Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health

Congressional Reception: Maternal Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
2025-09-09 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2044, Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2044, Washington, DC, United States
Join us to celebrate progress in maternal mental health, discuss next steps for supporting families, and explore solutions to prevent maternal suicide—the leading cause of maternal mortality in the U.S.
Enjoy:

Networking with colleagues and leaders
Beer, wine, pasta bar, and more

Featured Speakers:

Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA-07)

Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO-01)

Maeghan Gilmore, Vice President, Government Affairs, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness

Dr. Rick Lambert, Senior Advisor, SAMHSA

Joy Burkhard, MBA, Founder and Executive Director, Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health

Julie Goldstein, PhD, Vice President and Director, Zero Suicide at the Education Development Center

Steven D’Achille, President, Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation, Lived Experience

Perinatal Mental Health 101
2025-09-04 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-12 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-02-27 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-12-12 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-09-19 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Learn about the various Maternal Mental Health Disorders, the differences between them, risk factors, and treatment options. The course is designed for providers, administrators, and public health employees, though all are welcome. CEUs/CMEs are not available for this event.

Understanding Eating Disorders During the Perinatal Period and Finding Resources
2025-08-26 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is partnering with the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health to provide eating disorders education and tools specifically useful during the pregnancy and postpartum period.
Eating disorders are serious mental and physical conditions. Folks who are pregnant and/or postpartum are at risk so it’s critical to be informed to promote early detection and help seeking.
In this webinar, we’ll explore:

-Warning signs and symptoms
-How eating disorders happen alongside other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression
-How to have an open and honest conversation with someone you may be concerned about
-Access to resources to support help seeking
-Treatment recommendations/guidelines for clinicians treating those during this time period

Perinatal Substance Use Disorders 101
2025-07-23 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join this complementary introduction to perinatal SUD training hosted by the Policy Center, Postpartum Support International and Colorado Department of Public Health. Learn how to recognize and effectively respond to substance use concerns during pregnancy, early parenthood, and with the birthing parent/child dyad. Considerations related to treatment and supporting the parent-child relationship will be discussed. The training is designed for providers, administrators, and public health employees, though all are welcome.

Congressional Briefing: 2025 Maternal Mental Health County Risk & Resource and State Report Cards
2025-05-29 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
During this briefing, the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health will unveil its latest maternal mental health (MMH) state report cards, including a new national grade and state grades highlighting the top states, bottom states, and those states that have made the most significant improvement. (See the 2024 report here).
The Policy Center will also present its 2025, county-level “Risk and Resource” report highlighting the counties with the highest risk for MMH disorders and lowest resources which the Policy Center refers to as “dark zones.”
(See the 2023 report here).
The Policy Center CEO will also share the Federal and state strategies, including the strategies from the Federal Maternal Mental Health Task Force that have the potential to alleviate suffering and support doctors and patients alike.

Speakers
Joy Burkhard, MBA
Joy founded the Policy Center after experiencing failures of our healthcare “system” through the birth of her first child and losing a family member to suicide. She began to see a path forward, with her volunteer state policy experience and nearly 25 years working for a large health insurer. She has unparalleled expertise in understanding the complexities of U.S. healthcare and the levers for improvement, including payment, measurement/quality improvement, and health policy, which serves as the foundation for our work. Joy is a highly respected collaborator and passionate advocate, recognized as a go-to authority on maternal mental health.

Caitlin Murphy, MPA-PNP, DrPH(c)
Caitlin is a Research Scientist within the Health Policy and Management Department at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. She brings over a decade of mixed-method public health research, health policy research, and health systems research in the fields of maternal and child health, women’s health, reproductive health, and health among low-income communities. She brings content expertise regarding mental health, trauma, and social determinants of health, as well as pathways for addressing SDH in healthcare settings. Previously, she supported women’s and children’s health research initiatives at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Population Services International’s Women’s Health Project, the Research Center for Leadership in Action at NYU, the World Bank Group, Population Action International, and the Ms. Foundation for Women. Ms. Murphy has a Masters’ in Public Policy Analysis from NYU Wagner with a concentration in health and gender, and is a current doctoral student in the Health Policy and Management Department at GWU.

Perinatal Substance Use Disorders 101
2025-04-30 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join this complementary introduction to perinatal SUD training hosted by the Policy Center, Postpartum Support International and Colorado Department of Public Health. Learn more about how to recognize and effectively respond to substance use concerns during pregnancy, early parenthood, and with the birthing parent/child dyad. Considerations related to treatment and supporting the parent-child relationship will be discussed. The training is designed for providers, administrators, and public health employees, though all are welcome.

Supported Mothers, Thriving Children: Connecting Maternal Health and Child Wellbeing
2025-04-24 13:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Join our CEO as she speaks on this webinar hosted by National Association of Counties. Counties can significantly improve children’s health and wellbeing by supporting maternal mental health through a variety of key strategies. In this webinar, speakers will explore examples of local policies and programs that bolster county efforts to holistically address child wellbeing through focusing on maternal mental health and substance use. Participants will gain insights into local options for addressing maternal mental health needs and substance misuse, learn about the challenges and triumphs experienced by county programs, and discover new opportunities to strengthen their local children’s health services.

Salud Mental Perinatal 101 (complementario) Presentado en Español
2025-04-10 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Conozca los diversos trastornos de salud mental materna, las diferencias entre ellos, los factores de riesgo y las opciones de tratamiento. El curso está diseñado para proveedores, administradores y empleados de salud pública, aunque todos son bienvenidos. Las CEU/CME no están disponibles para este evento.

2025 Maternal Mental Health FORUM
2025-03-18 09:30 - 2025-03-19 16:00 (America/New_York)
You won’t want to miss the 2025 Maternal Mental Health (MMH) FORUM, where cross-sector change agents will gather to drive change in maternal mental health. Together with Policymakers, Payors, Provider Leaders, and our Partners, we will discuss progress, roadblocks, and solutions to closing gaps in maternal mental health care.

Perinatal Substance Use Disorders 101
2025-01-22 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join this new complementary introduction to perinatal SUD training hosted by the Policy Center, Postpartum Support International and Colorado Department of Public Health. Learn more about how to recognize and effectively respond to substance use concerns during pregnancy, early parenthood, and with the birthing parent/child dyad. Considerations related to treatment and supporting the parent-child relationship will be discussed. The training is designed for providers, administrators, and public health employees, though all are welcome.

Birth Trauma: Understanding its Origins and The Urgent Need to Do More
2024-12-11 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
This webinar will focus on the origins of birth trauma and maternal PTSD featuring Dr. Sharon Dekel, a foremost expert in postpartum PTSD. Dr. Sharon Dekel is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School (HMS). She is also the Director of the Postpartum Traumatic Stress Disorders Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Dekel Lab at HMS and MGH. Her lab studies women’s mental health following the landmark event of childbirth, including traumatic childbirth, and the mechanisms responsible for postpartum adjustment. In addition to featuring a mother’s birth trauma story, the Policy Center team will share recommendations for providers and hospitals to take to prevent and support those with birth trauma.

Future of Health Care: Improving Postpartum Care
2024-12-04 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
While progress has been made in improving access to and understanding of maternal health care, the American health care system is still struggling to implement comprehensive postpartum care. Health care professionals have raised concerns about the U.S.’s high maternal mortality rates and need to provide long-term care for the physical and maternal mental health challenges that many new mothers face.
Join Axios and the Policy Center for a virtual event convening leaders in maternal health care and policy for conversations looking at the top challenges and solutions to improve postpartum care in America. We’ll go deeper into the policies and most effective practices to improve access to postpartum and maternal mental health care and health outcomes.

The Role of Hospitals in Optimizing Postpartum Mental Health Support
2024-11-21 13:00 (America/New_York)
Co-hosted by the American Hospital Association and The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, this webinar will explore the role hospitals can play to build up treatment and support for maternal mental health disorders during postpartum. Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. will dive into the development of its newest 10-bed perinatal mental health unit, dedicated to creating a safe space for those with diagnosed perinatal mental health conditions. Mental health leaders from University of Colorado Hospital will share the hospital’s intensive perinatal outpatient programs, focused on support, therapy and medication management. Speakers will emphasize strategies and action steps hospitals and health systems can take to prioritize mental health, especially for high-risk pregnancies, and improve postpartum experiences and outcomes.

Certified Peer Support Peer Ad-On Training
2024-10-22 09:00 - 2024-10-24 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
This course is complementary to the standard peer support training. Much of the content is similar to the education maternal mental health clinicians receive but has been adapted to meet the needs of people delivering peer support in the perinatal time period. Perinatal mental health complications in pregnancy and postpartum look different than at any other time in a person’s life. While clinicians receive this training to diagnose and potentially treat or refer people in pregnancy and postpartum, peers need a full understanding of perinatal mental health conditions to provide support, address myths and stigma, and connect people to appropriate treatment services.
The course includes:

Inclusive Care and Language
Understanding the Spectrum of Maternal Mental Health Complications
Barriers to Care
Screening and Referral
Components of Care and Recovery

Why do we need specialized perinatal mental health peer supporters (PMH peers) as part of the continuum of care? Decisions that profoundly affect mothers* lives shouldn’t be made without mothers at the decision-making table. Moms and birthing persons with perinatal mental health conditions benefit from the kind of support that accounts for their individual needs and fits within the framework of their life experience. A specialized PMH peer should strive to develop an ongoing perspective on their own personal experiences and qualities in order to determine in what ways those factors help them to serve as an effective and balanced supporter. One of the aims of quality support is to encourage moms and birthing persons to pursue treatment/care options and make decisions that make sense for them rather than shaping which choices are appropriate.
*Mothering is a gender-neutral term that describes a certain type of care. Any person can provide the care of a mother, regardless of gender identity.
Perinatal Outreach and Encouragement for Moms (POEM) at Mental Health America of Ohio bridges mental health gaps by acting as a touchpoint, advocate, and resource for mothers and birthing persons. Through care navigation layered with certified peer support, POEM works to provide mental and emotional support through the perinatal period.

Congressional Briefing on Maternal Suicide
2024-09-10 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Join the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention leaders to discuss and learn about the latest policy and research updates on maternal suicide. This Congressional briefing will feature experts and leaders in maternal mental health and suicide prevention. This briefing is intended for Members of Congress, Congressional staff, advocates, and other stakeholders.

Register Now

Opening Remarks

The honorable Representative Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) will offer opening remarks. Both are members of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus. Rep. Beyer also serves as the Chair of the Suicide Prevention Task Force.

Speakers

Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD., American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s SVP of.Research

Dr. Harkavy-Friedman of AFSP will provide a general overview of suicide in America to help set the context for maternal suicide. Dr. Harkavy-Friedman earned her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, her PhD. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florida and completed her internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital. After, she joined Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, establishing the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program. In 1989, she moved to Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute where she is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry. Harkavy-Friedman joined AFSP in 2011 and maintains a clinical practice in Manhattan Jill Harkavy-Friedman, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President of Research and leads the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s research program which funds research grants, offers workshops and training to researchers and disseminates research findings to increase public awareness and support advocacy. During her 35 years as a clinician and researcher, Harkavy-Friedman, has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and trained clinicians nationwide.

Sarah Brummett, Director of the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention

Ms. Brummet will be presenting the Federal strategy for suicide prevention. Sarah is an expert in developing and implementing effective strategies for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. She works with the Action Alliance leadership team to provide oversight and support to the EXCOM and the Action Alliance task forces and advisory groups. She also is facilitating key opportunities to advance elements of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Before joining EDC, Sarah was the director for the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention. She provided leadership and oversight for statewide priorities and collaborated with state agencies and community organizations to design and sustain a comprehensive and coordinated public health approach to suicide. She also oversaw the Colorado Suicide Prevention Commission. Earlier in her career, she practiced family and appellate law for several years.

Dr. Katherine Wisner, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Associate Chief, Prenatal Mental Health, Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National Hospital; Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Dr. Wisner is a leading maternal mental health researcher and will discuss suicidality nuances in the perinatal population. Dr. Wisner obtained her M.S., in nutrition and M.D., from Case Western Reserve University, followed by a pediatric internship and general/child psychiatry residency and post-doctoral fellowship in epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Wisner also completed fellowships in professional and biomedical ethics. Her research advanced our understanding of the natural history of mood disorders across childbearing, benefit-harm decision-making for pharmacotherapy and the pharmacokinetics of medications across pregnancy and lactation. Dr. Wisner is internationally recognized as an expert in the treatment of mood disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She has received over $23 million from the National Institutes of Health and has 270 peer-reviewed publications and 23 book chapters.

Dr. Wisner was awarded the Woman in Science Award from the American Medical Women’s Association in 2011. From the American Psychiatric Association (APA), she received the Alexandra Symonds Award in 2012 and the annual Award for Research in 2017. She was honored with Distinguished Mentor Awards from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 and from Northwestern University in 2022. She received the Marcé International Society for Perinatal Mental Health’s Medal for lifetime contributions. Dr. Wisner served on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Psychiatry and currently on the Boards of JAMA Psychiatry and Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. She is a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the APA. With her experience as president of the Marcé International Society for Perinatal Mental Health, Dr. Wisner developed the business startup plan for Marcé of North America (MONA) and was MONA’s inaugural president.

Sarah Foster, MPH Associate Director for Policy, Partnerships, and Communication, Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Sarah Foster is the Associate Director for Policy, Partnerships, and Communication in the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She will provide an overview of the most current national maternal suicide statistics. Since 2016, Sarah has been in DRH and led efforts to build support and advance CDC’s efforts in topics including maternal mortality, preterm birth, and addressing the impacts of opioid use disorder on women and infants. Sarah came to CDC in 2000 as a Presidential Management Fellow in the National Immunization Program, where she worked on an initiative to address racial disparities in older adult immunization and was assigned to the Michigan Department of Community Health to conduct an evaluation of a peer-training program for ob-gyns on immunization. During her time at CDC, Sarah has served in a number of roles, including supporting programs to prevent injuries; providing leadership for a range of violence prevention efforts; coordinating Congressional requests during the H1N1 response; and overseeing logistics and vaccine management for the Vaccines for Children Program. Sarah has a BS in Biology and a MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education both from the University of Michigan.

Cindy Herrick, MA, PMH-C, CPSS Senior Editorial and Research Manager, Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health

Cindy will present key highlights from our maternal suicide issue brief (which is being refreshed through its annual cycle in time for re-release at the briefing). This will include policy levers for change and references to related recommendations from the Federal MMH Task Force.

Cindy serves as the Senior Editorial and Research Manager at the Policy Center, where she spearheads the development of publications and briefs that highlight gaps, evidence-based recommendations, and emerging considerations in MMH. She has led the Maternal Suicide program at the Policy Center since 2018 and is an expert in maternal suicide, MMH screening, and peer support policy. She is recognized for her ability to research and document MMH disorders from a holistic perspective. Cindy is currently pursuing her PhD in Nursing Science and Healthcare Innovation at Arizona State University and is the recipient of the 2023 Hartford Sun Health Predoctoral Scholarship and the ASU Graduate Fellowship Award.

Using Peers to Support Maternal Mental Health
2024-06-27 10:30 - 11:30 UTC
During this fireside chat, The Policy Center’s Executive Director Joy Burkhard and Michelle Lacy, Executive Director of Women’s Health Innovations of Arizona (WHI) will discuss how and why WHI came to hire certified peer support specialists and how they have helped this clinical practice meet mothers where they are and support them while waiting for a therapist. Ms. Lacy will also share how the program seeks to support hospitals in providing certified peer support services.

Register

Women's Mental Health Across the Lifespan
2024-06-18 09:00 - 10:00 UTC
Join Joy Burkhard as she joins a panel hosted by Mindful Philanthropy which will feature key takeaways from their With Her in Mind guidance series, highlighting opportunities for funders to support women and girls’ mental health across the lifespan. Topics will include strengthening girls’ resilience and support systems, lifting up women’s mental health in the workplace, and prioritizing maternal mental health.

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Mental Health Parity Requirements for Employer Benefit Leaders
2024-06-11 10:00 - 11:00 UTC
Are you an employer/purchaser who cares about mental health and maternal mental health? Join the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health and the Federal Department of Labor, Employee Benefit Security Administration to discuss the latest rules and considerations in addressing mental health accessibility.

This webinar will not be recorded.

Register

Understanding The Role Nurse Practitioners Can Play in Maternal Mental Health
2024-06-05 10:30 - 11:30 UTC
Join the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health and our partners to explore another untapped strategy for addressing the workforce shortages and helping obstetric care providers like OB/Gyns and psychiatrists work at the top of their license. In this webinar we will discuss the value psychiatric and women’s health nurse practitioners can bring to the field of Maternal Mental Health, including their important role in interfacing with patients and their role as prescribers.

Register Here

Congressional Briefing: The Latest Regarding Family Planning Services and Maternal Health
2023-12-23
If you are a midwife, OB/Gyn, or family practice provider who delivers babies, we invite you to register to join us for a live (and recorded) presentation walking through the latest developments impacting obstetric providers in maternal mental health (MMH). This will include a review of the HEDIS prenatal and postpartum depression screening and follow-up measures and Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health Care’s perinatal depression “bundle.” We will also introduce two new MMH resources (and one refreshed) developed by the Policy Center with you in mind:
A screening script (words to use to help expecting and postpartum patients feel at ease)
A refreshed menu of treatment options (including zuranolone and more)
Billing and reimbursement guidance (derived from the new HEDIS screening and follow-up specifications)
The session will include time for a roundtable discussion.
Register Now to join us live or receive the recording.
