We fund the MMHSUD program to help health care providers identify and address mental health concerns of women during and after pregnancy.
Supporting health care providers
Grantee organizations train providers and offer:
- Real-time mental health consulting and help coordinating care
- Ways to collaborate with other federally funded programs
- Partnerships that expand service choices, such as telehealth
- Resources for creating local referral databases
Improving the public health system for women
This program:
- Increases routine behavioral health screening during and after pregnancy
- Gives them more access to these services close to where they live
- Considers their cultural background when providing care
Learn about other programs we fund to address maternal and behavioral health.
Carrying out the work
- We support 13 states through the MMHSUD program (HRSA-23-085).
- In the previous grant cycle (HRSA-18-101), our awardees created telehealth programs in:
Measuring impact
Grantees collect and report their data each year. They track their progress toward increasing the number of:
- Trained providers
- Provider trainings that include equity and culturally responsive care
- Community-based support service providers in the program’s referral database
Importance of this work
For women in the US, mental and behavior health challenges are common concerns during and after pregnancy.
- Mental health conditions are the leading underlying cause of pregnancy related deaths, according to Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 38 states.
- About 1 in 5 pregnant or postpartum women have depression or anxiety disorders.
- Postpartum depressive symptoms are most commonly reported among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Black women, according to data from the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System as cited in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Resources
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
- Healthy Start EPIC Center's Mental Health brochures
- HRSA MCHB 21st Century Cures Act Programs: Providing Access to Behavioral Health Care for Pediatric & Maternal Populations (PDF - 1 MB)
- Lifeline4Moms
Contact us
Email Diane Tanman, Public Health Analyst