Pregnant and postpartum women face many challenges. Some of the most difficult obstacles include depression and anxiety. It can be hard to find help during these mental health struggles. Taney County Health Department (TCHD) noticed this need. To help parents with these hardships, TCHD partnered with Mammha. Mammha is a mental health screening tool designed for pregnant and postpartum women with newborns up to one year old. The “mmh” in Mammha (pronounced like “Mama”) stands for Maternal Mental Health. This resource was developed by physicians and moms for healthcare providers to screen, refer, support, and educate women in times of poor mental health. This resource is also available for fathers.
Each of our eligible Taney County WIC participants complete a mental health screening upon arrival for their first appointment. If the participant screens positive for mental health concerns, a Mammha Care Coordinator will reach out to them via text within 24 hours. Mammha helps connect parents to care, including individual or group therapy (in person or via telehealth), medication management, and access to their free mobile app. The Care Coordinator will continually follow up with the participant for up to a year, unless the choose to opt out. Services can be billed to insurance or medicaid.
Mammha is not just for those who screen positive, everyone who completes the initial screening will be contacted by a Care Coordinator for periodic check-ins via text until one year postpartum.
TCHD is proud to offer Mammha to WIC participants. It is important to make mental health services for accessible and reduce the stigma surrounding needing help.