The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Celebrates 3 Years of Service

Three years ago, on Mother’s Day 2022, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA) launched in the United States, providing a valuable resource to mothers experiencing maternal mental health conditions. The Hotline plays an important role in addressing the maternal mortality crisis in our country given that mental health conditions are a leading cause of maternal mortality, accounting for 22% of pregnancy-related deaths.

The Hotline is a free, call or text resource that is staffed by trained counselors including: mental health providers, certified peer specialists, and maternal-infant health professionals such as doulas and lactation consultants. All are certified in perinatal mental health. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they provide support, encouragement, information, and connections to resources for recovery. Services are in English and Spanish, and translation is also available in 60 languages. 

Women experiencing maternal mental health conditions face many challenges in accessing care. Although pregnant and postpartum mothers see a medical provider often during pregnancy (obstetric providers) and the first year postpartum (pediatric providers), these health care professionals are not always trained in identifying and treating perinatal mental health conditions. 

Navigating the complex mental health system can be difficult, especially if the parent is already overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. Additionally, there are other barriers parents face, including lack of time off from work, transportation, and childcare. The Hotline helps address these challenges. Help-seekers can access the Hotline anytime, anywhere, and they are connected with counselors in less than a minute.

“Having a new baby can be joyful, but it can also be stressful and exhausting. New mothers often feel isolated and overwhelmed by the responsibility of keeping a new baby alive. Night and day blur together in a never-ending cycle of caring for a newborn,” says Adrienne Griffen, MPP, Executive Director of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) and a mom of three children. “This is why it was critical that we create a resource that can be accessed by phone or text, day or night — not just during a prenatal or postpartum check-up.”

Since its launch, the Hotline has been utilized by over 60,000 people, serving pregnant and postpartum women and their loved ones. From October 2024 through December 2024, most people (about 73%) called the Hotline for themselves during the postpartum period, indicating that women are reaching out for help more frequently after delivery.

One mother who contacted the Hotline said, “I've never called a hotline before. I called because I have been having a really hard time postpartum — lots of crying and I don't feel like myself. I had the most amazing experience. I was actually really surprised. The counselor was so warm and welcoming. She helped me understand what was going on and that I wasn't doing anything wrong. We talked about what could help, and she got me connected with more supports in my community and with a therapist. I felt so relieved and so much better after we talked. I wish I had called sooner.”

Another mother shared that she “...was in such a mental health crisis days after having my daughter that I called the Hotline. I remember the woman staying on the phone with me for an extended amount of time, maybe 45 minutes to an hour supporting me and listening to me. I do remember her giving me guidance. Later that day, I was in line at the pharmacy, and I got a text from the Hotline checking on me. I don’t remember the conversation, but I remember the genuine care and concern I received. That moment of receiving that text has popped in my memory a fair amount of times since recovering, and I am so thankful for that support I received.”

In addition to serving pregnant and postpartum women, the Hotline has also proved to be valuable for providers who need a credible and comprehensive resource to give to their patients. One mental health counselor shared that the Hotline “...is a valuable resource that is quite literally life-saving. I have personally referred many mothers and families to the Hotline. This is one of my #1 resources given to my clients.”

Building a resource this specialized, effective, and accessible was not an easy task. Establishing a resource of this level required a significant amount of funding. The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) — a nonprofit dedicated to national policy solutions that address maternal mental health — led an advocacy campaign in 2020 urging Congress to fund the Hotline. MMHLA was successful, securing $3 million in federal funding to launch the Hotline in 2022. Every year since then, MMHLA leads an advocacy campaign to continue securing federal funding to keep the Hotline in operation.

“Someone had to step up and make sure federal dollars were making their way back to maternal mental health care,” says MMHLA’s Founder and Director of Policy and Partnerships, Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, who is a mom of two daughters. “Before MMHLA formed in 2019, no one was focusing on maternal mental health at the federal level. This issue needed an advocate, and who better than a group of moms to make it happen.”

Each year, MMHLA leads advocacy efforts to ensure the Hotline is funded by the federal government. MMHLA leadership works to create bipartisan support and alignment at the highest level of government on this critical issue. 

The anniversary of the Hotline is an important reminder that our collective advocacy has the power to create life-saving resources that are available to everyone, regardless of economic status, zip code, race, or religion.