Updates from the Federal Government on Maternal Mental Health Initiatives and More News from the Field
News | Federal Government Announces Final Ruling to Lower Mental Health Care Costs and Improve Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Care
On September 9, the federal government issued final rules to address mental health parity, with the goal of fully implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), passed by Congress in 2008. These rules will ensure that individuals with private health insurance will have mental health coverage on par with their physical health care coverage.
These new requirements build upon a multi-year effort to address mental health parity and will clarify and strengthen protections to expand equitable access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits.
The rules will ensure that more people can access the mental health and substance use care they need while also ensuring that professionals working in mental health and substance use care are paid fairly.
The Department of Health and Human Services is also releasing new tools for states to ensure compliance with MHPAEA’s critical protections for the millions of Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in private Medicaid health plans.
Additional information can be found at the following links:
MMHLA fully supports the goals of mental health parity to ensure that Americans have access to mental health and substance use care on a par with their physical health care. MMHLA supported this work through the Mental Health Liaison Group.
Event, Sep. 16 | NIH Women’s Health Roundtable: Maternal Mental Health Research
On Monday, September 16 from 12:00 – 4:30 pm EST, the National Institute of Mental Health is hosting a Women’s Health Roundtable on Maternal Mental Health Research.
This virtual event is FREE but requires registration.
The goals of this roundtable are to spotlight high-priority research areas, share information about NIH-supported research, and identify gaps in women’s mental health research.
Speakers are experts in the field of maternal mental health, including:
Nicole Christian Braithwaite, MD, Well Minds Psychiatry
Sheehan Fisher, PhD, Northwestern University
Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, University of North Carolina
Catherine Monk, PhD, Columbia University
Melissa Simon, MD, MPH, Northwestern University
Kara Zivin, PhD, MS, MA, MFA, University of Michigan
News | U.S. Surgeon General Declares Stress Among Parents a Public Health Issue
On August 28, the U.S. Surgeon General released a new advisory – Parents Under Pressure – that highlights the stressors that impact the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers.
This advisory also identifies the critical link between parental mental health and children's long-term well-being, and the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families.
MMHLA applauds the U.S. Surgeon General for raising awareness about the stress facing our nation’s parents, and for specifically addressing the mental health of pregnant and postpartum parents.
News | National Maternal Mental Health Task Force Shifts Focus to Tracking and Implementation of Strategy
The National Task Force on Maternal Mental Health completed its Report to Congress and accompanying National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care.
The Task Force is now focusing on how to track and implement the 30+ individual recommendations from the National Strategy.
The Task Force was established by the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act of 2021 — legislation that was introduced and championed by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.
MMHLA Executive Director, Adrienne Griffen, is a member of the Task Force, which has been meeting since September 2023 and includes over 100 experts from various fields and disciplines that intersect with and impact maternal mental health.
News | Counselors from the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Invited to the White House
On July 26, counselors from the Hotline were invited to the White House in July, where they met with officials from the Office of the Vice President along with Carole Johnson, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees and manages the Hotline.
Counselors who work on the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline shared their perspective, stating that the Hotline provides a safe space for callers and reinforcing that “It is more than a Hotline. It’s a LIFELINE.”
The Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA) provides free, confidential, 24/7 voice and text support in English and Spanish (plus 60 additional languages via translation service). Since it launched on Mother’s Day 2022, the Hotline has assisted over 40,000 mothers and others impacted by maternal mental health conditions.
MMHLA helped establish the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline in 2019 and has continually advocated for federal funding to grow and expand the Hotline’s services. Through our advocacy efforts, the federal government has provided $21 million for this important resource, including a forthcoming public awareness campaign about the Hotline.
News | The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program Awarded $440 Million in Federal Funds to Expand Services
The federal government recently awarded $440 million for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program to expand voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services for eligible families across the country.
Through the MIECHV program, home visitors – including nurses, social workers, and other trained health workers – provide families with support and information about topics such as maternal mental health, infant feeding, safe sleep for babies, talking and playing with their infants, and preparing children to succeed in school.
MMHLA believes all eligible families should have access to MIECHV programs. Home visitors are well-situated to educate parents about mental health challenges, screen for mental health conditions, and connect those impacted with community resources.
News | Maternal Mortality Review Committees Provided $118 Million to Expand to More States and Territories
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are providing an additional $118 million over five years to expand support for Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) to 46 states and 6 U.S. territories.
MMRCs are state- and territory-based multidisciplinary groups that review all maternal deaths (deaths that occur during or the year following pregnancy) to determine if the deaths were preventable and to recommend ways to prevent them in the future.
MMRC data indicate that mental health conditions, including suicide and overdose, are a leading cause of maternal mortality.
MMHLA has long supported funding for MMRCs to ensure we have the best data about the causes of maternal deaths and how to prevent them.
News | Vermont Receives Funding for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Program
The Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Program at the Health Resources and Services Administration provides funding for state-based maternal mental health programs, including Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs.
Vermont was recently added to the number of states that receive grants (the other states receiving funding are California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia).
MMHLA has led advocacy efforts since 2019, including introducing legislation called Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Act of 2022, which helped garner $47.5 million in federal funding to support state maternal mental health programs.
