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Building Stronger Support for Perinatal Behavioral Health: A Look at IMPACT BH

By Kylie Hibshman, LCSW, PMH-C

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For too many pregnant and postpartum Coloradans, the journey into parenthood is shadowed by challenges with mental health or substance use. In our state and across the U.S., suicide and unintentional overdose remain among the leading causes of maternal death during pregnancy and the first year after birth. In Colorado, one in five women experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, and many also face struggles with substance use. These conditions are considered the most common complications in pregnancy.  But the care families need isn’t always easy to access—siloed systems and fragmented services often get in the way.

That’s where the IMPACT BH program comes in. Short for Improve Perinatal Access, Coordination, and Treatment: Behavioral Health, IMPACT BH is a capacity-building program led by the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative (CPCQC). The program is designed  to strengthen and connect local systems of care so that every family can access well-coordinated, informed, and compassionate behavioral health support.

A Year of Growth and Expanded Partnership

FY25 was a year of momentum. After three years of piloting and program development, IMPACT BH expanded to Mesa and Montrose Counties on the Western Slope, while deepening its work in Eagle County. In each place, CPCQC worked hand-in-hand with hospitals, outpatient clinics, and community organizations to help families find the right care, at the right time.

This year, IMPACT BH partnered with three local organizations—Eagle Valley Community Foundation, HardBeauty, and Hilltop Community Resources—to provide perinatal navigation services. These navigators became trusted guides for families, offering not just referrals, but steady encouragement and advocacy. Together, they walked alongside over 1000 families through pregnancy and postpartum.

As one participating mother shared:
“I had an amazing experience. [My perinatal navigator] really helped me feel confident in my new pregnancy. I am so grateful for these resources in the community.”

Highlights from FY25

Last grant cycle led to powerful results:

  • Training and clinical improvement: Across participating clinics, 98% of perinatal patients were screened for depression, and substance use disorder screening rose from 67% to 96% across the first three quarters. Just as importantly, every participating clinic transitioned to Prenatal Plus+, a program that will sustain improvements long after the initial funding ends.
  • Family voice and leadership: With support from Early Milestones Colorado, multiple people from IMPACT communities  with lived experience joined the Family Integration to ReStore Trust (FIRST) program. Their insights are now shaping CPCQC policies and programs so that they better respond to the realities families face.
  • National recognition: In September 2024, IMPACT BH was highlighted at a congressional briefing hosted by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention featured it as one of the innovative programs addressing maternal suicide.
  • Community campaigns with impact: In Mesa and Montrose Counties, IMPACT BH helped bring the Tough as a Mother campaign to life. Local out-of-home and social media ads shared powerful messages about hope and recovery. The campaign reached tens of thousands, and some families took the first step toward treatment after scanning a QR code on a flyer in their neighborhood. 

Alongside these milestones, more than 1,400 providers, advocates, and community members participated in trainings, to enhance their skills and strengthen Colorado’s perinatal behavioral health workforce.

Looking Ahead

As IMPACT BH enters FY26, the program is continuing to grow. We are thrilled to welcome Delta, Gunnison, and La Plata Counties to the program. Together with new partners—including Road to Me Recovery, Gunnison County Health and Human Services, and the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County—we will keep building systems of care that help families thrive.

The lessons learned in Eagle, Mesa, and Montrose Counties will ripple outward, guiding this new phase of growth and ensuring that more Colorado families have access to behavioral health care that is compassionate, coordinated, and easy to navigate.

Get Involved

This work is stronger when we do it together. Here are a few ways you can join us:

  • Bring IMPACT BH to your community: Reach out to learn more about how the program could support families in your county.
  • Join a local working group: Perinatal Continuum of Care working groups launched by IMPACT BH are operating in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, and Montrose counties. Join our partners in advocating for improved perinatal behavioral health care in these communities.
  • Support the newest sites: Get involved with program implementation in Delta, Gunnison, or La Plata Counties.
  • Join our team: CPCQC is hiring a new Integrated Care Program Manager, who will help lead and grow IMPACT BH in the coming year and beyond. 

 

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