December 2023

Dear Friends,

On our issue, it has been both a heartbreaking and a hopeful year.

We saw horrible tragedies, times when the system left mothers and families behind – with varying levels of public awareness and support.

We’ve also seen exciting movement here in Massachusetts and nationally, including a recent gubernatorial report taking key steps to improve maternal health services, new federal funds for maternal mental health, and a new medication for postpartum depression.

Through it all, we are proud that the Mass. PPD Fund has played a key changemaking role here in our state – focused on our mission of awareness, training, and advocacy – including:

• Helping start and coordinate the Massachusetts Mind the Gap Coalition, moving forward critical legislation to increase and diversify the perinatal mental health workforce and invest in community-based organizations serving new parents;

• Increasing the ranks of highly trained, diverse providers addressing families’ needs through scholarships to the UMass Chan Medical School Fellowship in Early Relational Health and Strong Roots Counseling’s Birthing Healthier Families©: Post-Graduate Certificate for Use of CBT for Perinatal Emotional Complications;

• Being a voice for better care for new parents in news outlets including the Boston Globe, Boston 25 News, and Boston Public Radio;

• Making the link between birth justice and perinatal mental health, working in collaboration with leading advocates for midwifery and birth equity;

• Raising awareness and decreasing stigma through our Amplifying blog of survivors’ stories, and more!

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) remain the #1 complication of pregnancy, and suicide and overdose combined are the top cause of death in the first year postpartum. But most parents still don’t get screened or treated. We can and must do so much better, and the Fund is committed to doing our part, with your support.

Our ’24 plans include new scholarship programs, continuing advocacy, an exciting new series of trainings building on ‘22’s successful Expanding the Circle of Support in the Perinatal Period, and other initiatives.

But we need your financial support to make it happen. We hope you can make a large or small gift today. Even better, sign up to give monthly!

Thank you for your critical support and partnership. Happy holidays!

Best,

Jessie

Jessie Colbert

Executive Director