ASAM Joins Mental Health Liaison Group in Support of the Moms Matter Act

On August 23^rd, ASAM joined with a coalition of 45 partner organizations to send a letter to the leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in support of the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Additionally, the Moms Matter Act would empower the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to expand and diversify the maternal mental health care workforce.

In the letter, the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) cited a range of statistics about the current state of maternal mental health, underscoring the need for congressional action. Specifically, the MHLG letter highlighted that 1 in every 5 mothers experience maternal mental health conditions. Among this group, mothers of color are less likely to seek treatment services for maternal mental health conditions. Mothers of color are also less likely to continue treatment or refill prescriptions for mental health conditions. These disturbing trends exacerbate the disproportionate mental health burden that mothers of color face. To address these issues, the MHLG outlined how the Moms Matter Act would advance increased equity in maternal mental health. The Moms Matter Act would fortify existing systems while expanding the reach of maternal mental health services in underserved communities. The proposed legislation would also champion a culturally congruent framework, tailoring maternal mental services to unique needs of different communities.