Closing Gaps in Maternal Mental Health
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health is a national think tank, nonprofit organization advancing policies that support a health care system that routinely detects and treats maternal mental health disorders for every mother, every time.
It’s an exciting time for maternal mental health for a number of reasons - and at the Policy Center, we are particularly excited to report that the new Federal Task Force on Maternal Mental Health launched on September 27.
Read MoreEvery year on September 26th, World Contraception Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of access to safe and effective contraception.
While contraception is often associated with family planning and preventing unintended pregnancies, it plays a far more significant role in maternal mental health than we might realize.
Read MoreThe Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health submitted the following letter in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Proposed Physician Fee Schedule regarding peer support, community health workers, and social determinants of health, gleaning insights from our partners at Mental Health America and the American Association on Health and Disability.
Read MoreMaternal suicide is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the US. While maternal mortality has rightfully garnered increasing attention in recent years, maternal suicide has been historically overlooked as a cause of maternal mortality because national maternal mortality rates previously excluded suicides as pregnancy-related deaths, instead classifying maternal suicides deaths as incidental or accidental deaths. According to the provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) there was a record high number of deaths in 2022 from suicide for the general US population. It is important to continue to address suicide prevention efforts for the general and maternal population.
Read MoreIn August 2023, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) published a postpartum toolkit for State Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Agencies titled Increasing Access, Quality, and Equity in Postpartum Care in Medicaid and CHIP. The toolkit addresses postpartum depression; however, we point out opportunities CMS missed, including addressing the role of the obstetric provider.
Read MoreAugust 11th, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a proposed rule for employers implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which addresses maternal mental health. The PWFA “prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for qualified employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.” The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health submitted the following letter in response to the proposed rule for employers implementing the PWFA.
Read MoreOn August 22nd, 2023, the CDC released a report titled Vital Signs: Maternity Care Experiences – United States, April 2023, outlining the mistreatment mothers face during maternity care and highlighting severe rates of racial discrimination among Black, Hispanic, and multiracial mothers. This report emphasizes the importance of implementing quality improvement initiatives and provider training to increase respectful maternity care.
Read MoreThis February, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which facilitates the Alliance for Innovation in Maternity Care (AIM) re-released the Perinatal Mental Health AIM “Bundle” and this June released the first Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for maternal mental health.
Read MoreThe American Psychiatric Association (APA), with support from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Foundation, has created a new Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit.
Read MoreAugust 4, 2023, marked a significant milestone in the field of maternal mental health as the FDA has approved zuranolone, marketed as Zurzuvae, a groundbreaking treatment for postpartum depression (PPD). This 14-day oral regimen, developed by Sage Therapeutics and Biogen Inc., demonstrated significant improvement in depressive symptoms in Phase III trials. Zurzuvae is the first daily pill option available, increasing accessibility and convenience for those in need.
Read MoreMedicaid utilizes the “Child and Adult Core Sets,” a set of quality measures, to measure the access and quality of care and to improve the quality of healthcare. Mathematica convenes the Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review Workgroup (“Workgroup”) to review and make recommendations for stronger measures. Joy Burkhard, our Executive Director, is a member of the Workgroup. This year’s Workgroup reviewed the 2025 Child and Adult Core Sets.
Read MoreThis month the National Governors Association (NGA) released a policy playbook for governors to address the U.S. maternal and infant health crisis, including racial disparities, in their states. Maternal Mental Health is addressed in the playbook thanks to education efforts by organizations like the Policy Center.
Our work shaping and reporting on national mental health policy is made possible through a 2020-2023 capacity grant from the Perigee Fund.
Read MoreThis week, The Policy Center released a Fact Sheet on Childcare and Maternal Mental Health. This fact sheet highlights current barriers to childcare access and how these barriers impact maternal mental health.
Read MoreOn July 25th, 2023, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury announced proposed rules to strengthen the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. We have been honored to be a part of shaping these rules with the Department of Labor and The Kennedy Forum over the past several years and will be submitting a comment letter with our feedback on the rules soon.
Our work shaping and reporting on national mental health policy is made possible through a 2020-2023 capacity grant from the Perigee Fund.
Read MoreThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires private health plans and issuers of health insurance to cover the full range of birth control methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) without cost-sharing. Although the contraceptive requirements in the ACA have expanded access to contraceptive products for millions of Americans, public reporting shows that people are still experiencing barriers to accessing full-range, FDA-approved contraception without cost-sharing.
Read MoreThis week the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) expanded its recommendation to screen adults (including those who are pregnant) for anxiety in addition to depression. Additionally the USPSTF is not recommending universal suicide risk screening at this time.
Read MoreOn June 6th, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification for substance use, mental health, and family peer workers. These standards aim to accelerate the universal adoption, recognition, and integration of the peer mental health workforce across all elements of the healthcare system.
Read MoreThe Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health has recently been honored with the prestigious title of "Field Catalyst" for its exceptional contributions to the advancement of maternal mental health care. This recognition highlights the Center's pivotal role in driving transformative change and fostering innovation in this critical area of maternal mental healthcare.
Read MoreThis year the Policy Center ran our second Government Agency Fellows program and third Nonprofit State Policy Fellows program. This May, both cohorts graduated from the 12-month programs and presented their action plans to staff, board members, and guests.
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