicing occupational therapist. She teaches courses in mental health and aging to future OT professionals and actively contributes to interprofessional education and collaboration. Her research focuses on women’s health, with a particular emphasis on survivors of sex trafficking, healthy pregnancies, and postpartum mental health. She serves as Co-Chair of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Women’s Health Community of Practice. Born and raised in Omaha, she is also a proud wife, mother of three, and grandmother to twin granddaughters. She has volunteered with PSI, Nebraska Chapter, for the last 2 years and is looking forward to beginning the role of Region Chair.
Alliance Chair 
Rachel Tran
Rachel is a Nebraska native who has also spent time living in Oregon and Washington states. As the mother and daughter of multi-racial families she brings many cultural experiences to her clients. These experiences and parenting her own children, ages 17, 15, 13, & 10, drive her passions for empowering families on their own journeys. She fully supports all family structures, walks of life, and acknowledges the individualities of each family that might require unique support. She was a peer lactation counselor with La Leche League International for 12 years, and she has been a Babywearing Educator for 20 years. Rachel has been trained as a postpartum doula through two different organizations and as a newborn parent educator. She is currently providing postpartum doula services and Parent Coaching through her small business Village Life Parenting as well as an online support group for parents from around the US.
Climb Out of Darkness Chair
Meghan Luebbert
Meghan is a psychiatric nurse practitioner at a small clinic in Elkhorn, NE. Living through her own perinatal difficulties has lead her to obtain her PMH-C certification. Her passion for this demographic continues to grow every day. She has been involved in establishing PSI-Omaha Region while planning and coordinating our states very first Climb event.
Co-Social Media Chair
Grace Beauchamp
Grace Beauchamp is the Social Media Chair for the Nebraska Chapter of Postpartum Support International and a medical student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She earned her MBA in Healthcare Management from The University of Alabama, where she was a Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellow. With a foundation in psychology, chemistry, and social innovation, Grace brings a multidisciplinary lens to her advocacy work. Her interests include women’s health and bioethics, and she is passionate about using digital platforms to foster connection, education, and support for postpartum families.
Co-Social Media Chair
Katey Stukenholz
Katey is a Nebraska native with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and a Master of Arts in Education. As a mother of four, she is passionate about creating space for honest conversations surrounding postpartum mental health and loss, informed in part by her own lived experiences. By sharing openly, Katey hopes to help others feel less alone and more supported. Outside of her advocacy work, Katey enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and three dogs. She also loves attending sporting events, gardening, listening to podcasts, going to musicals, and pursuing lifelong learning.
Advocacy Chair
Karla Deacon
Karla Deacon is a licensed mental health therapist with extensive experience working in women’s health and community-based care. She has provided support in a women’s clinic setting, where she worked closely with mothers to screen for postpartum mental health concerns and connect them with essential resources. Her work has focused on helping families navigate the challenges of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period with compassion and care. In addition to her clinical expertise, Karla has a strong background in community outreach, working with families to increase access to mental health services, gain access to resources, and promote wellness. She is dedicated to creating supportive environments where mothers and families feel seen, heard, and empowered in their healing journey. As a board member of Postpartum Support International, Karla contributes her knowledge of maternal mental health, community engagement, and therapeutic care to guide advocacy, strengthen partnerships, and ensure that the organization continues to meet the evolving needs of parents.
Co-Education Chair
Emily Goodman
Emily is a mother of three, wife, and therapist in Lincoln, NE. She has been involved with PSI since 2020 in several capacities. As a therapist, Emily specializes in Anxiety, ADHD, and Perinatal disorders in women. She has been a therapist since leaving health and human services, child and family service division in 2015. Emily enjoys being with her family, gardening, and supporting women to feel supported, strong, empowered, beautiful, focused and affiliated. Emily previously served as PSI-NE’s President.
Co-Education Chair
Jennifer Rokeby-Mayeux
Jennifer is a licensed clinical social worker and is certified in perinatal mental health (PMH-C). She has worked with birthing people for over 25 years, she is a retired doula and is a DONA International Past President. Jennifer owns Meadowlark Counseling in Lincoln, NE, where she provides behavioral health therapy to individuals, including people in the perinatal period. When she is not working Jennifer enjoys fostering small animals for the Capital Humane Society, baking and spending time at home with her family. Jennifer previously served as PSI-NE’s Liaison.
Membership Chair
Paige McCoy
Paige is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor and has been practicing since 2017. She specializes in working with adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship concerns, substance use concerns and perinatal and postpartum concerns. Paige recently obtained her PMH-C (Perinatal Mental Health Certification). She enjoys continuing to learn and gain new skills to utilize in session to better help her clients. Paige has recently added a dog to her practice named Blue (a mini poodle) who has brought a lot of joy to clients in session and will hopefully be certified as a therapy when he is old enough. Outside of work Paige enjoys being outside, reading books, spending time with her husband & two children, two dogs, and two bunnies. She is excited to enter this new role and serve on the PSI Nebraska Board and continue to bring awareness to perinatal mental health concerns.
