Each May we are reminded of the importance of Mental Health Awareness. Learn more about how to turn mental health awareness into action from our medical directors and browse relevant learning opportunities and resources below.

Maternal Mental Health Week is an important event recognized nationally May 5-11, but for perinatal health care providers, its significance is recognized year-round. 

The importance of mental health among perinatal women cannot be overstated. In addition to affecting the life of the mother, research has demonstrated that perinatal mental health disorders have been shown to increase the risk for psychological and developmental concerns in their children as well.

As a Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program (PPAP), MC3 helps equip providers in Michigan to support the needs of perinatal patients by:

• Educating front-line providers on the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental health conditions
• Consulting with providers on complex cases
• Referring providers to local resources for their patients
• Directly supporting perinatal women through our Infant Mental Health-informed Perinatal Patient Care services, offered in select counties

While much progress has been made toward supporting the mental health of mothers and perinatal women, gaps in care still remain. Learn more about the current state of maternal mental health in Michigan in the infographic below.

Sources: 1) James D. Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs are Addressing the Gap in Maternal Mental Health Care — Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance: MMHLA. Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance: MMHLA. https://www.mmhla.org/articles/perinatal-psychiatry-access-programsnbsp-closing-the-gap-in-maternal-mental-health-care. September 13, 2024. 2) Burkhard, J., Murphy C., Childers, A. Maternal Mental Health Dark Zones- Counties with the Highest Risk and Lowest Resources Revealed. Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. https://www.2020mom.org/us-maternal-mental-health-dark-zones-revealed. November 2023. 3) High risk/lowest Resource County List. Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. https://policycentermmh.org/high-risk-lowest-resource-county-list/. November 2023. 4) PRAMS reports. https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv/childrenfamilies/prams/reports. 2022. 5) Trost SL, Beauregard J, Njie F, et al. Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 36 U.S. States, 2017-2019. CDC, US Dept of Health and Human Services. 2022.

Perinatal health care providers in Michigan are invited to sign up for MC3 psychiatric services at the link below.

As many as one in five women experience depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition during pregnancy or in the year after birth. Although effective treatments exist, many women don’t receive them.

To better understand what maternal mental health looks like across the U.S., the research team at the University of Michigan Perinatal Mental Health Services and Policy Program created a visual maternal mental health dashboard and maternal mental health profiles for all U.S. states. The team hopes that this information offers policymakers and maternal mental health advocates an evidence-based way to support pregnant and postpartum families in the future.

“Before we can fix a problem, we need to better describe it,” says Dr. Kara Zivin, the program’s director and the Marcia A. Valenstein, M.D., Collegiate Professor of Psychiatry. “We are proud and excited to offer these resources as a pathway to more informed problem-solving for the U.S. maternal health crisis.”

MC3 now offers no-cost child psychiatry consultations to providers at select emergency department (ED) partner sites in Michigan. Consultations include guidance on diagnosis, medication, behavioral interventions, suicide risk assessments, safety planning, and local resources post-discharge for pediatric patients. Through these consultations, MC3 aims to serve the urgent need for improved support for youth within hospital settings. 

Expanding these services to select ED sites was made possible by a recent Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant awarded to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS). Pilot sites include Munson Healthcare emergency rooms in Northwest Michigan. 

“Our goals with this expanded service are to support emergency room staff in managing the complexities of pediatric behavioral crises, to offer critical aid during boarding situations, and to collaboratively address pediatric mental health care demands and anticipate further improvements,” said Sheila Marcus, M.D., MC3 Pediatric Medical Director. “We hope that this service supports our ER colleagues as well as families awaiting critical higher levels of care. and We look forward to learning together during this pilot phase.”

Learn more about MC3’s Emergency & Crisis Services Consultation below.

As pediatric providers and prescribers, you are the first line of defense in health care for children, which includes mental and behavioral health. By becoming knowledgeable on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of behavioral health disorders such as autism, you can be better equipped to provide resources and support to your patients and ensure they receive the comprehensive care they need.

Learn more about the importance of Autism Acceptance Month below.

Every year in March, during Social Work Month, our team is reminded of the importance of social workers. Many of you likely know or work alongside social workers, or you may be a social worker yourself, so you understand the significant positive impact they have on both the lives of individuals and communities as a whole.

Social workers also are incredibly important to our program. They have been integral not just to the creation of MC3, but to the ongoing success and growth of our services. MC3 would not exist without the efforts and expertise of social workers. Because they turned their compassion into action by becoming social workers, our team was also able to turn our compassion for pediatric and perinatal patients into action through our psychiatric services and resources. 

With social workers on the frontlines of our program as Regional Behavioral Health Consultants (BHCs) and Perinatal BHCs, as well as leading and guiding the program as our Program Director, Program Manager, and admin team members, social workers have become instrumental to our practices and the driving force behind our work. They’ve played an integral role in MC3’s ability to provide psychiatric guidance and support to thousands of providers across Michigan, who, as a result, are able to more confidently treat thousands of patients’ mental and behavioral health concerns. 

During Social Work Month, we invite you to join us in thanking the social workers on your team and in your life. As the theme of this year’s Social Work month is Compassion + Action, consider giving thanks through compassion by reflecting on their critical and profound roles, and through action by explicitly acknowledging their contributions and showing gratitude. 

On behalf of everyone on the MC3 team, we graciously thank the social workers on our team for making our program what it is today, and for continuing to drive our efforts forward.

Thank you to all social workers for devoting your lives to helping others!

To better understand prenatal care delivery in Michigan, Obstetrics Initiative (OBI) is developing a MOM MAP, or Multisite Opportunities for Michigan: Maternal Health Assets in Prenatal Care. This is the first comprehensive report on prenatal social needs practices in Michigan. This work is supported by a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan CQIO reserve fund.

OBI wants to hear from you!

Clinicians and administrators engaged in outpatient prenatal care delivery in Michigan can contact Briaa Baldwin, MPH, MOM MAP and PHE Project Intermediate Manager, at [email protected] to learn more about how to participate in this report.

We have added two new videos on the topics of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Eating Disorders to the Clinical Pearls Video Series.

Each of the 7 videos in this series covers the assessment and management of common pediatric behavioral health conditions in 15-25 minute sessions.

View the entire Clinical Pearls Video Series below.

The MC3 team created a web-based 2024 Annual Report to share the growth of their program and impact of their services from the past year in one place. View the report below.

The MC3 team continues to grow! This fall, MC3 welcomed two new additions to their consulting psychiatrist and Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) teams. Learn more about these new team members below.

Marta Galecki, M.D.

Consulting Psychiatrist

Dr. Marta Galecki is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at Michigan Medicine. She received her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College then went on to complete a general psychiatry residency, child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, and infant psychiatry fellowship. She also completed a master’s degree in development at the University of Cambridge. 

Dr. Galecki is now available to provide pediatric psychiatric consultations to our providers.

Jessica Showalter, LLMSW

Behavioral Health Consultant

Jessica Showalter, LLMSW, serves as the BHC for the northern Michigan counties of Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Otsego, Roscommon, and Wexford. In this position, Jessica assists and supports MC3-enrolled providers in the treatment of pediatric patients with behavioral and mental health concerns. Providers can find her contact information on our Regional BHC contact page. 

Jessica has worked in the mental health field since 2012, beginning as a Behavioral Health Specialist in the Navy. Her experience spans diverse settings, including inpatient and outpatient care, substance use disorder programs, nonprofit work, and private practice, where she has worked with clients of all ages. Jessica recently earned her master’s degree in social work from Spring Arbor University and is now pursuing a certification in play therapy in addition to maintaining a small private practice caseload focused on children.

 Welcome to the team, Dr. Galecki and Jessica!