As Mental Health Month winds down, the Taney County Health Department reminds parent of reasources available through the WIC Program.
The full release below is from the health department
This year for Mental Health Awareness Month, Taney County Health Department (TCHD) wants to shine a light on parental mental health needs. To help parents facing mental hardships, TCHD partners with Mammha. Mammha is a maternal mental health screening program designed for pregnant and postpartum women and fathers with newborns up to one year old. This resource is available to everyone through Mammha’s website and is utilized in Taney County by Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program participants. Since implementing Mammha at WIC appointments, over 400 parents have been screened, with 15% of those showing signs of mental health struggles. All year long, and especially during Mental Health Awareness Month, TCHD is grateful to offer and promote this resource to support the mental health needs of parents across Taney County.
“Mental health is a concern among new parents” states Tammy Drake, WIC Manager at TCHD. “Parenting is not easy and that stress can take a toll on one’s mind. Ensuring our clients know that real support is out there matters deeply to all our staff. It is everyone’s responsibility to reduce the stigma around asking for help with mental health.”
Each Taney County WIC participant completes a mental health screening upon arrival for their first appointment. If the participant screens positive for mental health concerns, a Mammha Care Coordinator will reach out to them via text within 24 hours. Mammha goes another step further by helping parents connect to care, including individual or group therapy (in person or via telehealth), medication management, and access to a free mobile app. The Care Coordinator will continually follow up with the participant for up to a year, unless they choose to opt out. Services can be billed to insurance or Medicaid.
Mammha is not just for those who screen positive; everyone who completes the initial screening will be contacted by a Care Coordinator for periodic check-ins via text until one year postpartum.
TCHD is proud to offer Mammha to WIC participants and to share information about the program throughout Taney County. It is important to make mental health services accessible and to reduce the stigma associated with seeking support.
For more information or to learn about other services, contact the Taney County Health Department at 417-334-4544, visit our website at taneyhealth.gov, or connect via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.