Who this is for
Any non-birthing co-parent (men, partners, adoptive co-parents). Paternal depression screen mandatory. Active SUD or PMAD-equivalent co-managed with LCSW.
What brings people here
Expectant or new father; paternity leave planning; member request.
Clinical framework
OneVillage-developed.
How the 8 weeks run
Baseline assessments, your first SMART goal, and the 1:1 that sets up everything after it.
Specialist coaches rotate in, and sessions come thickest here. One change at a time, in the domains your baseline flagged.
Re-score, refresh the care plan, and check in 1:1 on what is and is not working.
The remaining domains, at a lighter cadence, and the work of making the early weeks hold under pressure.
Final re-score, relapse prevention, and the plan for what happens next.
When your sessions fall
The program is built in four-week modules. Sessions come thickest at the start, when what you decide matters most, and step down as things settle. That is 5 sessions of 45 minutes across 8 weeks, counting the visit before week 1.
| Module | Weeks | Sessions | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Weeks 1 to 4 | 2 | every other week |
| Module 2 | Weeks 5 to 8 | 2 | every other week |
Week by week
- Before you beginBefore you begin
This is the reading before your first visit. It is short on advice about fatherhood and long on one thing: getting you screened for depression, which is the single highest-value action this pathway can take, and which almost certainly has not been offered to you.
- Week 1Paternal depression
About one in ten. That is the headline number, and it is high enough that in any group of ten expectant fathers, one is unwell and probably does not know it is a condition with a name.
- Week 2Saying it out loud
This week you meet Anthony Flores for a 45-minute men's mental health coaching session. Before that, the honest state of the treatment evidence for fathers specifically, which is thinner than you would hope.
- Week 3Sleep, alcohol and driving
This week is the least emotional and possibly the most urgent one in the pathway. Broken sleep, increased drinking and driving tired reinforce each other, and one of them has a body count.
- Week 4The second screen
Halfway. You repeat the EPDS and the mood and anxiety questionnaires with Cindy in a 45-minute session. Two scores four weeks apart tell you something one score cannot.
- Week 5Your partner, and your risk
If you take one fact from this pathway besides the screening, take this one: your partner's mental health is among the strongest known predictors of yours, and most fathers have never been told that.
- Week 6The couple, and what the evidence does not support
This week you meet Conrad Chrzanowski for a 45-minute relationship coaching session. It is placed here because the couple relationship is one of the few levers in this pathway with evidence behind it, and because this is where we tell you what does not have evidence.
- Week 7Leave, work and the return
Paternity leave is the intervention most often proposed for fathers and one of the least often taken. This week is about what is actually known, and about the return itself.
- Week 8Making it hold
Last week of the program. You repeat every week 0 measure with Cindy in a 45-minute session. This is a handover, and the timing matters: the highest-risk window is still ahead of you.
Who you will work with
Your Whole Health Coach takes your first visit and closes every module, so it is the same person from the first session to the last. The specialists below lead the weeks where their work is the focus.
Professionally, Cindy has been a clinical nurse for nearly a decade. She served in both clinical and administrative capacities throughout her career and holds a Master's degree in Nursing Leadership. As a staff nurse, nurse leader, and quality improvement specialist, she led multidisciplinary teams in academic medical settings throughout Boston, New York, and Ohio to deliver high-quality care to patients across complex diagnoses.
As a dedicated father and coach, Anthony understands the unique challenges and joys that come with raising children. With firsthand experience navigating the ups and downs of fatherhood—balancing work-life pressures, fostering strong relationships with kids, and overcoming stress—he brings a deep sense of empathy and authenticity to his coaching.
Conrad Chrzanowski, PhD, ACC, is a dedicated Relationship Coach with OneVillage, bringing over 15 years of experience as a clinical psychologist specializing in couples therapy and relationship coaching. Throughout his career, Conrad has worked extensively with couples in various clinical settings, offering guidance and support through challenging times, including navigating health crises like cancer.
What we work on
| Domain | What this pathway does |
|---|---|
| Nutrition & Metabolism | Easy-prep nutrition; protein; hydration. Coffee/alcohol moderation. |
| Movement & Mobility | Movement as mood regulation. 10-min sessions count. |
| Sleep & Recovery | Sleep partner-rotation strategy. Drowsy-driving conversation always. |
| Stress & Resilience | Anxiety, identity, work-home transition. |
| Mind & Mood | Paternal depression in 8-10% of new fathers. EPDS-paternal (cutoff >=10) tracked. |
| Relationships & Purpose | Partner alignment, co-parenting communication. Friendships often shift. |
How progress is measured
These are the validated tools this pathway uses: at your first visit, at the mid-program review, and at the end.
| Tool | Cadence | Owned by |
|---|---|---|
| EPDS-paternal (cutoff >=10) | Onboard; weekly Wk 0-4 PP; q4 weeks after | WHC |
| PHQ-9 + GAD-7 + C-SSRS | Onboard, monthly; PRN safety | LCSW reads |
| PSS-10 | Onboard, q4 weeks | Stress Coach |
| ISI | Onboard, q4 weeks | Sleep Coach |
| RTW readiness checklist | Wk 8 | Career Coach |
The research behind this pathway
Your clinician playbook was built from the guidelines and studies below. They are listed so you can read them yourself: every one is a real, published paper and the number at the end of each line is its PubMed ID.
Guidelines this pathway follows
- OneVillage-developed · OneVillage
Perinatal guidelines are written about mothers. This pathway is built from the paternal literature below, which is thinner and newer.
- Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale · Cox and colleagues
Validated in fathers as well as mothers, and used here for both. PMID 3651732
Key studies
- Paulson JF et al. (2010). JAMAPrenatal and postpartum depression in fathers and its association with maternal depression: a meta-analysis
Pooled 43 studies and 28,004 fathers. About one father in ten had depression around the birth, and it tracked closely with the mother's. PMID 20483973
- Le Bas G et al. (2025). JAMA PediatrPaternal Perinatal Depression, Anxiety, and Stress and Child Development: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Pooled the literature on paternal perinatal depression, anxiety and stress and their association with how children develop over the first 18 years. PMID 40522669
- Leiferman JA et al. (2021). J Psychosom Obstet GynaecolAnxiety among fathers during the prenatal and postpartum period: a meta-analysis
Pooled 23 studies of anxiety in fathers before and after birth, and found it common enough to screen for rather than assume. PMID 33632067
- Mihelic M et al. (2018). Infant Ment Health JDOES A PERINATAL PARENTING INTERVENTION WORK FOR FATHERS? A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Randomized a perinatal parenting program and tested whether it worked for fathers specifically, rather than assuming what helps mothers helps fathers. PMID 30339721