National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Celebrates One-Year; Introduces Updated Number: 1-833-TLC-MAMA
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline was launched on Mother’s Day 2022, and it recently celebrated its first birthday. Since its inception, the Hotline has assisted over 12,000 help-seekers, responding within seconds (23 seconds for calls, 17 seconds for texts), and providing emotional support, encouragement, and resources.
We congratulate the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which administers the Hotline, as well as Postpartum Support International, which oversees the operation of the Hotline services, for this extraordinary support to mothers, birthing people, and families in our country.
We also welcome the new caller-friendly number: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). The original number will remain in effect for a year to allow for the transition to the new number.
In celebration of the one-year anniversary, HRSA is hosting an informational webinar for health and human service providers on May 22, 2023.
This webinar will share:
Insights on how the Hotline works
Key metrics in the first year
What help-seekers can expect when they access the Hotline
MMHLA has been advocating for funding for the Hotline since 2021.
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance is thrilled to celebrate this big milestone. We have been advocating for funding for the Hotline since 2021, and we have successfully introduced and championed legislation to authorize and expand the Hotline with the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Act of 2022.
As a result of our advocacy efforts, funding for the Hotline has increased from $3 million in 2021 to $7 million in 2023. Additional funding is designated to expand Hotline operations to serve members of the military and their dependents, as well as to launch a national public awareness campaign about the Hotline.
The Hotline provides services across the country and is particularly important in health care deserts where obstetric and mental health care is not available.
News agencies across the country have reported on the Hotline, including a story by NBC News.
Dr. Michael Warren, the Associate Administer at HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, stated that the Hotline provides services throughout the country, and it is particularly important in health care deserts where obstetric and mental health care is not available. Warren also made clear that the Hotline services are confidential, and they provide additional information such as linkages to home visiting programs and mental health services.
Wendy Davis, PhD, PMH-C, the Executive Director of Postpartum Support International, oversees the operation of the Hotline, which includes a staff of approximately 30 specially-trained counselors who are experienced mental health providers, maternal health providers, and certified peer support specialists. Emphasizing the role the Hotline plays in mental health care, Davis said, “The most important thing about the Hotline is for people to know they are not alone. There’s help and there’s hope, any time of the day or night.”
“The most important thing about the Hotline is for people to know they are not alone. There’s help and there’s hope, any time of the day or night.”
Wendy Davis, PhD, PMH-C, Executive Director of Postpartum Support International
Here’s a quick look at how the Hotline has been serving pregnant and postpartum people and their families.
Over 12,000 help-seekers contacted the Hotline in its first eleven months of operations — 70% of contacts were phone calls and 30% of contact were text messages.
Over 75% of help-seekers were calling for themselves, with the majority identifying as calling in the postpartum timeframe.
The top three reasons help-seekers contacted the Hotline were because of feelings of depression, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed.
The impact and necessity of the Hotline is clear. MMHLA will continue to advocate for additional funding to expand its services to our nation’s mothers, birthing people, and families.
The impact and necessity of the Hotline is clear, which is why we are prioritizing the funding of the Hotline on our Advocacy Agenda this year. We hosted an Advocacy Day in March 2023 to educate Congress about the importance of the Hotline, and the following month, we authored a letter to Congress, gathering signatures from over 90 organizations, to request additional funding for the Hotline.
This additional funding would be used to train Hotline counselors on best practices to support the unique needs of service members, veterans, and military families utilizing the Hotline, and to conduct a national public awareness campaign about the Hotline.
It is our hope that the increased awareness and use of the Hotline will help mitigate the mental health crisis our nation is facing, and save more lives from the devastating impacts of untreated maternal mental health conditions.
