Perinatal Mental Health Learning Community
Feb. 2020 – Dec. 2021
The Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) Learning Community provides California hospitals with education, technical assistance, and peer support to strengthen perinatal mental health. The program assists hospitals to comply with Assembly Bill 3032, the Maternal Mental Health Conditions law. The program is administered by HQI, funded by California HealthCare Foundation and delivered in collaboration with Maternal Mental Health NOW and CommonSpirit Health.
Program at a Glance
Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
April 15, 2021 – Birth Trauma and Perinatal Mental Health
- Noon-1 p.m. (PST)
- Click here to register
Participants will learn about birth trauma and its impact on perinatal mental health, three potential causes of birth trauma for women and birthing people, and two new ways to implement trauma-informed care. Guest speaker will be Walker Ladd, Ph.D., Maternal Mental Health Researcher, Educator and Advocate; and the author of “Transformed by Postpartum Depression: Women’s Stories of Trauma and Growth.”
June 17, 2021 – Substance Use Disorders and Perinatal Mental Health
- Noon-1 p.m. (PST)
- Click here to register
Participants will learn about substance use disorders are their potential co-occurrence with perinatal mental health disorders. The webinar will also cover how perinatal staff can screen and help patients suffering from substance use disorders in the perinatal period. Guest speaker will be Margaret Lynn Yonekura, MD, FACOG, specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine, CommonSpirit Health’s Perinatal Behavioral Health Physician Champion, and Executive Director of Los Angeles Best Babies Network.
August 19, 2021 – Child Abuse Reporting and Perinatal Mental Health
- Noon-1 p.m. (PST)
- Click here to register
Participants will learn about the impact of child welfare involvement on both parent and infant mental health; the role that hospital staff plays in the process of child abuse reporting during the perinatal period; and steps to file a child abuse report as a mandated reporter. Guest speakers will be Patrisha Taylor, Psy.D., LMFT, Assistant Regional Administrator with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; and Anna King, LCSW, PMH-C, Clinical Training Specialist, Maternal Mental Health NOW.
October 21, 2021 – Breastfeeding and Perinatal Mental Health
- Noon-1 p.m. (PST)
- Click here to register
Participants will learn about the role that breast/chestfeeding plays in perinatal mental health and identify two ways to support breast/chestfeeding with individuals struggling with mental health disorders. Guest speaker will be Nakeisha Robinson, MA, LMFT, perinatal health and mental health advocate and consultant.
December 16, 2021 – Fathers and Partners and Perinatal Mental Health
- Noon-1 p.m. (PST)
- Click here to register
The webinar will discuss the risk for perinatal mental health issues for fathers and partners in the perinatal period and three symptoms of perinatal depression they may exhibit. The participants will learn how partners may serve as a protective factor when a mother or birthing person is struggling with a perinatal mental health disorder. Guest speaker will be Kevin Gruenberg, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist and the director of Love, Dad, a non-profit organization promoting work with fathers as an integral part of perinatal and early childhood support programs.
Past Webinars
February 18, 2021 – Supporting NICU Families
December 17, 2020 – Supporting Patients with Perinatal Loss
October 15, 2020 – Disparities in Perinatal Mental Health Care
August 20, 2020 – Developing Referrals and Community Resources
June 18, 2020 – Hospital Approaches to Staff Training and Patient Education
April 2020 – The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Mental Health & Introducing New Training Resources for Hospitals
February 2020 - A Hospital’s Role in Supporting Maternal Mental Health
January 2020 – Introductory Webinar
Group Office Hours
Virtual opportunity for hospital participants to receive practical implementation advice from program faculty and experienced peers. Office hours are held in the alternate months between webinars.
Upcoming Group Office Hours
- May 20, 2021
- Noon – 1 pm, PST
- Click here to register
May 20 Group Office Hours will feature a Learning Community discussion on the topic of Birth Trauma and Perinatal Mental Health, which was started at the April 15 webinar. Guest speaker/advisor Walker Ladd, Ph.D. will also be present.
- July 15, 2021
- Noon – 1 pm, PST
- Click here to register
July 15 Group Office Hours will feature a Learning Community discussion on the topic of Substance Use Disorders and Perinatal Mental Health, which was started at the June 17 webinar. Guest speaker/advisor Margaret Yonekura, MD will also be present.
- September 16, 2021
- Noon – 1 pm, PST
- Click here to register
September 16 Group Office Hours will feature a Learning Community discussion on the topic of Child Abuse Reporting and Perinatal Mental Health, which was started at the August 19 webinar. Guest speakers/advisors Patrisha Taylor, Psy.D., LMFT and Anna King, LCSW, PMH-C will also be present.
- November 18, 2021
- Noon – 1 pm, PST
- Click here to register
November 18 Group Office Hours will feature a Learning Community discussion on the topic of Breastfeeding and Perinatal Mental Health, which was started at the October 21 webinar. Guest speaker/advisor Nakeisha Robinson, MA, LMFT will also be present.
Past Group Office Hours
- March 18, 2021 Group Office Hours
- January 21, 2021 Group Office Hours
- November 19, 2020 Group Office Hours
- September 17, 2020 Group Office Hours
- July 16, 2020 Group Office Hours
- May 21, 2020 Group Office Hours
- March 19, 2020 Group Office Hours
Online Resources for Hospitals
Hospitals are invited to use the following resources, developed for our PMH Learning Community to assist with implementing the provisions of AB 3032 and strengthen hospital approaches to perinatal mental health. These resources are available free of charge.
Online Training Course for Hospital Staff
Maternal Mental Health in the Hospital Setting is a 55-minute course that provides education about features and prevalence of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, screening approaches that can be done in the hospital, and effective follow up through referrals and resources.
- To access the course, click here: http://hqi-maternalmentalhealthnow.talentlms.com/
- Click “Sign Up”, then enter your information. Use your email address as the username and choose a password.
Quick Reference Guide for Hospital Staff
Quick Reference Guide to Maternal Mental Health in the Hospital Setting is an accompaniment for the online training course, to be used as a handy reference to the concepts and practices covered in the course.
To access the guide, click here: guide.mmhnow.org
Brochure Template for Hospitals
Speak Up When You’re Down is a brochure in four languages that hospitals can use to share information with patients and families about maternal mental health conditions and available resources. The brochure can be used as-is or edited with hospital-specific additional information about local resources. It prints as a legal-size (8.5” x 14”) accordion-fold brochure.
To use as-is (unaltered), simply print a PDF file for a desired language:
To edit with hospital-specific information, download an InDesign file and an accompanying PDF file with instructions for customizing and printing.
- Click here to download the InDesign file. (You must have access to the InDesign application on your computer in order to download this file.)
- Click here to download instructions for customizing and printing.
App for Patients and Families
Emotional Wellness Self-Help Tool is a free web-based app that hospitals can share with patients and families. It is a resource to help expecting or new mothers and their support systems get informed about perinatal depression and anxiety, and get prepared to successfully manage these conditions if needed.
- To access the app, click here: mycare.mmhnow.org
Peer Sharing
Peer-to-peer sharing is valuable and highly encouraged. Below are various documents, templates and other materials that member hospitals have generously shared for the benefit of the Learning Community. If you’d like to share materials developed by your organization, please contact Julia Slininger at jslininger@hqinstitute.org.
By Content
Checklist for Bereavement Services (Emanate Health)
Checklist for Helping Patients with a Miscarriage (Emanate Health)
Community Resources List (Dignity Health, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital)
Community Resources List (Dignity Health, Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz)
Community Resources List (Dignity Health, St Elizabeth’s, Red Bluff)
Patient Brochure – Maternal Health and Grief (fetal demise) (Dignity Health)
Patient Brochure – Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (Sharp Mary Birch Hospital)
Patient Brochure – Pregnancy & Postpartum Resource Guide (Marshall Medical Center)
Patient Brochure – Speak Up When You are Down (depression) (Dignity Health)
Patient Flyer – Counseling via Telehealth – North State (Dignity Health)
Patient Flyer - Dadvice Virtual Support Group for Dads (Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center)
Patient Flyer – Virtual Support Group – English (Dignity Health)
Patient Flyer – Virtual Support Group – Spanish (Dignity Health)
Patient Fridge Magnet – Resource Guide (Dignity Health, Mercy Medical Center Redding)
Patient Poster – Depression and Anxiety (Dignity Health)
Screening – EPDS Referral Algorithm (Dignity Health)
Screening – EPDS Referral Algorithm (Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Screening – EPDS Screening Form (Dignity Health)
Screening FAQs for Staff (Dignity Health)
Screening Program Announcement (Dignity Health)
Toolkit to help providers screen and connect patients to resources (Orange County)
By Hospital/Organization
- Dignity Health/CommonSpirit Health
-
Community Resources List (Bakersfield Memorial Hospital)
Community Resources List (Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz)
Community Resources List (St Elizabeth’s, Red Bluff)
Patient Brochure – Maternal Health and Grief (fetal demise)
Patient Brochure – Speak Up When You are Down (depression)
Patient Flyer – Counseling via Telehealth – North State
Patient Flyer – Virtual Support Group – English
Patient Flyer – Virtual Support Group – Spanish
Patient Fridge Magnet – Resource Guide (Mercy Medical Center Redding)
Patient Poster – Depression and Anxiety
-
-
Emanate Health
-
Marshall Medical Center
-
Orange County
-
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
-
Sharp Healthcare
-
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
1:1 Coaching
Upon request, hospitals will receive 1:1 coaching and advice, tailored to each hospital’s context, needs and challenges, and based on specific areas desired for development or improvement.
Contact: Julia Slininger, RN, BS, CPHQ, Program Manager, Perinatal Mental Health Initiative. Email: jslininger@hqinstitute.org, phone: (213) 453-4519.
Participating Hospitals
For a map of all enrolled hospitals, click here.
Enrolled hospitals in alphabetical order:
Adventist Health and Rideout
Adventist Health Bakersfield
Adventist Health Glendale
Adventist Health Hanford
Adventist Health Lodi Memorial
Adventist Health Simi Valley
Adventist Health Tulare
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley
Adventist Health White Memorial
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
Anaheim Global Medical Center
Anaheim Regional Medical Center
Antelope Valley Hospital
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
Barstow Community Hospital
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Centinela Hospital Medical Center
Clovis Community Medical Center
Community Regional Medical Center (Fresno)
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center
Corona Regional Medical Center
Cottage Health System
CPMC – Mission Bernal
Desert Regional Medical Center
Desert Valley Hospital
Doctors Hospital of Riverside/Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center
Doctors Medical Center (Modesto)
Dominican Hospital
East LA Doctors Hospital
Eisenhower Medical Center
El Centro Regional Medical Center
Enloe Medical Center
Fairchild Medical Center
Fountain Valley Regional Hospital
Garfield Medical Center
Glendale Memorial Hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital (Bakersfield)
Greater ElMonte Community Hospital
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital
Hemet Valley Medical Center
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
Hi Desert Medical Center
Highland Hospital
Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
Huntington Hospital
John Muir Health – Concord hospital
John Muir Health – Walnut Creek hospital
Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente Orange County – Irvine Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente San Leandro Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente The Permanente Medical Group
Kern Medical Center
Lompoc Valley Medical Center
Madera Community Hospital
Marian Regional Medical Center
Marshall Medical Center
Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital
Mee Memorial Hospital
Memorial Hospital Los Banos
Memorial Hospital of Gardena
Memorial Medical Center (Modesto)
MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center
Mercy General Hospital
Mercy Hospital of Folsom
Mercy Medical Center (Merced)
Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta
Mercy San Juan Medical Center
Methodist Hospital of Southern California
Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach
Mills-Peninsula Medical Center
Monterey Park Hospital
Natividad Medical Center
NorthBay Healthcare
Northern Inyo Hospital
Northridge Hospital
Olive View – UCLA Medical Center
Orange County Global Medical Center
Palomar Health- Escondido campus
Palomar Health- Poway campus
PIH Whittier
Plumas District Hospital
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center
Queen Of the Valley Medical Center (Napa)
Queen of the Valley Medical Center (West Covina)
Rady Children’s Hospital
Redlands Community Hospital
Regional Medical Center of San Jose
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
Riverside Community Hospital
Riverside University Health System – Medical Center
Saddleback Medical Center
Saint Agnes Medical Center
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital
San Antonio Regional Hospital
San Gabriel Valley Medical Center
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital
San Joaquin General Hospital
San Ramon Regional Medical Center
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Scripps Memorial Hospital- Encinitas
Scripps Memorial Hospital- La Jolla
Scripps Mercy Chula Vista
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego
Sharp Grossmont Hospital
Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
Sierra View Medical Center
Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center
South Coast Global Medical Center
St Louise Regional Hospital
St. Bernardine Medical Center
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital
St. Francis Medical Center
St. Joseph’s Medical Center (Stockton)
St. Mary Medical Center (Apple Valley)
Stanford Health Care ValleyCare Hospital
Stanford Health Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital
Sutter Amador Hospital
Sutter Coast Hospital
Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center (Santa Cruz)
Sutter Roseville Medical Center
Sutter Solano Medical Center
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Twin Cities Community Hospital
UCDavis Medical Center
UC Irvine
UCLA Health System
UCLA Resnick Neurophsychiatric Hospital
UCSF Health & Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Victor Valley Global Medical Center
Watsonville Community Hospital
Whittier Hospital Medical Center
Woodland Memorial Hospital
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center
Enroll
To enroll, click here.
Requirements for Hospital Participation
- Identify a lead staff person who will coordinate implementation and act as a key point of contact
- Complete a short baseline survey and commit to completing a “post-program” survey
- Hospitals are free to select among the program components based on their specific needs and readiness. However, for maximum benefit, consistent participation is encouraged.
- Hospitals are also encouraged to identify executive sponsors and form interdisciplinary project teams that can help facilitate implementation and remove obstacles.
Contact
Julia Slininger, RN, BS, CPHQ, Program Manager, Perinatal Mental Health Initiative
Email: jslininger@hqinstitute.org
Phone: (213) 453-4519
FAQs
What is AB-3032 and what are my hospital’s obligations under this law?
AB 3032 is a California law that starting on January 1, 2020 requires all birthing hospitals to:
- Provide education and information about maternal mental health conditions to all regular staff in labor and delivery departments, and
- Provide education and information to postpartum people and their families about maternal mental health conditions, post-hospital treatment options, and community resources.
What are requirements for participating in HQI’s Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) Learning Community?
- Through the PMH Learning Community, California hospitals receive education, technical assistance and peer support to strengthen approaches to mental health in the perinatal period. To participate, hospitals are asked to identify a lead staff person who will coordinate implementation and act as a key point of contact, complete a short “baseline” survey and commit to completing a “post-program” survey.
- Once enrolled, hospitals are free to select among the program components based on their specific needs and readiness level. However, for maximum benefit, consistent participation is encouraged.
- Hospitals are also encouraged to identify executive sponsors and form interdisciplinary project teams that can help facilitate implementation and remove obstacles.
- It is not too late to come on board. To join the program, click on the “Enroll” tab on the PMH Learning Community website.
What’s the difference between “Webinars” and “Group Office Hours”?
- Webinars occur every two months and feature faculty experts addressing topics of importance to hospitals and their staff, such as recognizing the signs and symptoms of perinatal mental health disorders, implementing staff training and patient education, best practices for screening, how to make referrals and partner with community resources, and others.
- Group Office Hours are scheduled in the alternate months between the webinars. They are virtual opportunities for hospital participants to receive practical implementation advice and engage in peer-to-peer exchange about the topics covered in the webinars.
If I missed one of the webinars or group office hours, how can I get up to speed?
Slides and recordings of past webinars and group office hours are available on the website.
What free resources are available to hospitals through HQI’s PMH Learning Community?
The following resources are available free of charge to staff and providers who work in California Hospitals participating in the Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) Learning Community.
- Maternal Mental Health in the Hospital Setting is a 55-minute online course that provides education about features and prevalence of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, screening approaches that can be done in the hospital, and effective follow up through referrals and resources.
- Quick Reference Guide to Maternal Mental Health in the Hospital Setting is an accompaniment for the online course, to be used as a handy reference to the concepts and practices covered in the course.
- Speak Up When You’re Down is a downloadable brochure in four languages that hospitals can use to share information with patients and families about maternal mental health conditions and available resources. The brochure can be used as-is or edited with hospital-specific additional information about local resources. This is a great resource for other family members (e.g. grandparents) and friends, as well. It prints as a legal-size (8.5” x 14”) accordion-fold brochure.
- Emotional Wellness Self-Help Tool is a free web-based app that hospitals can share with patients and families. It is a resource to help expecting or new mothers and their support systems get informed about perinatal depression and anxiety, and get prepared to successfully manage these conditions if needed.
To access these resources, click on the “Online Resources for Hospitals” tab on the website.
How can hospitals make the online course available to their staff?
- Hospitals can simply share the course URL with their perinatal staff.
- Hospital units may also choose to convene staff in groups and conduct the training all together, projecting the modules onto a larger screen, and allowing for questions and discussion.
How do individuals complete the online course?
- Once a learner clicks on the URL to access the online training course, he/she will be guided through a few short fields to register as a user, and may then proceed to complete the course by clicking the play button on each successive video module.
- It is recommended that the entire course (10 modules-55 minutes total) be completed at once, but, if needed, the learner can exit the course and enter it again at a later time. The modules are followed by a brief knowledge test and course evaluation.
Are continuing education units provided for the online course?
- Yes, 1 CE unit for nursing is awarded upon completion of the online course, the evaluation, and the post test.
- If employees are taking the course as a group, the system cannot verify and provide the 1 CE unit for each participant, but an individual hospital may choose to approve the content using their own Provider Number.
How can learners and hospitals verify course completion?
- Upon course completion the learner will be directed to a knowledge test and course evaluation, after which the certificate of completion can be immediately saved and printed out.
- The certificate will also show 1 contact hour earned of continuing education for nurses.
- Hospitals can request reports on course completion by their staff.
How are stakeholders included in this program?
HQI’s PMH Learning Community is funded by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) and all the materials have been created through a partnership with subject matter experts at Maternal Mental Health Now and at Dignity Health. During the design phase, and continuing forward in the implementation phase, additional clinicians and stakeholder organizations are contributing input and sharing resources.
Can my hospital still join the PMH Learning Community?
- Yes! Although the majority of birthing hospitals in California are already on board, any additional hospital is welcome to join the PMH Learning Community at any time during the two-year program period through the end of 2021.