Alliance Alert: Here’s an update on the attached work of an interdisciplinary Maternal Mental Health Workgroup led by OMH that Senator Samra Brouk and the legislature mandated the state to study and make recommendations related to maternal mental health, including perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. Mental health conditions and substance use are leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths among New Yorkers, according to state and city data. That means maternal mental health is a crucial target for policymakers trying to improve maternal mortality and morbidity rates, especially among vulnerable populations.
State-Led Workgroup Lays Out a Maternal Mental Health Policy Road Map
The maternal health workgroup was a product of the 2023-24 state budget.
By Katelyn Cordero and Maya Kaufman Politico November 6, 2025
The workgroup’s recommendations focus on fostering collaboration between different kinds of health care providers who treat pregnant and postpartum patients with behavioral health concerns
ALBANY, New York — A workgroup charged with addressing maternal mental health wants the state to better publicize existing resources and expand specialized programs that tackle substance use in addition to mental health concerns.
The report by the state’s maternal mental health workgroup, which was established by the 2023-2024 budget and shared exclusively with POLITICO, lays out a two-year policy blueprint that can be accomplished with current resources and a list of more aspirational considerations.
The workgroup’s recommendations focus on fostering collaboration between different kinds of health care providers who treat pregnant and postpartum patients with behavioral health concerns, while expanding the kinds of providers who can screen for and address mental health and substance use disorders.
Specific recommendations include:
- Promote the state’s Project TEACH program, which offers clinicians free support on treating perinatal or pediatric patients’ mental health concerns, and make its consultations billable under Medicaid.
- Scale up existing peer support programs and assess the feasibility of training peer specialists to screen clients for maternal mental health and substance use issues.
- Amplify awareness and use of the Medicaid doula benefit and publicize harm reduction training opportunities for doulas.
- Expand the HealthySteps program — which provides care for children up to 3 years old — statewide.
- Develop and disseminate specialized maternal mental health trainings for counselors who answer calls and messages to the 988 suicide and crisis hotline.
“By taking a close look at the needs of birthing people, we can ensure they have access to critical mental health supports and improve outcomes for them and their children — especially among populations most at risk,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
The workgroup is led by the state Office of Mental Health and includes representatives from the Department of Health and the Office of Children and Family Services, in addition to subject matter experts, health care practitioners and maternal mental health advocates.
Why it matters: Mental health conditions and substance use are leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths among New Yorkers, according to state and city data. That means maternal mental health is a crucial target for policymakers trying to improve maternal mortality and morbidity rates, especially among vulnerable populations.
Black New Yorkers are five times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes as their white, non-Hispanic peers and are more likely to experience mental health challenges after giving birth. Hispanic New Yorkers are also disproportionately affected by maternal mental health challenges but are less likely to have their symptoms acknowledged by a health care provider, according to the workgroup’s report.
Nationally, about 75 percent of patients with postpartum depression go undiagnosed and untreated, the report notes.
“This report shows areas where improvement is needed in our state and starts the discussion on how to best address inequities that are placing some New Yorkers at greater risk,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Sullivan said in a statement.
What’s next: The 2025-2026 budget is already supporting several initiatives that align with the report’s recommendations, such as an $850,000 expansion of the evidence-based psychiatric collaborative care model in counties with higher-than-average maternal mortality rates. Later this month, the Office of Mental Health is hosting virtual roundtable discussions on maternal mental health stigma and support programs and solutions for birthing people.