ABOUT DR BLACK
Dr Jo Black is an award-winning Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist whose career has been dedicated to transforming maternal mental healthcare across the United Kingdom. With more than two decades of experience supporting individuals, couples and families through pregnancy and early parenthood, she is recognised as one of the country's leading voices in perinatal psychiatry, combining exceptional clinical expertise with a passion for innovation, education and service development.
Throughout her career, Dr Black has championed a model of care that extends beyond treating illness. Her work has focused on building compassionate, evidence-based services that recognise pregnancy and the transition to parenthood as one of life's most significant psychological and physiological changes. Her philosophy is grounded in the belief that universal emotional changes of pregnancy are not something to be feared but understood, supported and prepared for.
Dr Black began her specialist career during higher specialist training on the St Mary’s Training scheme, where she worked on the Thumbswood and Coombe Wood Mother and Baby Units. There, she assessed, diagnosed and treated women planning pregnancy, during pregnancy and throughout the postnatal period, working in close collaboration with obstetricians, physicians, neonatologists and midwives to deliver truly integrated care for mothers, babies and families. She spent time training in Sydney, exploring other models of care for new mothers. Her vision for improving maternal mental healthcare continued in Devon, where she established an award-winning Community Perinatal Mental Health Service which was recognised nationally for its innovative model of care.
Under her leadership, the service transformed access to specialist support for families and was commended as an example of excellence within the NHS. The success of this pioneering work led to her appointment as Associate National Clinical Director for Perinatal Mental Health at NHS England, where she played an instrumental role in supporting the expansion of specialist perinatal mental health services across England, helping to shape national strategy and improve care for thousands of families.
Alongside her leadership within the NHS, Dr Black has been responsible for developing projects that have had a lasting impact on maternal mental health services. Jo campaigned for and was clinical lead on the design and delivery of Jasmine Lodge Mother and Baby Unit, a specialist inpatient unit designed to ensure mothers experiencing severe mental illness can remain with their babies whilst receiving expert psychiatric care. Dr Black produced The Head Up Heart Strong project, an award-winning documentary produced in partnership with Devon Partnership NHS Trust.