To learn more about Montana’s perinatal mental health system of supports
Perinatal mental health (PMH) is essential to the health and wellbeing of birthing people, infants, children, and families. In Montana, a variety of local, county, statewide, and tribal groups are implementing programs to address this critical issue. However, there is currently no single organization that brings together these groups to advocate for and coordinate PMH services across the state. This project is the first step towards creating such a group.
You can view a timeline of selected perinatal mental health efforts here.
In February 2024, a “Strategic Framework for Perinatal Mental Health in Montana” was published. This framework was designed to guide the work of organizations and government agencies across Montana that are working to improve the lives of Montana families by addressing the landscape of care and social services that affect perinatal mental health (PMH).
In the Summer of 2022, HMHB gathered state and local level partners to discuss how to increase collaboration within the system of perinatal mental health care in Montana. The group agreed to call themselves the Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative and endorsed HMHB to gather more perspectives. HMHB spoke with more than 100 people who are invested in PMH in Montana. The notes from these interviews were then analyzed thematically and presented in this report.
Priorities for collaborative work identified by the interviewees include the following:
- Among all perinatal providers and programs, increase awareness of and training for screening, referring, and treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).
- Increase public awareness around PMADs and the resources available to support people and families in the perinatal period.
- Offer care coordination for individuals experiencing PMADs that connects people to right supports at the right times and provides continuity of care between programs and providers.
- Address social determinants of health that impact perinatal mental health including, but not limited to transportation, housing, childcare, and nutrition.
- Increase peer-focused programming that provides group or individual support to people in the perinatal period.
- Increase access to perinatal-specific mental health providers who are available to provide timely assessment and treatment, including psychiatrists when necessary.
- Support culturally informed programs that serve the perinatal population through the provision and operationalization of cultural safety training, and increase diversity among providers and programming staff.
It is the hope of HMHB that a collective group of dedicated people across Montana will be able to work together to accomplish these priorities.