Biden Administration Releases Its Budget Proposal

June 02, 2021 by 2020 Mom in POLICY

Here’s how it supports mothers and families:

The American Families Plan will provide direct support to families to ensure that low- and middle-income families spend no more than seven percent of their income on child care, and that the child care they access is of high quality. It will also provide direct support to workers and families by creating a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that will bring the American system in line with competitor nations that offer paid leave programs. And, the plan will provide critical nutritional assistance to families who need it most and expand access to healthy meals to our Nation’s students – dramatically reducing childhood hunger.

Why The Moms Matter Act?

May 20, 2021 by 2020 Mom in POLICY

In honor of May as Maternal Mental Health Month, we are continuing to lift up a critical bill that seeks to support the maternal health and wellbeing of mothers; specifically Black and other minority mothers who have faced disparities for far too long.

Up to one in five women will suffer from a maternal mental health disorder like postpartum depression, however women of color, or those who are economically disadvantaged, are several times more likely to suffer, and less likely to receive care.

Black Mothers Get Less Treatment For Postpartum Depression Than Other Moms

May 19, 2021 by 2020 Mom in EMERGING CONSIDERATIONS

Portia Smith’s most vivid memories of her daughter Nelly’s first year are of tears. Not the baby’s. Her own.

“I would just hold her and cry all day,” Smith recalled.

At 18, Smith was caring for two children, 4-year-old Kelaiah and newborn Nelly, with little help from her abusive partner. The circumstances were difficult, but she knew the tears were more than that.

Adverse Babyhood Experiences (ABEs): 10 New Categories of Adversity Before a Child's 3rd Birthday

May 18, 2021 by 2020 Mom in EMERGING CONSIDERATIONS

Introduction

Adverse babyhood experiences (ABEs) are a new construct derived from large bodies of research that identify a different group of risk factors from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ABEs influence infant and maternal morbidity and mortality as well as risk for chronic illnesses and other chronic conditions in the child as well as symptoms in fathers and other partners.

May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month.

May 10, 2021 by Joy Burkhard, MBA in EMERGING CONSIDERATIONS

Here are 9 ideas for how YOU can build momentum to improve #MaternalMentalHealth:

Join us May 20 for a Maternal Mental Health Day of Action to call/email your members of Congress to support the #MomsMatterAct
Are you a mom or family member with lived experience with maternal mental health (MMH) disorders? If so, share your story in TheBlueDotProject story bank.

A Significant Solution for Maternal Mental Health: Certified Peer Specialists

May 04, 2021 by Joy Burkhard, MBA in Innovative Solutions, POLICY

Peer support provided by trained peer support specialists is a proven model for addressing mental health conditions. In 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) identified peer support services for mental health to be an evidence-based practice. CMS deems the use of certified peer specialists reimbursable for states that choose to incorporate these services into their Medicaid plans. When a peer is trained/certified by state-sanctioned training/certification programs their time may be billable to Medicaid.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Black Maternal Health Week

April 12, 2021 by 2020 Mom

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) marked the start of Black Maternal Health Week by announcing actions to expand access to continuous health care coverage and access to preventative care in rural areas to improve maternal health outcomes.

The 2021 FORUM Line up

March 22, 2021 by 2020 Mom

Here are Descriptions of the Full 3-Day Program Lineup!

Emerging Considerations in Maternal Mental Health
The 2021 Reset:
Redesigning Policy and Systems So All Mothers Can Thrive
Wednesday-Friday, March 24-26, 2021

Registration doesn’t close until Friday, after the last session.
For just $55, get a front seat ticket to any/all of the sessions that pique your interest.

California Maternal Mental Health Law Reintroduced: The Mothers and Children Mental Health Support Act of 2021 Telehealth: Mental Health Consultation

March 17, 2021 by 2020 Mom in POLICY

In late February AB 935, the Mothers and Children Mental Health Support Act of 2021: Telehealth: Mental Health Consultation, was reintroduced in the California legislature by Assembly member Brian Maienschein.

Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Extension Passes Through the American Rescue Plan

March 10, 2021 by 2020 Mom in POLICY

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 passed Congress and is now on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The implementation of this health care heavy bill will require an immense amount of coordinated work from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to roll out provisions that fall within its jurisdiction.

Congress Introduces The Moms Matter Act for Black & Brown Maternal Mental Health

March 01, 2021 by 2020 Mom

In February, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus was reintroduced by members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus.

The bill package built on and refined the prior and first Black Maternal Health Momnibus introduced last year, in the 116th congress, to comprehensively address America’s maternal health crisis and specifically the significant disparities that exist for Black and other women of color.

What We're Reading

February 28, 2021 by Joy Burkhard, MBA in What We Are Reading

Here are the articles and research that caught my eye the last month and a half.

Though America is still suffering great levels of distress due to the pandemic, the articles below also highlight emerging solutions -including a statewide diaper bank, changes in telehealth access, the COVID Help app developed by the national center for PTSD, and more. There is also research highlighting better health care may be delivered by women and the reasons why this might be the case.

February is Black History Month: Meet Our Partners

February 03, 2021 by 2020 Mom in EMERGING CONSIDERATIONS

This February, Black History Month, we want to acknowledge the leadership and critically important work of our Black-led non-profit partner organizations. We encourage you to learn more about their work and give your time or treasure, if you can:

Supporting Women and Children: President Biden’s American Rescue Plan

January 27, 2021 by 2020 Mom in POLICY

Last month, the Biden Administration released a $1.9 trillion proposal to support Americans and the economy entitled, “American Rescue Plan”. The proposal is a welcomed sign of hope for the millions of mothers across the nation who have found their physical, psychological, and financial well-being hanging in the balance. There is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic has put a disproportionate amount of strain on mothers. The pandemic has highlighted for the nation what many mothers already knew—women in the United States bear the brunt of balancing work and family obligations. Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that mothers working full-time spend 50% more time each day caring for children versus full-time working fathers. Mothers need support and the American Rescue Plan includes several provisions to assist mothers and their children during this unprecedented time in our nation’s history.

What We're Reading

January 18, 2021 by Joy Burkhard, MBA in What We Are Reading

2020 Mom does a monthly news round up, so you don’t have to. These are the articles that caught our attention these last 45 days. Which of these articles most intrigues you?

A Step to Ease the Pandemic Mental Health Crisis

A set of simple measures known as psychological first aid or mental health first aid can enable people to help family, friends, and others in their communities who experience psychological distress...

Our Reach and Impact in 2020

December 28, 2020 by 2020 Mom in ANNOUNCEMENTS

Today we are pleased to unveil our annual impact report.

Highlights include:

Hosting the 10th Maternal Mental Health FORUM, a 2-day event held in L.A. and webcast across the country, bringing together 650 cross-sector change agents and inspiring change.
Releasing the ‘State of the State Report’ which identified gaps that have been closed and have yet to be closed in Maternal Mental Health.

Congress Addresses Maternal Mental Health in COVID Spending Package

December 22, 2020 by 2020 Mom in POLICY

This week Congress passed the “Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021” (aka the COVID Relieve package) a 5000+ page bill. Last year 2020 Mom pushed to secure funding for the Health and Human Services Administration (HHS) to produce a Federal Interagency Report to Congress noting what each agency is doing to address maternal mental health, and what gaps might exist in coordination, resources, etc.

New Model State Parity Legislation Named in Honor of Former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad

December 10, 2020 by 2020 Mom in POLICY

Tool will help policymakers increase access to mental health and addiction care amid historic rates of overdoses and suicides across the nation

Today, The Kennedy Forum released the Jim Ramstad Model State Parity Legislation, which will hold health insurers accountable for discriminating against those with mental health and substance use disorders by wrongly denying coverage of care.

What We're Reading

December 09, 2020 by Joy Burkhard, MBA in What We Are Reading

In the last 30+ days, these are the articles and issues that caught my eye. I noticed a good dose of the hard to hear facts about mental health, and also articles about hope - how to solve for racism in health care, how telemedicine is finally getting its day (from payors, where the rubber meets the road), and hope for the Affordable Care Act. There is also an interesting new piece of research about circadian “misalignment” in shift workers, which could have interesting implications for mothers who may also be “misaligned” with circadian rhythms/sleep.

U.S. Government Releases Comprehensive Plan for Improving Maternal Health, Including Mental Health, and Reducing Maternal Death: Cut rates In Half by 2025

December 07, 2020 by Joy Burkhard, MBA in POLICY

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Surgeon General announced on Thursday a coordinated agency plan and Surgeon General call to action to urgently reduce maternal mortality (reduce preventable pregnancy-related & associated deaths) and improve maternal health in the U.S.

The HHS plan is comprehensive and includes a focus on implementing evidence-based measures to reduce maternal mortality by as much as half in five years.