HB2666 for Maternal Mental Health

Wendy Davis from Baby Blues Connection and Postpartum Support International has been keeping us up-to-date on House Bill 2666. I want to pass on the information for those who are interested.

HB2666 is scheduled for a public hearing at the House Human Services Committee in Salem on Monday March 16 at 8:30 am. The house committee will comment on this bill and then send it on with their recommendations. They have given us more time to testify than usual, because they are sointerested in this bill. Come to Salem for the hearing - let's show the committee just how many of us support this measure.

On Thursday, March 5, the Oregon House voted unanimously on HJR15, a resolution that recognizes March 2009 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Oregon. The sponsor of the bill, Representative Carolyn Tomei (D-Milwaukee) is a great champion for maternal mental health, and in her house remarks she announced the upcoming companion bill, House Bill 2666, which would create a statewide taskforce to study Maternal Mental Health needs and resources in Oregon.

DETAILS: HB 2666 creates a collaborative statewide work group on perinatal mental health disorders within the Department of Human Services that will study the needs, best practices, and funding resources for improved care in Oregon, and report its findings back to the legislature. The bill is written to reflect the importance of including all stakeholders and addressing vulnerable populations across the state. Many public and private partners have already begun working together in Oregon to collaborate on creating better prevention and care systems for childbearing families. This legislation would bring in full support and visibility that will strengthen our work.

Full Text of the Task Force Bill - HR 2666 http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/hb2600.dir/hb2666.intro.pdf

Wendy Davis, PhD

Oregon Perinatal Legislation Committee Chair

http://www.postpartum.net/

http://www.babybluesconnection.org/