The Shades of Motherhood Network has been awarded a state grant of $30,000 a year for up to 3 years to support mental health access for new parents.
SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane organization, The Shades of Motherhood Network (SOMN), has been awarded a grant by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to support mental health programming for families during and after pregnancy.
DOH says its Perinatal Mental Health Access and Capacity Building grant is provided through the Washington State Perinatal Collaborative and supports organizations that guide pregnant women and new parents to mental health care.
The Shades of Motherhood Network says its mission is “to ensure every Black mother, mother of color, and mother of an infant of color in the U.S. has a high-quality, culturally relevant childbirth experience.”
Grant funding will support SOMN in strengthening perinatal mental health systems for Black, Indigenous and other families of color through advanced workforce training and integrated care coordination. As a newly approved Birth Doula Training Center, SOMN seeks to empower doulas and peer support specialists with trauma-informed, culturally responsive skills while providing mentorship and pathways to sustainable careers.
DOH says SOMN was one of six organizations selected, and is being recognized for its crucial work with communities most affected by maternal health conditions, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety.
Grant recipients were also evaluated on their efforts to expand Medicaid access, strengthen provider workforce development, and improve care coordination to build sustainable support systems.
Each awardee will receive $30,000 a year for up to 3 years.
“We know from the recent Maternal Mortality Review Panel Report that the majority of pregnancy-related deaths are behavioral health-related – and most are preventable,” said Lacy Fehrenbach, Chief of Prevention, Safety and Health at DOH. “By investing in trusted community partners, DOH is finding new ways to help families get the mental health support they need during pregnancy and after birth.”
DOH says grant recipients were selected by a nine-person review committee that included members of the Washington State Perinatal Collaborative’s Perinatal Mental Health Taskforce and birth workers with experience in perinatal mental health.