Our work shaping and reporting on national mental health policy is made possible through a capacity grant from the Perigee Fund.
On December 31st, 2024 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it awarded $10 million to four organizations through the Community-Based Maternal Behavioral Health Services Program.
In support of the initiative, HHS Secretary Xaviar Becerra emphasizes that “the mental health and well-being of new and expectant mothers must be protected,” and “supporting maternal behavioral health is an important part of supporting women’s overall health and wellness.”
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) created the grant program and awarded the grants across four locations throughout the country:
- Magnolia Women’s Recovery Program in Oakland, CA
- Forward Leading IPA (Previously Finger Lakes Ipa, Inc.) in Rochester, NY
- Lakewood Community Service Corporation, Lakewood NJ
- Comanche County Hospital Authority, Lawton OK
SAMHSA has displayed a growing interest in maternal mental health since co-leading the Federal Maternal Mental Health Task Force.
The Task Force was formed in 2022 through the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act, which was championed by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.
Per the HHS press release about these grant awards, the Task Force’s work builds on the White House Blueprint on Maternal Health (June 2022) and the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.
Related Reading
The national strategy noted above was released in May 2024.
Read more about the Policy Center’s review of the strategy here.
See our original recommendations submitted officially to the Task Force here.
