Closing Gaps in Maternal Mental Healthcare

The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health is a national think tank, nonprofit organization advancing policies that support a health care system that routinely detects and treats maternal mental health disorders for every mother, every time.

2019 CA Legislation

We supported the following MMH Bill that was approved on October 12, 2019, by California governor Gavin Newsom:

AB 577: Addresses access to providers who were treating a mother for an MMH disorder and who terminates from the insurers provider network or who isn’t in the mothers new insurance plan network. This bill was signed into law and became effective Jan 1, 2020.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology also sponsored a complimentary budget effort, to MediCal coverage to 12 Months for Moms Diagnosed with an MMH Disorder. This budget ask was secured in 2020. The effective date has not yet been determined.

We are a sponsor of the following MMH Bills:

AB 845: CA Medical Board: Optional Obstetric Provider Mental Health Training – View fact sheet
AB 1676: Telepsychiatry Consultation for Obstetricians, PCPs and Pediatricians – View fact sheet

We support the following Mental Health Bills:

SB-10: Mental health services: peer support specialist certification.
SB-66: FQHCs- Payment for Mental Health Services when Medical Services are Provided Same Day (currently prohibited)
AB 512: County Mental Health Services Cultural Competency

We support the following Maternal Health Bill:

SB 464: California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act

We support the following initiatives to increase workforce and workforce capacity in California:

2019 MH Workforce Expansion Bills:
AB 890: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Full Practice Authority
AB 565: Psychiatric Workforce Loan Forgiveness in Public Mental Health
SB 10 Peer Certification

2019 Workforce Expansion Budget Efforts:
Reauthorize/Reappropriate funding for MHSA’s Workforce Education and Training
Earmarking funds for expanding residency training programs for psychiatrists and additional training programs for mental health nurse practitioners.

Extend state’s $1 million investment (from 2018-2019) to provide scholarships to PCPs to participate in the UC Davis/Irvine PCP psychiatric fellowship program, including expanding those programs to address mental health needs of mothers and children.

Interactive Maps Illustrating Psychiatric Shortages – View

CA Health Workforce Development Commission Report
Meeting the Demand for Health, Final Report of the California Future Health Workforce Commission
California’s Current and Future Behavioral Health Workforce

Parenting Initiatives We Support

Governor's Budget Initiative to Provide 6 Months Paid Parental Leave
Compensates parents up to 70% of their wages to care for a newborn or new adopted baby for up to 3 months.

SB-135: Paid Family Leave