Maternal Mental Health Task Force

A part of the countywide Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative
chaired by Monterey County Behavioral Health 

Dear Maternal Mental Health champion,  

Thank you to all 23 champions who attended the February 22nd Maternal Mental Health Task Force meeting. A special welcome to new faces : 

• Latoya Shelton- Co-Founder of Kweens’ Kounsel

• Liliana E de la Fuente - Coordinador Organización Mariposas

• LyVesha Franklin- Co-Founder of Kweens’ Kounsel  and Board Member for Birth Network of Monterey County

• Joy Suber, Assistant Director of the Intensive Care Nursery at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula

Here is the updated 2023 MMHTF Meeting Schedule, and we look forward to seeing you at the next Task Force meeting on April 24th . Please sign up HERE if you would like a calendar invitation from us for all 2023 meeting dates.

• Save the date - the 2023 Maternal Mental Health FORUM: Sowing the Seeds, Reaping the Rewards is scheduled for March 22-24. It’s a great opportunity to learn together! Thank you to our many sponsors, we have three local host sites for in-person participation, with Spanish interpretation. More information about registration will be shared shortly!

• Are you excited about raising awareness about maternal mental health? Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is May 1-5, 2023. We will keep you posted about opportunities to be engaged!

• Thank you to The Parenting Connection of Monterey County for their presentation on their services and lessons learned: Jaimee De Pompeo, Maternal Mental Health Program Director; Bianca Estrada, Maternal Mental Health Peer Navigator. Please take some time to take their survey about their presentation.

• Lessons Learned:
  - Meet people where they are at: physically and emotionally
  - Stigma is our greatest barrier
  - Partnerships are our biggest asset!
  - Consistency and connection are key to success

• We discussed the Mothers and Babies program and service sustainability that can arise from peer-to-peer training of those within communities. 

• There was much excitement and engagement by the Task Force to discuss the movement in providing free doula access. We hope to build on this more in future Task Force meetings.

Meeting Materials: 

Meeting Agenda
Meeting Slides
PCMC Slides

• Join the Alliance for Early Success on Tuesday, February 28 for conversation to discuss the drivers for disparities in maternal health and what we can do to improve maternal health for everyone.

• Join MomsRising on Tuesday, March 14 as they join Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, for a virtual Maternal Mental Health Advocacy Day so that legislators can hear directly from families  about why  investing in maternal mental health is important! 

• Adding Up the Cost of Health Inequity Training: Join the National Council for Mental Wellbeing on Wednesday, March 15 for a training on a new study that addresses the failures in our healthcare system, consequences of health inequity on Black Americans and presents strategies to overcome this long-standing problem. 

• Technology Workshop for parents: Learn how to use e-mail and internet safety. The Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network (CCECAN) in partnership with Loaves Fishes & Computers invites you to join them on Tuesday, March 21 & Monday, April 3. Please register and share with community members. 

• The California Endowment invites you to join them on Friday, May 12 for Legal and Ethical Dilemmas in Perinatal Mental Health: Reproductive Justice Training Conference.

• Black History Month celebrates the history, culture, and contributions of Black Americans. Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color (PMHA-POF) are devoting Black HIstory Month to highlight the experiences of Black parents. 

• Tell Congress: We need more support for Maternal Mental Health! Learn more on how you can help to continue supporting resources. 

• 2020 Mom announces Postpartum Support International will serve as the new home of the TheBlueDotProject and the Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week Campaign.

• Maternal Well-Being Playgroups  for mamas wanting to connect with their child and with other moms. 

• Stay and Play for families available for free at various Monterey County Free Libraries.

• Virtual Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Groups & Warmline for help and local referrals, call 831-783-5933. The Parenting Connection of Monterey County offers support in Spanish and English for people who are pregnant or just had a baby.

• Access to reproductive healthcare has been shown to impact rates of Maternal Mental Health Disorders (MMHDs). In 2020 Mom’s most recent issue brief, they present the available research on the multifaceted relationships between access to different forms of reproductive health care and maternal mental health (MMH). The brief also provides a call to action for policymakers, providers, and health insurers. 

• Becoming a mother is a big deal! All parents deserve support in seeking information on physical, emotional, and social aspects of the postpartum period, and using the resources that are available is a sign of strength.  Visit the 4th Trimester Project website for resources and information directed to support the pregnancy and parenting experiences of individuals.

• What does it mean to focus on the 'fourth trimester'? Learn more about the data highlighting the multiple weaknesses in the system of care for new mothers.