Task Force on Maternal Mental Health
Co-led by the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the task force identifies, evaluates, and makes recommendations to coordinate and improve activities related to addressing maternal mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use disorders.
Purpose
Congress directed the task force to evaluate federal maternal mental health care programs and identify a set of evidence-based, evidence-informed, and promising practices for implementation across the country, with a focus on mental health equity and trauma-informed practices.
Areas of Focus
- Data, Research, Quality Improvement, and Health Equity
- Prevention, Screening, and Diagnosis
- Evidence-based Intervention and Treatment
- Evidence-based Community Practices
- Communications and Community Engagement
Task Force Announcements
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces Maternal Mental Health Task Force’s National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care Amid Urgent Public Health Crisis
- National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care
- Report to Congress
- Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions From the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health – closed on February 8, 2024.
Members
Co-Chairs
Admiral Rachel Levine, M.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Health
Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
Task Force Leadership
Dorothy Fink, M.D., HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health and Director, Office on Women's Health
Nima Sheth M.D. M.P.H., Senior Medical Advisor and Associate Administrator for Women’s Services (AAWS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The task force includes federal and nonfederal members, including those with lived experience. SAMHSA and the OWH are collaborating to implement the task force using the existing SAMHSA Advisory Committee for Women’s Services (ACWS).