Washington, DC – As first reported in POLITICO, today, on the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, Maternity Care Caucus co-chairs Young Kim (CA-40) and Robin Kelly (IL-02) led a bipartisan letter to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) urging for updates on the effectiveness of the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline and the the Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and Related Behavioral Health Disorders (MDRDB).
Read more in POLITICO here and read the full letter here.
Reps. Kim and Kelly were joined by Maternity Care Caucus Vice Chair Bonnie Watson Coleman and Reps. Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (PR-At Large), David Valadao (CA-22), Don Bacon (NE-02), Michael McCaul (TX-10), and Dan Newhouse (WA-04).
“As we see rising maternal mortality rates and the need for more maternal health and mental health resources, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline can be a vital resource for moms and moms-to-be to receive the resources they need,” said Congresswoman Kim. “We must ensure that laws passed by Congress are working as intended, which is why I am proud to work with Rep. Kelly to get updates on the effectiveness of the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. I will keep working on the Maternity Care Caucus to deliver results and support moms, future moms, and babies.”
“On the one year anniversary of the maternal mental health hotline, I am eager to hear from the HRSA about the reach and efficacy of recent efforts to address maternal mental health challenges. These services are especially important in light of heightened maternal mortality, morbidity, and mental health needs, disproportionately impacting communities of color, because of the pandemic. Congress must ensure that these services reach the communities that need them most. I am happy to join Rep. Kim as Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus to continue to advocate for the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies,” said Congresswoman Kelly.
