Seleni Spotlight: Vu-An Foster, Past Seleni Scholarship Recipient
September 2020 - Vu-An Foster is a past scholarship recipient for Seleni’s Maternal Mental Health Intensive Clinical Training online courses. The scholarships support mental health professionals and students serving underserved populations.
Vu-An studied at William Paterson University where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health. She is currently at Montclair State University completing a Master of Public Health Degree concentrating in Health Systems Administration and Policy. Upon completion, she plans to obtain her DrPH.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a Peer Preconception Educator. I serve on the legislative, medical, and events committee for Star Legacy Foundation. I also founded Life After 2 Losses which is near and dear to my heart professionally, academically, and personally in which I use all forms of social media to document my journey as a Mom after the loss of my 2 daughters. I hope my story brings awareness to incompetent cervix diagnosis and pregnancy loss through advocacy.
What motivates you to work in the mental health field?
After experiencing two-second trimester losses, I became very interested in maternal-child health and the mental health field. I wanted to be a resource I wish I would have had after experiencing my first pregnancy loss.
What project are you currently working on that excites you the most?
I am currently working on two projects that excite me. 1) I partnered up with a Maternal Child Health organization to provide FREE virtual Pregnancy and Infant Loss Peer Support. If anyone you know is interested in attending all they need to do is register on our Facebook page. 2) I am learning all I can about health policy and systems. According to the Cleveland Clinic, incompetent cervix (IC) affects about 1 in 100 pregnancies. IC can lead to both pregnancy loss as well as severe prematurity, leading to excruciatingly long and risky NICU stays. IC typically happens between weeks 16 and 20 of pregnancy, a time when many, if not most, women do not receive any ultrasounds or internal checks of the cervix. A simple check a few weeks earlier could make all the difference to a woman who had IC. I want to fight to make this a standard level of care.
What excites you most about being part of the Seleni community?
What excites me the most about the Seleni community is being apart of an organization that firsthand supports the work I do in the community. I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to improve my skill set with the MMHI training. Even after the training was complete, the relationship has continued. I know I will forever have a support system with the Seleni community.
What was your favorite part of Seleni Maternal Mental Health Intensive Training?
My favorite part of Seleni MMHI training was the training surrounding protecting yourself from burnout. I was able to save those resources which I refer back to when I find myself feeling overwhelmed. I have also shared these resources with colleagues in the field who have also found them helpful.
Working in mental health can be emotionally tiring. How do you practice self-care?
Working in mental health can be emotionally tiring, I practice self-care by exercising, meditating, journaling, taking a bath to relax, and by seeing a therapist when needed.
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