The Role Community Health Workers Can Play to Improve Maternal Mental Health

Cosponsored by Funders for Maternal Mental Health

Millions of pregnant and parenting women suffer from mental health conditions during pregnancy and after giving birth. In fact, maternal mental health conditions impact 1 in 5 expectant and postpartum mothers, making it the number one pregnancy-related complication in the United States. Women of color and those living in poverty are at the greatest risk of maternal mental health challenges. Community health workers, who are known by many titles, including peer support workers, community navigators and promotoras, have been shown to be effective in expanding access to health and mental health services for pregnant and parenting women.

This webinar explored the issues states, community health workers and the field must navigate to integrate community health workers into Medicaid and other public financing mechanisms and ensure adequate payment models, provider quality standards and workforce development strategies. Panelists explored state financing strategies of community health workers; dive deep into implementation successes and challenges of the community health worker programs in California and Connecticut; and shed light on actions philanthropy can take to expand community health worker services and promote their integration within the health care system.

Speakers included Elinor Higgins, Policy Associate, National Academy for State Health Policy; Mayra Alvarez, Executive Director, The Children’s Partnership; Pamela Riley, Chief Health Equity Officer and Assistant Director of Quality and Population Health Management, CA Department of Health Care Services; and Rachel Rusnak, Program Manager, Connecticut Office of Health Strategy.

Recording:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jVdCXc6qW98eVXmxgKET_9MQjEbsefQO/view