At MHANYS, we frequently speak about mental health across the life span. The work of our members, our programming and our advocacy impacts individuals from maternal health to senior living.Through the leadership of Senator Samra Brouk, we know that effective work across the lifespan for mental health starts with maternal mental health. She has introduced a series of bills aimed at responding to the maternal mental health crisis that impacts 1-5 women during pregnancy and first year post-partum and effects women of color at rates close to 38%. We also thank Assembly member Sarah Clark, and Jessica Gonzalez Rojas and Michaelle Solages for sponsoring these initiatives in the NYS Assembly.
These three bills:
S—7752 and A—9085 (Clark)
Create a maternal mental health workgroup
S—7753 A.9102 (Gonzalez-Rojas)
An act to require the Office of Mental Health and the Department of Health to conduct a study on the disparate impacts regarding post-partum screening tests
S—7805 (Brouk). A.5076 A (Solages)
An act to allow health care providers to offer a maternal depression screening to new mothers when providing prenatal and postnatal care for the mother’s child.
MHANYS Memos of Support are attached.
Thanks to MHANYS Public Policy Director John Richter for his leadership on this issue
