Call to Action for Washingtonians and Marylanders to Voice Maternal Mental Health Concerns to the US Congress
- Val Addams
- Feb 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 3
The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) is calling for civil societies in the United States to have an audience with their respective lawmakers. On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Marylanders and Washingtonians who are individual public health professionals & practitioners (medical doctors, nurses, lawyers, policy folks, regulatory affair professionals, doulas, CHWs, etc.); part of organizations (staff, board, volunteer, etc.); and community leaders (religious leaders, elders, youth leaders, etc.) & members with lived-experienced and/or who deliver services will be able to voice concerns to lawmakers virtually at the convenience of your office or home.
The Alliance will not only facilitate this audience but also prepare participants with best practices in communicating their personal or professional stories and present the local numbers. There is a small fee to participate in this activity but assistance to the rsvp fee is available. The deadline to register is Thursday the 19th. Make sure you contact The Alliance as soon as possible!
Advocacy activities are one of many ways of exercising constitutional rights and assisting all three branches (Congress, Judicial, and Executive) of our governments to prioritize, make, pass and sign federal laws into programs and funding allocation nationwide. In this federal advocacy activity, MMHLA focuses on the continuation of two programs vital for pregnant girls & women, as well as birthing people:
The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline that is accessible through text messages, phone-call, and web chat for individuals and family members to use during and after pregnancy, up to 4th trimester
The Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Program assists with screening, assessing, treating, and referring individuals to manage their mental health and substance abuse disorders
Marylanders and Washingtonians want to get their eyes on The Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Program for their senators, legislators, and delegates to sponsor the bill and allocate funding. From the author point of view who is a survivor of Gender Based Violence and a birth doula, the importance of this program is to assist women and girls who are pregnant since it is the most vulnerable time physically, physiologically, mentally, and financially.
This program connects individuals to assistance beyond healthcare and for an individual victim/survivor to live independently, free from interpersonal violence.
Gender is a factor that should be taken into account when it comes to interpersonal violence and substance use disorders. Research by Choo Esther et al. in 2015 has shown that barriers exist when it comes to accessing treatments for drug and alcohol use. But, everyone's voice will help for Congress to allocate funds that will be used to hire and train professionals, get technology and equipment, gain community based organizations as implementation partners, attract payors, and more – necessary for a program to run. Guidance from various professionals will make it easier for individuals to navigate the system toward re-building the life everyone deserves. Recovery is not only for those who live with mental health substance abuse but also for victims/survivors who may be mentally harmed by abusers and are looking for help.
In Washington, DC where Mandatory Arrest is a must in responding to domestic violence, Delegate Norton needs to be made aware of this protocol. Everyone's voice is equally crucial! Together we can move away from criminalization of people with mental illness. Instead, investing in rehabilitative care (in- and out-patient in community, clinics, and hospitals, or even virtual assistance using technology). National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) agrees that rehabilitative care is needed and it encourages public policy to invest in evidence-based solutions because it will also prevent homelessness. Women and girls with stable housing and a society that is free from violence can boost the local economy, per the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) via The US Chamber of Commerce.
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