Our work shaping and reporting on national mental health policy is made possible through a capacity grant from the Perigee Fund.

On November 5th, 2024 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health. This Task Force was formed in 2022 as a part of the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act, which was championed by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. According to the Office on Women’s Health, the Task Force “identifies, evaluates, and makes recommendations to coordinate and improve activities related to addressing maternal mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use disorders.” The Task Force sits under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Advisory Committee for Women’s Services.

Many programs and initiatives span across key departments, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Indian Health Services (IHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). These agencies collectively work to advance health, provide essential resources, and support research and evaluation to improve public health outcomes. 

For a detailed overview of specific programs within each department, please refer to HHS’s One-Year Celebration release. 

Per the HHS press release, 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. 

Key accomplishments over the first year include release of:

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.

In support of the Task Force, HHS is calling on non-federal organizations to submit pledges for new maternal mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) initiatives by December 6, 2024. Selected pledges will be announced in early 2025, spotlighting efforts that address barriers to maternal mental health and SUD care across the U.S. If you have questions regarding submitting pledges reach out to to [email protected].


Finally this month, HHS launched a nationwide public awareness campaign to promote the Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA). Learn more about the campaign and its plans to reach more people through advertisements in grocery stores and more, here.