Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force

The Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force was founded in February 2007 by Special Counsel/Legislative Analyst, Kimberly Wong, following her personal experience with severe postpartum depression. The Task Force is a coalition composed of over 35 public and private non-profit agencies as well community leaders, research partners, advocates for mothers, infants, and families, survivors of maternal depression and affected family members. Through its programs and initiatives, the Task Force aims to: (1) Raise public awareness of the disorder so that women who are suffering are not ashamed or embarrassed to seek help; (2) Increase perinatal depression screening and referral rates among community and health care providers; and (3) Advocate for legislation that supports the identification and treatment of perinatal depression. Since its inception, the Task Force has: *Obtained the dedication of May of every year as Perinatal Depression Awareness Month throughout Los Angeles County and the state of California. *Distributed over 800,000 Speak Up When You're Down: Six Things Every New Mom and Mom-to-Be Should Know About Maternal Depression posters and brochures (available in 7 languages). *Developed a Training & Technical Assistance program that has delivered tailored perinatal mood disorder trainings to over 1,500 health care and community-based providers. *Published a Community Providers Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit, which includes information and handouts on the signs, symptoms, risk factors, effects, screening, assessment, prevention, and intervention for perinatal depression and related mood and anxiety disorders for providers. *Launched an innovative, first of its kind, pilot project with USC-Eisner Family Medicine to implement an IMPACT model in which perinatal mental health is embedded in primary care visits both for screening and intervention. *Co-sponsored ACR 53 (Hernandez), the Kelly Abraham Martinez Act, which urges hospital providers, mental health care providers, health plans, and insurers to invest resources to educate women about perinatal depression risk factors and triggers. The Task Force is a project of 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor, Community Partners.