Our Staff

agriffen@mmhla.org

Adrienne is an advocate and subject-matter expert in maternal mental health.

Prior to joining MMHLA, Adrienne founded Postpartum Support Virginia and served as executive director for 10 years, establishing a statewide network of peer-led support groups, creating educational programs for mental health providers and maternal-child healthcare professionals, and helping pass legislation requiring information about postpartum depression and anxiety be provided to new mothers.

Adrienne graduated from the United States Naval Academy and has a master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Adrienne and her family live in Arlington VA.

What’s Your Why?

When I experienced postpartum depression when my son was born in 2001, it took me 6 months to get the help that I needed. I vowed during that dark time in my life that I would do something so other women did not suffer needlessly as I did. For the last 20 years, I have been supporting new mothers and advocating for policies, programs, and funding for maternal mental health. 

pbriones@mmhla.org

Priscilla supports MMHLA's Corporate and Technology Councils and provides scheduling and administrative support.

With a passion for small, mission-driven organizations, associations, and coalitions, Priscilla's professional background is in strategic operations, accounting, development, communications, board governance, and event management.

Priscilla's lived experience with postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis has shaped how she parents and influenced her to support and educate parents on maternal mental health matters.

She holds a BA in Public Relations and English and lives in Northern Virginia with her partner, two children, and three cats.

What’s Your Why?

My lived experience with postpartum depression, and later, postpartum psychosis, drives my desire to ensure every parent has the resources they need readily available during the intense pre- and post-delivery period. 

mchild@mmhla.org

Mara supports the MMHLA team and Board of Directors to implement new strategic initiatives and development efforts.

As a connector and communicator by trade and by heart, she is passionate about working on new or rapidly expanding initiatives, with a focus on creating engaged teams and practical strategies to support organizational and systems change.

Mara’s own experience becoming a parent and navigating the preconception to postpartum period fuels her deep commitment to increasing access to just, equitable, and quality mental health care for all parents.

Mara has nearly twenty years of experience working with various global health organizations, networks and academic institutions, both in the United States and also while living in Kenya and Zambia for six years.

She earned her BA in Public Policy and Comparative Area Studies from Duke University and holds an MPA and MPH in Global Health from the University of Washington. Mara and her family live in Vermont.

What’s Your Why?

My journey to parenthood has shaped how I understand the emotional complexity of the preconception through the postpartum period. My own experiences with secondary infertility and pregnancy loss deepened my awareness of how isolating this path can feel — and how important it is to know support is available. It’s what fuels my commitment to expanding access to equitable, compassionate, and high-quality mental health care so all parents can get the help they need.

mhemstad@mmhla.org

Mia has worked in digital marketing and communications since 2016 in the corporate, small business, and nonprofit sectors.

She brings a breadth of experience to MMHLA, including her expertise in policy advocacy-specific communications.

Mia is also a mom of two children with lived experience with postpartum depression and anxiety.

She brings both her professional and personal experiences to expand MMHLA’s communications portfolio and develop and implement our communications strategy across multiple platforms and assets.

What’s Your Why?

I do this work for my grandmother, my mother, myself, and for the many mothers I know who have suffered from maternal mental health conditions without any support and sometimes without awareness of what we were going through.

djames@mmhla.org

Daria joined MMHLA as a Communications Intern in 2023, bringing over four years of experience in social media marketing and community engagement. Now, she assists senior staff as a Communications Associate.

Daria holds a BHS in Health Administration from Florida Atlantic University and an MPH in Epidemiology from Florida International University.

Her passions include mental health in underserved communities, public health in the Caribbean, and the intersection of nutrition and mental health.

What’s Your Why?

Growing up in the Caribbean, I witnessed firsthand the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly for mothers. When I moved to America and began pursuing my academic and career goals, I committed to centering my work on those early experiences. Today, I am privileged to be part of an organization like MMHLA, which aligns with my purpose to improve mental health for all mothers.

swickramatilake@mmhla.org

Dr. Wickramatilake leads MMHLA’s federal policy and advocacy efforts, working to advance policies that improve access to comprehensive, equitable, and evidence-based mental health care for pregnant and postpartum women and their families.

Dr. Wickramatilake brings extensive experience in federal health, mental health, and substance use policy. She previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration as a Senior Advisor at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and as Associate Director for Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Earlier in her career, she held policy leadership roles focused on maternal mental health and substance use, including at the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health and the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors (NASADAD). Across these roles, she has worked with policymakers and partners at the federal, state, and local levels to strengthen systems of care and advance policies that improve health outcomes.

Dr. Wickramatilake earned her Doctor of Public Health and Master of Health Science degrees from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and her bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University. Her doctoral research examined how state governments are addressing eating disorders, with a focus on prevention, treatment access, and systems coordination.

Dr. Wickramatilake lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two young sons, just minutes from her parents and sister, her close-knit “village” and a cherished source of support.

What’s Your Why?

Women’s mental health and substance use have been a through line throughout my career. Early in my career, I served as a liaison to the Women’s Services Network at the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors, where I worked to ensure that the unique treatment and recovery needs of women were addressed in systems of care. I later advanced federal legislation to improve family-centered substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women. At the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, I worked across the agency’s women’s mental health and substance use portfolio, further deepening my commitment to this work.

As a public health professional, I believe that healthy mothers are foundational to healthy families and communities. Supporting maternal mental health is therefore not only an investment in individual well-being, but a core part of building healthier communities. Becoming a mother myself has given me a new perspective on the transition to parenthood and the importance of strong support systems during this transformative time. I’m excited to bring my policy experience to MMHLA and help advance policies that ensure mothers and families have access to the care, resources, and support they need.