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California birthing hospitals are invited to participate in the Hospital Quality Institute’s (HQI) Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) Learning Community, aimed at helping hospitals strengthen approaches to mental health in the perinatal period. Download a program description and application, and register for an informational webinar on Jan. 15, 2020.
The program will help hospitals comply with a new California law — Assembly Bill (AB) 3032 (Chapter 773, Statutes of 2018). Effective Jan. 1, 2020, AB 3032 requires hospitals to educate/inform hospital employees regularly assigned to work in perinatal units about maternal mental health conditions, and educate/inform postpartum women and families about the signs and symptoms of maternal mental health disorders, local post-hospital treatment options, and community resources.
Free of charge to all California birthing hospitals, HQI’s PMH Learning Community is funded by California Health Care Foundation. Its initiatives will increase the capacity of hospital staff who work in perinatal units to understand, recognize, and effectively respond to perinatal mental health issues.
The community will launch in February 2020 with a set of programs offering guidance and tools to help integrate mental health in perinatal hospital units, including:
- A webinar series
- Group office hours
- One-on-one coaching
- In-person events
Additional online resources available in April 2020 will include:
- A course and quick reference guide on maternal mental health for perinatal staff and providers
- A patient engagement app to help women and their families maintain optimal mental health in the postpartum period
- A customizable brochure template for hospitals to use to inform women and families about maternal mental health conditions, treatment options, and community resources
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complication of childbirth, affecting approximately one in five birthing women, with prevalence rates even higher in low-income communities and communities of color. Unfortunately, very few women are diagnosed and of those diagnosed only about half receive treatment.
For more information, contact Julia Slininger, RN, Program Manager, PMH Initiative, at jslininger@hqinstitute.org or (213) 453-4519.
