All Black Everything

The EMBRACE Team

Co-founders/Co-directors

Andrea Jackson MD, MAS: Dr. Jackson is a Harvard and UCSF trained practicing OB/GYN who has dedicated her life to the care of women and their families throughout their reproductive lives. She is an Associate Professor at UCSF, Chief of the Obstetrics, Gynecology and Gynecologic Subspecialty Division, and is nationally known for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Jackson co-directs the Black Women’s Health & Livelihood Initiative at UCSF which directly addresses the barriers that create unequal health for Black women. She was recognized for her excellence in education as the recipient of the “Best Lecture” of the 2019 medical school curriculum for her lecture entitled, “Race, Ethnicity and Health.”

Markita Barideaux, LCSW: Ms. Barideaux is a Brown University and Cal State East Bay trained licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) serving as the co-Director of EMBRACE Perinatal Care for Black Families and co-Director of Perinatal Mental Health at the Child Trauma Research Program. She provides clinical services to perinatal families and children from birth to 5 years old, supervision to clinicians in training, and is a national trainer for the dissemination of Child-Parent Psychotherapy and Perinatal Child-Parent Psychotherapy. Ms. Barideaux is committed to understanding the intersection and intergenerational patterns of race and trauma for African American families and communities and has a special interest in healing interventions rooted in spiritual/Indigenous practices and traditions. She is the 2020 recipient of the Zero To Three Emerging Leader Award, served as a Dean Diversity Leader (2016-2018) for the UCSF School of Medicine Differences Matter Initiative, and the 2015 UCSF Chancellor Award for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership.

Melinda Fowler CNM, MSN: Ms. Fowler is a Georgetown trained practicing Certified Nurse Midwife with over 15 years of clinical experience. She is a Full Clinical Professor, Lead Midwife and co-Founder of the UCSF Graduate Nurse Midwifery Mentorship Program at UCSF. Ms. Fowler was recognized twice for her teaching efforts with both the “Outstanding Educator” and the UCSF/Zuckerberg San Francisco General “Outstanding Faculty” awards, both given to the one faculty member that demonstrates excellence in both teaching and clinical practice. She is currently a provider at Holy Cross Health in Maryland.

Current EMBRACE(ers)

Glamarys Acevedo, ASW, MPH, IBCLC: Ms. Acevedo is a UNC-Chapel Hill trained public health social worker and lactation consultant. She is the Associate Director of EMBRACE, a perinatal mental health therapist and lactation specialist. Prior to joining EMBRACE, she was a community doula in Philadelphia and later the director of support services, lactation consultant, and trainer at Mamatoto Village in Washington, DC. Glamarys’ calling to reproductive justice and Black perinatal family support work is rooted in ancestral healing, love, joy, and liberation of all Black people.

Katherine Brown, MD, MAS: Dr. Brown is a general obstetrician-gynecologist and is fellowship-trained in family planning. She provides full-scope reproductive healthcare. She is a passionate advocate for reproductive health, choice, and justice. Her research focuses on exploring and improving the reproductive health experiences of Black women.

Sheri Foote, CNM: Ms. Foote is a certified nurse-midwife who provides reproductive health care to women, seeing patients who range from childbearing age through menopause. In addition to prenatal, labor and delivery, and follow-up childbirth care, she provides some primary care services, such as annual exams, Pap smears and contraceptive management. She loves the practice of midwifery and what it reveals about the beauty of the human mind and spirit. Foote earned her bachelor's degree in nursing at Georgia State University and a master's degree in nursing in New York University's nurse-midwifery program.

Ieisha Miller: Ms. Miller is the Program Administrator for EMBRACE, with 10 years of experience in administration, a passionate care advocate for Black women and families, co-lead of Black Women’s Patient Family Advisory Council at UCSF.  She is trained as a doula with Expecting Justice.

Suzanne Mungalez, Psy. D: Dr. Mungalez is a Wright Institute trained Clinical Psychologist and Cornerstone trained Full Spectrum Doula. She is both a therapist and doula who is passionate about reproductive justice and trauma informed care. Her previous clinical experience includes UCSF EMBRACE Perinatal Care for Black Families, California Pacific Medical Center’s Women's Mental Health program, UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative, and UCSF Children's Hospital Oakland's Center for the Vulnerable Child. Suzanne’s current research explores the impacts of doula-assisted care on Black experiences of perinatal anti-Black racism, and she is committed to the health and wellness of this population.

Theresia Oklan, Psy. D: Dr. Oklan is a California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University-trained Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Oklan is a perinatal mental health therapist on the EMBRACE Perinatal Care for Black Families team. Prior to joining EMBRACE, she was doing perinatal psychology work with Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. She is passionate about the education, empowerment, and healing of the Black community, Theresia is committed to reproductive justice, the wellness of Black families, and advancing the field of Black Perinatal Psychotherapy.

Michelle Poole, CLE: Ms. Poole is a trained breastfeeding peer counselor and certified lactation educator. She is the perinatal patient navigator, supporting referrals, intake coordination, and connecting families to services that alleviate social and economic stressors. Additionally, she supports perinatal families as a lactation specialist. She has grassroot experience in the birthwork field with a specific aim to address anti-Black racism. Her work has allowed her to offer prenatal, infant, and child nutrition assistance to families in community-based settings, including WIC. Michele spends her time as a preterm birth advocate on PTBi-CAB community advisory Board and is completing a NICU Parent Mentor Training. As a mother of five, the youngest of which are a set of twins born at 23-weeks; Michele is passionate about spreading awareness about prematurity and making sure families get adequate support for as long as they may need.

EMBRACE at Rams

Jei Watkins, PsyD: Dr. Watkins is a licensed clinical psychologist and alumna of John F. Kennedy University’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology.  She is fiercely passionate about addressing the psychosocial needs of infants, young children, and their parents/caregivers.  Currently, she is program manager of EMBRACE at Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS), providing perinatal wellness services to pregnant and expectant Black people in San Francisco.  Dr. Jei has a wealth of experience providing dyadic and family therapy to transition-age foster and former foster youth who were parenting and families impacted by diverse disabilities.  She also served as an early childhood mental health consultant to Head Start and Early Head Start programs.  Dr. Jei's work is grounded in and inspired by fundamental guiding principles emphasizing Self as the therapeutic tool, curiosity and cultural humility as a practice, and collaboration as a vehicle for agency, empowerment, cohesion, and sustainable change. 

Past & forever EMBRACE(ers)

Talita Oseguera, CNM: is a doula and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) at Choices: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health. Mrs. Oseguera uses a reproductive justice framework to advance the care experiences and reproductive health outcomes of Black women.