FL Policy

S.B. 138/H.B. 937 (2018):  Required the Department of Health to create public service announcements to educate the public on perinatal mental health care; revising components that are included in the postpartum evaluation and follow-up care required to be provided by birth centers to include a mental health screening and the provision of certain information on postpartum depression, etc. The State appropriated $1,156,520 to the DOH for these services. 

FL Code § 383.14 (2018): To help ensure access to the maternal and child health care system, required the Department of Health to promote the identification and screening of all newborns and their families for environmental risk factors such as low income, poor education, maternal and family stress, emotional instability, substance abuse, and other high-risk conditions associated with increased risk of infant mortality and morbidity to provide early intervention, remediation, and prevention services, including, but not limited to, parent support and training programs, home visitation, and case management.

Non-Legislative Task Force 

The Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative, formed in 2015, is a coalition of individuals and organizations advancing programs and policies to improve access to care and outcomes. The Collaborative issued a strategic plan in 2016 which resulted in legislative and administrative policy change.