Author Archives: Karen Burns

Do you need mental health care but can’t find a specialist? Share this patient letter with your primary care provider to let them know how NC MATTERS can help. NC MATTERS operates in the state of North Carolina, and as such, this letter is intended only intended for patients and...

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) launched the Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and Related Behavioral Disorders (MDRBD) program to promote behavioral health integration in maternal health care by supporting the development and improvement of existing mental health care telehealth access programs....

We’re excited to share our first impact report, where you’ll see program activities, milestones, and feedback from providers who have used our services. NC MATTERS is responding to the needs of perinatal patients and their healthcare providers around North Carolina through our psychiatry access program. View the impact report here.

JBS International recently released a new infographic, which highlights the successes of NC MATTERS and RI MomsPRN in Rhode Island. Since September 2019, the NC MATTERS team has fielded 286 consultation calls from 38 counties across North Carolina. Find the infographic here.

Medical Director Mary Kimmel speaks with 97.9 The Hill about the stress that new and expectant mothers can face, and how that can impact symptoms of anxiety and depression. Kimmel said it can be very difficult to recognize or admit feelings of depression or anxiety at a time when moms...

Perinatal Psychiatry Access Programs address a critical public health issue through an innovative, creative, cost-effective approach to address mental health in frontline healthcare settings. Find the fact sheet from the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance here.

To address gaps in access to mental health care for perinatal women, Massachusetts created the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) for Moms to build the capacity of frontline medical providers to address PMH conditions by providing education, consultation, and resources and referrals. MCPAP for Moms has emerged as a...

The Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and Related Behavioral Disorders (MDRBD) program supports NC MATTERS and programs in six additional states to integrate behavioral health into maternal health care via telehealth. An update on program activities in Year 1, using preliminary data from September 2018 to September 2019, can...

Dr. Mary Kimmel is featured in this ABC 11 story about postpartum depression. Find the video here. “Postpartum depression…is a real thing. And it can be a dangerous thing. And I don’t think it’s talked about enough. And I don’t think that women in general know enough about it.”

Dr. Mary Kimmel is quoted in this Good Housekeeping article about people who give birth can navigate the postpartum recover period. “Give yourself space to feel whatever emotions you have, including grief or sadness. We go into birth with a lot of expectations, including some we don’t even realize we...