We continue to make strides in terms of increasing public awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, but we still have a long way to go when it comes to providing access to mental health professionals with expertise in this area. We are very excited about a new initiative. The MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health is now working collaboratively with the State of New York to provide educational materials and clinical support to providers in New York who care for pregnant and postpartum women through Project TEACH.
If you practice in New York, you have access to the free online resources provided by Project TEACH.
Project TEACH will also enable primary care providers to speak on the phone with perinatal psychiatrists so that providers can continue to build their capacity to care for pregnant and postpartum women with mood and anxiety disorders. Twice per week, one of our Perinatal Psychiatrists will staff a consultation forum via teleconference. (At this time, this opportunity is only available to NY providers.)
For more information and to register, please see the Project TEACH website: https://projectteachny.org/mmh/
This initiative is funded by the Office of Mental Health in New York and was launched in 2018 to improve the identification and management of maternal mental health issues. While leaders in the field and professional organizations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have emphasized the importance of identifying and treating women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, we continue to see women who are unable to access care from providers with expertise in this area. Our hope is that the resources provided by Project TEACH will help to train those who are working women and their families so this vulnerable population can receive the care they need.
Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD