NCMMH Hosts Lobby Day & Briefing on Capitol Hill May 17th

WASHINGTON - May 10, 2016 - PRLog -- The National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health (NCMMH) is spearheading a Lobby Day and briefing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 17, to support the Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act of 2015, which will provide for better education about and treatment of maternal mental health issues, as well as increased access to appropriate care.

House of Representatives Bill #HR3235, introduced by Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA), and the companion Senate Bill #S2311, introduced by Senator Dean Heller (R-NV), call for an amendment to the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states for screening and treatment for maternal depression. The bi-partisan bills - which are supported by 63 members of Congress to date - call for the federal government to provide $5 million annually for four years, 2016-2020, to states to support their actions in finding "innovative solutions" to this pervasive problem.

To garner additional support for the bills, NCMMH is hosting a briefing on the issues surrounding perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in partnership with the bill's authors, Congresswoman Clark and Congressman Ryan Costello (R-PA); and the co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care, Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA).

WHO: Speakers include Randy Gibbs, Executive Director of Jenny's Light and brother of the late Jenny Gibbs; Lynne McIntyre, LCSW, Vice-Chair, NCMMH and a postpartum depression and anxiety (PPDA) survivor; Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, Director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center for Women's Mood Disorders; and Danni Starr, TLC Network Host and PPDA survivor.

WHAT: NCMMH  Lobby  Day  &  briefing  on  the  issues  surrounding  maternal  mental  health,  supporting the

Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act of 2015

WHEN: Tuesday, May 17, 8:30 - 10 a.m.

WHERE:         Room 122, Cannon House Office Building, 27 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.

Both proposed bills shine a spotlight on Massachusetts' Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP for Moms) as a state initiative that works and should be emulated by others. MCPAP for Moms promotes maternal and child health by building the capacity of providers serving pregnant and postpartum women and their children up to one year after delivery to effectively prevent, identify and manage depression.

The National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health (NCMMH) was formed in 2013, bringing together some of the country's leading non-profit voices addressing these disorders to create and implement uniform awareness campaigns, engage thought leaders and drive national advocacy and to provide hope and resources to the 800,000+ U.S. women and their families who are impacted by postpartum disorders each year. Member organizations include: 2020 Mom (Los Angeles, Calif.), Jenny's Light (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), Junior League of San Francisco (San Francisco, Calif.), Maternal Mental Health Now (Los Angeles, Calif.), MotherWoman (Hadley, Mass.), Postpartum Health Alliance (San Diego, Calif.), Postpartum Progress (Atlanta, Ga.), Postpartum Support International (Portland, Ore.), Tangerine Owl Project (Chicago, Ill.) and Utah Maternal Mental Health Collaborative (Salt Lake City, Utah).  For more information go to: www.mmhcoalition.org