Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health

From Philadelphia to Flint, cities are experimenting with #guaranteedincome programs to help ease new and expectant mothers’ financial stress. #mmhreading #maternalmentalhealth #paidleave https://lnkd.in/e4MwmM6G

You won’t want to miss the 2025 Maternal Mental Health FORUM, where cross-sector change agents will gather to drive change in maternal mental health. Together with Policymakers, Payors, Provider Leaders, and our Partners, we will discuss progress, roadblocks, and solutions to closing gaps in maternal mental health care. #mmhforum #MaternalMentalHealth

It has been an extraordinary year for the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. Here are our accomplishments in a 1 min skim 🎯: We are proud to continue serving as a recognized “system orchestrator” and “field catalyst," driving transformative change and offering critical insights across sectors. In March, our annual MMH FORUM drew nearly 800 attendees, including high-profile speakers from leading organizations and the White House, underscoring the event’s role as a hub for systems-change dialogue. In May, Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month: ➡️ The Federal Maternal Mental Health Task Force, which the Policy Center championed, released its inaugural report to Congress and an initial strategic plan. We are honored to have contributed to shaping the priorities. ➡️ We partnered with members of Congress to declare the first week of May Maternal Mental Health (MMH) Awareness Week at the Federal level for the first time. ➡️ We also released our second annual Maternal Mental Health Report Card at a Congressional briefing, which illustrated that states made minimal progress with the U.S., inching up from a D to a D+.   To amplify awareness of MMH challenges and catalyze change, we introduced the “Maternal Mental Health by the 20s” messaging framework: ➡️ 20% of the perinatal population will suffer from an MMH disorder like postpartum depression ➡️ Less than 20% will be screened for these disorders ➡️ Less than 20% who suffer will receive treatment ➡️ Roughly 20% of maternal deaths are due to suicide These facts were added to our new website, which also launched in May. The Policy Center continued to catalyze progress through our other core programs this year: Knowledge Sharing – Developing data-driven actionable insights through: ➡️ Nearly 60 articles, reports, fact sheets, issue briefs ➡️ Speaking at 20 external events and meetings  ➡️ Hosting 8 roundtable discussions, webinars, and congressional briefings Learning Communities and Workforce Development: ➡️ We convened nearly 60 government and non-profit leaders in our State Policy Fellows programs, including leaders from 12 state Medicaid Agencies ➡️ We educated nearly 7,000 individuals through quarterly Maternal Mental Health 101 webinars and trained 943 providers through the 8-session certificate training course, both in partnership with Postpartum Support International.  ➡️ We also hosted our second national MMH peer-support add-on training for state-certified peer specialists with our partners at POEM/Mental Health America of Ohio. Read the full impact report below. Together, we are moving mountains for the wellbeing of mothers and families. #maternalmentalhealth #maternalhealth #mentalhealth https://lnkd.in/eKReYdZe

Thank you American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for highlighting the importance of obstetric providers having #mentalhealth conversations during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

The U.S. is failing moms. Our research shows states do not have enough therapists and psychiatrists with specialties in #MaternalMentalHealth. #mentalhealth #healthpolicy Check out the report https://lnkd.in/eSJmiZJB

Join this new complementary introduction to perinatal SUD training hosted by the Policy Center, Postpartum Support International and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Learn more about how to recognize and effectively respond to substance use concerns during pregnancy, early parenthood, and with the birthing parent/child dyad. Considerations related to treatment and supporting the parent-child relationship will be discussed. The training is designed for providers, administrators, and public health employees, though all are welcome. #substanceusedisorder #perinataltraining Register - https://lnkd.in/eZxpX3rY

It's 2025! This year we anticipate an even more rapid acceleration into a transformative phase of progress for maternal mental health. Given complexity of challenges that remain unresolved, the role of the Policy Center will be more critical than ever in providing leadership and strategic guidance. To this end, our 2025 objectives include expanding outreach to government leaders and policymakers, as well as broadening visibility through earned media channels. Following the release of the Federal Mental Health Task Force’s inaugural report and strategic plan to Congress in 2024, we will webcast the 2025 MMH FORUM from Washington, D.C. in March with Task Force leaders and other systems players. The FORUM will feature a solutions-focused format designed to rally the field around actionable steps for implementing the Federal action plan. Beyond the FORUM, these efforts will continue with the relaunch of the National Maternal Mental Health Coalition, which we previously led from 2014 to 2017. In addition, the Task Force will deliver its preliminary recommendations to governors in 2025. To support this, we aim to publish comprehensive state and Federal maternal mental health (MMH) policy guidance in collaboration with nonprofit partners serving state government leaders. In doing so, we will aim to provide enhanced technical assistance to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of these recommendations. We are confident and energized by the opportunities ahead. With the right financial support, we will be well-positioned to drive meaningful policy and systems change at both the Federal and state levels in 2025. We invite you to join us on this journey by making an investment in us this month as we kick off the year, here: https://lnkd.in/eRCz9gRs Thanks for joining me in this exciting journey. With hope, Joy Burkhard, MBA CEO #maternalmentalhealth #healthsystemreform #healthpolicy #2025 Joy Burkhard

Understanding where we’ve been and where we are now helps shape strategies for the future, ensuring all #caregivers —birthing and non-birthing—receive the #mentalhealth support they need and deserve. Psychology Today #mmhreading #maternalmentalhealth #healthpolicy https://lnkd.in/e_aemYJH

The Policy Center was honored to host a recent webinar "Birth Trauma: Understanding Its Origins and The Urgent Need To Do More" on December 11, 2024. We were joined by Caroline Fisher-O’Neill from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.) and Sharon Dekel of Harvard Medical School, and a mother who shared her story. The webinar brought together the complex relationship between #birthtrauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (#PTSD). Here is a recap of the event, including policy recommendations and question and answer session. #MaternalMentalHealth #healthpolicy https://lnkd.in/ejEj-Y_P

Ensuring #birthcenters can thrive in all communities will require more collaboration between the public and private sectors to address funding issues, strengthen the midwifery workforce, overhaul payment, and build public trust and interest. The Commonwealth Fund #mmhreading #maternalmentalhealth #maternalhealth #healthpolicy https://lnkd.in/gBsqyp5z