· Job Title: Clinical Director,  Midwifery Collective

· Location: Portland, Oregon

· Age: 42

· Education: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

· Years in Role: 8

· Organization Type: Urban, independent midwifery group practice

· Team Size: 10 midwives, 4 support staff, 1 mental health consultant (contracted)

· Improve holistic perinatal care outcomes for all birthing people

· Center equity in maternal health by closing care gaps for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ clients

· Meet licensing/accreditation standards for integrated mental health screening

· Streamline clinic workflows without overwhelming staff

· Offer trauma-informed, relationship-based care

· No time or structure for consistent mental health screening

· Staff are unsure how to interpret screening scores or make referrals

· Existing EHR doesn’t support smooth PMAD workflows

· Patients often disclose distress after birth or in crisis

· Limited budget for training or hiring in-house behavioral health

· A clear, done-for-you mental health screening program

· Evidence-based tools and training that fit their care model

· Help with documentation, workflow integration, and referral maps

· Affordable consulting options—ideally grant-eligible or reimbursable

· To partner with someone who understands midwifery care and honors autonomy

· “We know PMADs are real, but we don’t have a system in place.”

· “My midwives care deeply—we just need a framework that’s realistic.”

· “Our clients have complex lives. Screening needs to reflect that.”

· “We’re trying to do the right thing, but we need support.”

· Listens to: Evidence Based Birth® Podcast, Midwifery Wisdom Collective

· Attends: ACNM conference, Postpartum Support International events

· Follows: @DrMidwife, @TheBlackMidwife, @PostpartumSupportIntl

· Reads: Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, Motherly, Stat News

· Personalized cold email with a free download or checklist

· Speaking events/webinars focused on midwifery mental health screening

· LinkedIn or professional listservs (e.g., ACNM, PSI groups)

· Referral from peer practices or public health partners

· Job Title: Quality Improvement Manager

· Organization: Providence Unity Medical Center – Women & Infants Division

· Location: Seattle, Washington

· Age: 39

· Education: Master of Public Health (MPH), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ)

· Years in Role: 6

· Hospital Type: Large nonprofit health system

· Team Size: Leads a QI team of 5, works cross-functionally with OB, L&D, NICU, and behavioral health units

· Reduce maternal morbidity and readmissions

· Improve screening compliance for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs)

· Achieve Joint Commission and CMS quality benchmarks

· Integrate behavioral health metrics into EHR dashboards

· Advance equity-focused care outcomes for BIPOC families

· Support front-line staff without overburdening workflows

· Lack of standardized PMAD screening protocol across units

· Screening tools are inconsistently administered or scored

· Behavioral health follow-up isn’t well-tracked or documented

· Resistance from clinical staff who feel “it’s not their role”

· Pressure from executive leadership to improve maternal health scores without added costs

· A plug-and-play screening program that aligns with hospital QI goals

· Tools and metrics she can report to leadership and funders

· Training materials that support busy OB and nursing staff

· Help navigating Medicaid reimbursement and risk-adjusted coding

· Evidence-based, trauma-informed solutions—not just checkboxes

· “We screen for everything else—why are we dropping the ball on maternal mental health?”

· “My job is to improve outcomes, but we need a sustainable model.”

· “If it’s not integrated into Epic, it won’t happen consistently.”

· “We want to do this right—not just do it to tick a box.”

· Attends: Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) forums, National Perinatal Association meetings

· Follows: @IHI, @CommonwealthFnd, @MarchofDimes, @MMHLA

· Reads: Health Affairs, NEJM Catalyst, JAMA, Becker’s Hospital Review

· LinkedIn groups: Hospital Quality & Safety Professionals, Women’s Health Leadership Forum

· Professional cold email with performance improvement focus

· Introduce via LinkedIn message with a resource: “5 Screening Metrics Your CMO Will Thank You For”

· Invitation to speak on a quality-focused webinar panel

· Executive summary PDF of screening program outcomes (1-pager)

· Job Title: State Maternal Health Program Officer

· Organization: Oregon Health Authority – Maternal and Child Health Section

· Location: Salem, Oregon

· Age: 45

· Education: MSW (Social Work), MPH (Maternal & Child Health emphasis)

· Years in Role: 5

· Team Size: Leads a cross-disciplinary team of 8 program analysts, epidemiologists, and liaisons

· Jurisdiction: Oversees maternal health grants, state-funded initiatives, partnerships, and equity programs

· Reduce maternal mortality and morbidity across all regions of the state

· Ensure all birthing people receive equitable, culturally-competent care

· Expand access to mental health screening and services statewide

· Coordinate across agencies, Medicaid, FQHCs, and perinatal networks

· Distribute federal funding (HRSA, Title V, MMH grants) to impactful programs

· Generate actionable data to influence policy, budgets, and legislation

· Disparities persist in rural and BIPOC communities despite statewide efforts

· Many grantees don’t prioritize PMAD screening or data collection

· Legislative pressure to “show outcomes” without adequate infrastructure

· Constant staff turnover and slow bureaucratic timelines

· Complex stakeholder environments and competing priorities

· Partners who bring ready-to-implement screening solutions

· Programs that align with national goals (e.g., HHS, CDC, MMHLA)

· Clear metrics, deliverables, and reporting tools

· Training options that support statewide equity and workforce development

· Grant-eligible services with a proven track record of implementation success

· Messaging she can take “upstream” to legislators and “downstream” to grantees

· “We need partners who can bridge the gap between policy and practice.”

· “Screening is one thing—referral and follow-up are another.”

· “This has to work in both Portland and Pendleton.”

· “We can’t just keep funding awareness—we need real infrastructure.”

· “I need data I can show to legislators and a model that scales.”

· Attends: AMCHP, CityMatCH, ASTHO, MMHLA Advocacy Day, MCH symposiums

· Follows: @Policy4Moms, @BlackMamasMatter, @AMCHP_Gov, @WhiteHouseMCH

· Reads: MCH Journal, Health Affairs, State Policy Reports

· Participates in: State Medicaid Task Forces, Health Equity Workgroups, MMRC panels

· Personal introduction via mutual partner or fellow grantee

· Targeted email showing how your services align with her grant goals

· 1-pager PDF on “Statewide Screening Models that Work”

· Offer a briefing or strategic planning session as a no-cost consultation

· Speak at state public health webinars or coalition meetings

· Job Title: Certified Postpartum Doula (Independent Contractor)

· Business Name: Nurture & Nest Doula Services

· Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

· Age: 33

· Education & Training: Certified by DONA International; additional training in trauma-informed care, breastfeeding support, and perinatal mental health

· Client Base: Serves 6–8 families/month, primarily BIPOC, Medicaid, and first-time parents

· Experience: 7 years working as a doula, including birth and postpartum

· Support physical and emotional recovery after childbirth

· Help clients build confidence, reduce overwhelm, and feel seen

· Identify early signs of PMADs and provide trauma-informed care

· Offer referrals and resources that meet clients where they are

· Advocate for community-based models of postpartum care

· Build a sustainable business without compromising care values

· Unsure how to formally screen for PMADs—uses gut instinct

· Lacks access to professional, validated screening tools

· Clients often confide mental health struggles, but she’s not a therapist

· Doesn’t know how to “document” concerns in a way that is useful

· Limited income—can’t afford expensive continuing education or licensing fees

· Feels isolated professionally, not connected to larger healthcare system

· A simple, trusted screening tool she can use with her clients

· A way to offer mental health screening without acting like a clinician

· Free or low-cost tools to use in her postpartum visits

· A referral guide with vetted therapists and community programs

· Professional validation and recognition for her survivor-informed role

· “I’m not a therapist, but I know when something isn’t right.”

· “Moms tell me things they don’t tell their providers.”

· “I need something I can use that won’t scare families off.”

· “My people need care that looks like *us*—not another handout in English only.”

· “I’m just trying to keep folks from falling through the cracks.”

· Attends: Birth workers Alliance meetings, DONA workshops, community perinatal circles

· Listens to: The Birth Hour, Latina to Latina, Doula Podcast

· Follows: @DoulaLatina, @PostpartumHealingLounge, @PerinatalWellnessProject

· Uses: Instagram, Facebook Groups for doulas, WhatsApp peer chats

· Reads: Mothering, Reproductive Justice Journal, Postpartum Support materials

· Instagram DM or shared story with free tool download

· Local doula networks, training cohorts, or WhatsApp study groups

· Free training or workshop on PMAD screening for non-clinicians

· Physical “Doula Deck” of conversation prompts she can carry

· Spanish-English bilingual flyers with QR codes to screening tools

· Job Title: Perinatal Wellness Practitioner & Birthworker

· Business Name: Rooted Kin Collective

· Location: Oakland, California

· Age: 37

· Gender Identity: Transmasculine, nonbinary (they/he)

· Certifications: Full-spectrum doula, trauma-informed perinatal peer support, lactation educator, harm-reduction care specialist

· Client Base: Primarily trans, queer, and BIPOC birthing people—Medicaid, sliding scale, and community care model

· Years in Practice: 10

· Provide gender-affirming, inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ families

· Normalize the experience of trans & nonbinary pregnancy and postpartum

· Create safer systems through community-centered care and training

· Offer trauma-informed, culturally rooted mental health screening practices

· Support clients in naming, understanding, and responding to PMAD symptoms

· Reduce gatekeeping and medical mistrust in reproductive spaces

· Traditional PMAD screening tools are gendered, heteronormative, and alienating

· Most provider networks don’t understand trans birthing experiences

· Clients fear being pathologized, dismissed, or reported for being “too emotional”

· No central hub for affirming mental health referrals or screening protocols

· Funding is limited; most services are volunteer-led or grant-based

· Systemic racism, transphobia, and ableism compound daily barriers to care

· Screening tools that use inclusive language and account for trauma histories

· A referral system that understands intersectional queer/trans realities

· Trans-led training materials for PMAD awareness in LGBTQIA+ communities

· Downloadable, free resources to use during prenatal and postpartum sessions

· Collaborative partnerships with affirming orgs, doulas, and clinics

· To be respected as a subject matter expert, not treated as a “niche” provider

· “We’ve been birthing forever—medicine just hasn’t caught up.”

· “It’s not that we’re high risk, it’s that we’re high-resistance.”

· “Don’t hand me another ‘mommy mental health’ brochure.”

· “I need a tool that speaks to my clients, not for them.”

· “Our grief, our rage, our joy—it all deserves space.”

· Attends: QTPOC Birthworker gatherings, NBJC trainings, Trans Fertility Conf., SOGI health symposia

· Follows: @QueerBirthProject, @BlackTransHealth, @PostpartumSupportIntl, @AstraeaFund

· Reads: Rewire News, Transgender Studies Quarterly, Journal of GLMA

· Connects via: Signal, Instagram, in-person healing circles, Slack channels, Patreon content

· Direct message via Instagram or community Signal group

· Speak at LGBTQIA+ perinatal care roundtables or teach-ins

· Offer co-branded downloads with affirming tools and language

· Host a collaborative webinar: “Rethinking PMAD Screening Through a Queer Lens”

· 1-page PDF: “Inclusive PMAD Screening for Queer & Trans Birthing Folks”

· Job Title: Pediatrician & Partner

· Practice Name: Riverbend Pediatrics

· Location: Aurora, Illinois (Chicago metro area)

· Age: 46

· Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)

· Affiliations: Advocate Health, Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

· Patient Panel: 1,800+ children (birth–18); 40% publicly insured

· Years in Practice: 15

· Provide comprehensive, compassionate care to children and their families

· Integrate behavioral and maternal mental health support during early well-child visits

· Screen effectively for postpartum depression at 1-, 2-, and 4-month checkups

· Collaborate with OB/GYNs and social workers to support the whole family

· Comply with AAP Bright Futures guidelines and Medicaid requirements for PMAD screening

· Avoid liability and follow-through issues from undocumented maternal distress

· Doesn’t feel equipped to screen mothers—his focus is pediatric care

· No formal system in place for PMAD screening during baby visits

· Unsure what to do when a parent screens positive—lack of follow-up workflows

· Time constraints: can’t add more to well-child visit without support

· Medicaid billing is confusing and inconsistent in Illinois

· Wants to help, but fears opening a “Pandora’s box” with nowhere to refer

· A pediatric-friendly, plug-and-play maternal screening protocol

· Education for staff on administering & scoring tools

· A referral map with trusted providers and warm handoff processes

· EMR-ready documentation templates that meet AAP and Medicaid audit standards

· Materials he can hand parents discreetly—bilingual, judgment-free

· Someone he can consult with to review and update workflows quarterly

· “If Mom isn’t okay, the baby won’t be either.”

· “We’re seeing more and more distress in the early months.”

· “We want to screen, but it can’t fall on me alone.”

· “If I identify a problem, I need a place to send them—not just a score.”

· “How do I bill for this without getting flagged in an audit?”

· Attends: Illinois AAP webinars, Advocate Health CME, Lurie Children’s trainings

· Follows: @AmerAcadPeds, @ILPediatrics, @PSIOrg

· Reads: Pediatrics, AAP News, Contemporary Pediatrics, Illinois Medicaid Bulletins

· Platforms: EMR dashboards, AAP Portal, LinkedIn, Doximity

· Email with subject line: “Pediatric-Friendly PMAD Screening Tool for IL Medicaid Compliance”

· 1-page summary of PMAD screening billing codes (specific to Illinois)

· Offer to host a 30-minute virtual lunch & learn for his practice staff

· PDF: “PMAD Red Flags for Pediatricians – What to Watch For at Well Visits”

· A case study: “How One Illinois Pediatric Clinic Added Screening Without Adding Time”