MMHLA Bids Farewell to Our Founder, Jamie Zahlaway Belsito
Hear from MMHLA Founder and Director of Policy & Partnerships, Jamie Zahlaway Belsito; Executive Director, Adrienne Griffen, MPP; and Board Chair, Lee Johnson III, PhD.
Jamie Zahlaway Belsito
Founder and Director of Policy & Partnerships, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA)
MMHLA was born out of necessity.
Mental health and substance use disorders are killing pregnant and postpartum women, and I was almost one of them.
After years of advocacy that helped secure the first federally funded maternal mental health program in 2016, I knew Washington needed something more — a permanent, national voice dedicated to ensuring maternal mental health remained a priority.
My goal was simple: to make sure no mother ever goes through what I went through. The fear. The shame. The guilt. The panic. The isolation. The desperation.
When I founded Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance in 2019, Adrienne Griffen joined as Executive Director and Kathryn Godburn Schubert as Board Chair. Together, we set out to build something that could create lasting change. What followed exceeded anything I could have imagined.
Over the last seven years, MMHLA has helped transform maternal mental health from a largely overlooked issue to a national policy priority. Working alongside legislative champions, advocates, clinicians, researchers, and families, we helped establish the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, expand state maternal mental health programs, elevate maternal mental health as a federal research priority, and support the mental health and well-being of our nation’s military mothers.
MMHLA has been grounded in the belief that maternal mental health is both a health issue and an equity issue. Across three presidential administrations and multiple sessions of Congress, MMHLA secured $125.5 million for federal programs and research that support all mothers and families nationwide, with particular consideration to underserved communities. Our initiatives continue to be fully funded and supported by elected officials from both sides of the aisle. This is a clear sign that our mission and work is succeeding.
Today, MMHLA is recognized as the leading maternal mental health policy organization in the country, supported by an exceptional staff, a dedicated Board of Directors, strong partners, and a growing national movement.
Upon reflection of this incredible journey and these accomplishments, I have decided it is time to leave MMHLA and to start my next chapter. Although this has been an extremely difficult decision, I am able to take the next step because the organization is strong, the mission is thriving, and the work is making a difference.
To Adrienne Griffen, our staff, Board, partners, legislative champions, advocates, and the families who trusted us with their stories — thank you! Building MMHLA has been the honor of a lifetime. Together, we changed the national conversation around maternal mental health and created lasting change that will benefit generations of mothers and families to come.
My commitment to improving the lives of women, children, and families remains as strong as ever. I can’t wait to see where MMHLA goes next!
Adrienne Griffen, MPP
Executive Director, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA)
I am incredibly proud and honored to have worked alongside Jamie for the last seven years at MMHLA, the organization that she founded to keep a “pedal to the metal” on national policy around maternal mental health.
With her amazing energy and vision, MMHLA has grown from a fledgling start-up to a powerhouse organization that has elevated maternal mental health to the national agenda. I salute Jamie for her many years of tireless dedication and selfless advocacy on behalf of women and families impacted by maternal mental health conditions.
The entire staff at MMHLA wishes Jamie much success as she begins her next adventure. She has been an exceptionally dedicated, hard-working, powerful advocate for maternal mental health for over a decade, and we know she will bring this same commitment and compassion to her future work. Jamie is the quintessential public servant, always putting others before herself, sacrificing time with her family to ensure that all mothers have access to the mental health care that they need and deserve.
Fair winds and following seas, Jamie! We know you will continue to do amazing things.
Lee Johnson III, PhD
Board Chair, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA)
Jamie has dedicated her career to championing a vision that ensures mothers, caregivers, and families have the support they need to thrive. She has used her lived experience to give voice to this issue, to create a role for maternal mental health advocates, to drive national policy, and to bring much-needed resources to the field.
Jamie’s leadership has helped shape MMHLA’s growth, strengthen the broader maternal mental health field, and elevate the voices and experiences of families nationwide. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am grateful for her service and partnership and look forward to the many ways she will continue to make a difference in the years ahead.
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