Volume XIII, Issue XXXVI - May 2020

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2020

The Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) is dedicating the week of May 4th through May 8th, 2020 to bringing awareness to maternal mental health (MMH) and directing people to the help they need. Join the #MakingOverMotherhood Campaign online (https://www.thebluedotproject.org/mmhweek2020) to discuss how modern motherhood is anything but black and white.

The Maternal Mental Health Social Media Awareness Week Campaign:

The Blue Dot Project (https://www.thebluedotproject.org/) launched the #MakingOverMotherhood Campaign in 2014 to reach mothers, families and the general public to raise awareness about maternal mental health disorders, like postpartum depression, which impacts up to one in five mothers in the U.S. While the theme changes from year to year, the blue dot, which is the international symbol for MMH, is shared on memes used during the campaign to bring continuity to the images and raise awareness of the symbol. The aim is to combat stigma and shame through mass social media reach.

The following resources are gathered by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) in support of MMH and other resources focused on Maternal and Child Health.

Recognizing National Maternal Mental Health Week (May 4th-8th):

• ASTHO Experts: States Look to Address the Impact of Postpartum Depression (https://www.astho.org/StatePublicHealth/States-Look-to-Address-the-Impact-of-Postpartum-Depression/08-01-19/)
• ASTHO Connects: Maternal Mental Health Systems Change (https://www.astho.org/generickey/GenericKeyDetails.aspx?contentid=21645&folderid=5162&catid=7264)
• ASTHO Experts: States Tackle the Climbing Maternal Mortality Rate in the U.S. (https://www.astho.org/StatePublicHealth/States-Tackle-Climbing-Maternal-Mortality-Rate-in-the-US/03-18-20/)

Coronavirus, MCH, and SUD - Updates and Resources:

• ASTHO Experts: COVID-19's Impact on Pregnancy and Childbirth Policies: ASTHO's blog discusses newly introduced and enacted pandemic state legislation and doula reimbursement, home birthing and midwifery, and postpartum health and paid family leave. https://www.astho.org/StatePublicHealth/COVID-19-Impact-on-Pregnancy-and-Childbirth-Policies/04-22-20/
• ASTHO Brief: Childcare Services for Essential Workforce Personnel: ASTHO has compiled a list of state plans and resources for jurisdictions looking to ensure continuity of childcare services to essential personnel for the duration of the pandemic. https://www.astho.org/StatePublicHealth/COVID-19-Impact-on-Pregnancy-and-Childbirth-Policies/04-22-20/
• SAMHSA will expedite its process to release funding for substance use treatment and mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/04/20/samhsa-moves-quickly-begin-releasing-110-million-emergency-grant-funding-provide-americans.html

For up-to-date resources, state declarations, and case counts visit ASTHO's COVID-19 webpage at https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/. For additional resources or to learn more about ASTHO's role in the COVID-19 response, please contact preparedness@astho.org.

Recent Studies and Reports:

•  A recent Brookings Institute report (www.brookings.edu/research/the-opioid-crisis-and-community-level-spillovers-onto-childrens-education/) outlines how the opioid crisis is a pervasive issue that threatens children's educational outcomes.
• A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2763605) found that youth who are exposed to family members with opioid prescriptions face a heightened risk of a pharmaceutical opioid overdose.
• An article published in the Journal of Substance Use found that (www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14659891.2020.1736665) "despite the fact that mothers receiving MAT for OUD often lacked adequate prenatal care, their children had adequate well-childcare and [up-to-date immunizations]".
• An article published in Health Affairs evaluated Project Nurture in Oregon (www.healthshareoregon.org/commitment-to-health/project-nurture) and concluded that OUD treatment "models based in a clinical setting that engage the human services sector may improve overall outcomes, even though the difficulty in sharing savings across sectors presents challenges to sustainability" (www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01574)

Partner and External Resources:

• Substance Use During Pregnancy and Plans of Safe Care (POSC): Implications for Pediatricians, Mothers, and Infants (attached) - This new factsheet from the American Academy of Pediatricians on PSOC was developed as part of AAP's work with CDC's Division of Reproductive Health.
• Free Online Prevention and Early Intervention Resources (attached): The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recently compiled and distributed a list of free, virtual resources to assist individuals, families, and community leaders in preventing and intervening early in substance misused.
• Medical Waste Disposal: Best Practices for Owners of Multifamily Properties (https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Medical-Waste-Disposal.pdf): This U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fact sheet offers guidance on disposal of sharps, needles, and unwanted medication in residential settings.

Grant and Funding Opportunities:

• Supporting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Screening and Intervention (HRSA-20-111)- The goals of this program are to improve the ability of primary care providers (PCPs) serving pregnant women to screen for alcohol use, provide brief intervention, refer high-risk pregnant women to specialty care, improve the ability of PCPs serving children and adolescents to screen for prenatal alcohol exposure among those suspected of FASD, and manage and provide referrals to necessary services for those identified with FASD.
  • Due Date: June 9, 2020
  • For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=324247.

Upcoming Events and Webinars:

• Virtual March for babies (https://www.marchforbabies.org/): April 2nd through May 15th. Join the March of Dimes from home this year!
• SAVE THE DATE:
  • September 14th-15th, 2020; Austin, TX: National Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit.

Please visit https://childandfamilyresearch.utexas.edu/national-prenatal-3-research-policy-summit to learn more and sign up for updates.