Advocacy Agenda
We advocate for national policies to provide universal, equitable, comprehensive, and compassionate mental health care during pregnancy and the year following pregnancy. We also support national policies that address the mental health and wellbeing of pregnant and postpartum parents.
What we’re fighting for this year
Read our 2024 Advocacy Agenda
You can also see our Advocacy Agendas from previous years:
Supporting U.S. Military Mothers
The MOMS Act is on our 2024 Advocacy Agenda
The MOMS Act (Maintaining Our Obligation to Moms who Serve Act), is proposed legislation that aims to support the maternal mental health of our nation’s military mothers.
Since 2019, we have successfully advocated for $70 million in federal funding for maternal mental health programs.
We craft and support policies and initiatives that are real and actionable; include the voices of those with lived experience; and focus on racial and health equity.
We work with partners whose goals align with ours; who work to improve maternal mental health in our country; and who seek to address historic inequities and biases in our nation’s health care systems.
We Lead Advocacy Efforts in 3 Key Areas
#1: Building a National Maternal Mental Health Infrastructure
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
MMHLA led efforts to establish the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline by advocating for legislation (Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Act of 2022) and for annual funding for the hotline’s operations. We will continue to advocate for annual federal funding for the hotline.
Federal Grants to States
MMHLA led efforts to establish a program that provides federal funding to states to establish and operate maternal mental health programs. This program was created by Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act (2015), which provided funding for seven states for FY2018-FY2022. This program was reauthorized by Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Act (2022), which expanded funding to 12 states in FY2023. We will continue to advocate for annual federal funding for these state grants.
National Task Force and Strategy
MMHLA supported the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act (2022), which established a national maternal mental health task force and strategy. MMHLA Executive Director Adrienne Griffen is a member of the Task Force.
#2: Supporting Populations Facing Systemic Barriers
Support for Military Mothers
MMHLA is advocating for several programs to support military mothers, who experience maternal mental health conditions at significantly higher rates than the general population (source). Advocacy efforts include adding maternal mental health as a priority research area within the military; implementing a psychiatry access line in the Department of Defense; and expanding group pregnancy models and prevention programs through the military’s TRICARE health system.
Support for Black Mothers
MMHLA supports the Black Maternal Health Momnibus, a series of bills that comprehensively address every driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States.
#3: Ensuring Universal Patient Education and Screening
Perinatal Mental Health Education and Screening Project
MMHLA is leading a multi-year multi-disciplinary collaborative effort to ensure all pregnant and postpartum people are educated about and screened for maternal mental health disorders and connected with resources for recovery. Phase I focused on developing a framework for when to provide patient education and screening. Phase II is addressing barriers to implementing the framework. Learn More.