Preparing for and welcoming a new baby can be a whirlwind. Learning how to feed the baby, changing diapers around the clock, and operating on little sleep can strain even the most confident families. For pregnant and postpartum people who are struggling with their mental health or substance abuse, finding the treatment they need–on top of juggling the demands of caring for a child–can feel impossible.
Fortunately, there are steps communities can take to ensure pregnant and postpartum people can access treatment or support for their behavioral health – when and where they need it. CPCQC’s IMprove Perinatal Access, Coordination, and Treatment: Behavioral Health program (IMPACT BH) strengthens connections and collaboration among organizations serving pregnant and postpartum people—weaving a tight web of support to ensure no family in need of behavioral health services falls through the cracks.
Why IMPACT BH Matters
Successful mental and behavioral health care doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s the product of a collaborative, integrated system that helps people access high-quality services in the places that are right for them.
Throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period, parents may receive services from a hospital, a doctor’s office, or other organizations based in the community. IMPACT BH supports these partners in working together–offering training and resources along the way–to make sure birthing parents receive the best possible behavioral health care and support.
How the IMPACT BH Program Works
IMPACT BH helps communities build a strong system of support for birthing people in four ways:
- Funding local community-based organizations to enhance perinatal navigation services. Perinatal navigation helps pregnant and postpartum people connect to vital services when they need them. Navigation can be provided through peer support providers, community health workers, doulas, home visitors, or other navigation providers.
- Helping health care providers and community-based organizations improve care for perinatal mental health and substance use. IMPACT BH offers training for providers on the best ways to identify perinatal mood, anxiety or substance use disorders and refer birthing people to the type of care they need.
- Promoting communication, coordination, and trust among all the places where a pregnant or postpartum person might receive care. IMPACT BH brings together local networks of community-based and clinical providers to improve referrals and care for birthing people within their communities.
- Enhancing local perinatal behavioral health solutions. Lessons learned from IMPACT BH help lay the groundwork for policy change and additional resources–ensuring that local perinatal behavioral health solutions have the support they need to continue making a difference for pregnant and postpartum people.
