Maternal mental health disorders affect up to one in five women during pregnancy and the postpartum period and are associated with significant consequences for mothers, infants, and families. Despite growing awareness and evidence-based screening recommendations, substantial gaps remain in screening, treatment access, workforce capacity, quality measurement, and reimbursement. This session will provide a national overview of the maternal mental health landscape, including current prevalence, clinical recommendations, quality measures, insurance coverage trends, and emerging federal and state policy initiatives. Participants will learn about barriers facing providers and patients, recent progress in expanding screening and treatment resources, and opportunities to improve outcomes through policy, payment reform, and quality improvement efforts. The session will also highlight state-level innovations and national strategies aimed at strengthening maternal mental health systems of care.

Speaker: Joy Burkhard, MBA

Joy Burkhard, MBA is the founder and Executive Director of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health – a policy and practice change non profit think tank, which has been named a ‘field catalyst’ by the Bridgespan Group. The Policy Center has been instrumental in writing and passing critical bi-partisan legislation at the federal and state levels. She also spent nearly 25 years working for a fortune 15 health insurance company, where she gained insights and ideas about how to transform the American health system. Joy has received numerous awards, including The American Public Health Association’s Maternal Child Health Leadership and Advocacy Award and The Emerging Leader Award in Women’s Health from the federal Health and Human Services Agency, Office of Women’s Health.