Increasing Access to Maternal Mental Health for Pregnant and New Parents
MOMS is pleased to share the results of our agency’s efforts to bring quality mental health programming within reach of our families. At least 20% of new and expectant mothers experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs); some studies suggest prevalence is as high as 50% in low-income communities. MOMS has always served as a support system for pregnant and new mothers and their families. Yet with the onset of the pandemic followed by new and increasingly challenging stressors in the lives of our community, it became even more urgent for us to build additional programming into our services to further address the mental health needs of women and their families. The numbers are telling: in recent years, nearly half of the mothers in our program have needed a referral for their mental health. Whether that means a support group or licensed therapy, they need help and tools for coping.
This project started shortly after the pandemic lockdown was lifted. HOAG funded a pilot with MOMS in which at-risk postpartum mothers could receive additional home visits during those critical first few weeks. This pilot was extremely well received by participants. We knew we needed to keep this added level of support available and The UniHealth Foundation agreed. The UniHealth Foundation subsequently provided a 3-year grant for MOMS to sustain this program enhancement and to develop a much wider scope of services to include:
- On-site licensed therapy (designed as short-term; provided by a bilingual LPCC who specializes in perinatal mental health)
- Healthy Woman/Mujer Sana (a weekly support group that promotes the importance of mental health, self-care, and uses the ROSE* curriculum)
- Expanded education and support for women experiencing or with a history of domestic violence
- Fathers program and support group
- Continuation of specialized home visits for mental health concerns
These program enhancements were added to our existing service model which includes RN case management, prenatal and postpartum depression screenings, ROSE curriculum integrated in groups and home visitation, resource referral and more.
The program, originally designed to address the gaps in maternal mental health services for expectant and new mothers, has matured into a multifaceted model that integrates clinical services, education, outreach and staff development, delivering culturally and linguistically responsive care to new and expectant parents in Orange County.
The lessons learned from this 3-year effort underscore that trust-building, culturally responsive care and intentional outreach are central to addressing PMADs and creating pathways for thriving families.
*ROSE (Reach Out, Stay Strong Essentials), an evidenced-based curriculum demonstrated to reduce postpartum depression among low-income communities by 50%. MOMS was the first agency on the West Coast to utilize the ROSE curriculum.
