A reminder: The policies and programs we advocate for.
Each year, MMHLA advocates for federal policy initiatives to continue developing the national maternal mental health (MMH) infrastructure and to support the mental health of military mothers. Below are the programs for which we advocate:
This year, because the proposed President’s budget ELIMINATED funding for key maternal health programs, we joined other maternal-child health organizations to advocate for the following programs that support maternal health more broadly:
We worked with the following advocacy organizations in this broader effort: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG); Association of Maternal Child Health Professionals (AMCHP); Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN); Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective; Bloom Coalition; March of Dimes; MomsRising; and Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM).
The Good News
Our collective advocacy efforts have paid off! Both the House and the Senate have increased funding for maternal mental health programs. In addition, both the House and the Senate have reinstated funding for MMRCs, PQCs, PRAMS, PPW-SUD, and Healthy Start.
Here’s a breakdown of the proposed funding levels, plus some legislative updates, for maternal mental health programs.
NOTE: The House and Senate each set their own budget amounts, which will eventually be reconciled into the final budget, which then goes to the President for approval.
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
- President’s Budget: $7M
- House Budget: $8M
- Senate Budget: $8M
- Both the House and the Senate require increased outreach about the Hotline, especially to service members, veterans, and military families.
- Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Program
- President’s Budget: $11M
- House Budget: $13.5M
- Senate Budget: $12M
- Both the House and the Senate require grants that would specifically serve Tribal communities (This is a huge win! We have been advocating for funding for Tribal communities for several years).
- Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program
- The Senate included maternal mental health research in the CDMRP as a priority research area.
Our advocacy is working and must continue until the budget is final.
These results are huge victories! We are pleased to see that maternal mental health programs have received an increase in funding and that additional maternal health programs, which were slated for reduction or elimination, are specifically named in the House and Senate budgets, with funding assigned to each. This would not have happened without our collective advocacy efforts.
However, the federal budgeting process is not over. We will continue to keep an eye on how the House and Senate reconcile their budgets to ensure that these important programs are funded.
These programs are well-known in Congress.
Maternal mental health programs are becoming increasingly recognized by our elected officials, and it is no accident. The program names, their importance, and the thousands of lives they serve are being uplifted with every phone call, email, and meeting that you make happen — and we thank you.
We want to specifically acknowledge Congressional leaders in both the House and the Senate who have ensured these programs received funding, including members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Departments.
What’s Next
I will continue to monitor the budgeting process as it plays out and ensure that our country’s maternal mental health programs remain included and funded.
Thank you for the work you do!
Until next time,
Jamie Zahlaway Belsito
Founder, Director of Policy & Partnerships
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA)
