DIRECTING THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM TO PRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE STATE OF PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Minor-Brown & Rep. Jones Giltner & Sen. Pinkney

Reps. Berry, Heffernan, K. Johnson, Morrison, Neal, Phillips, Ross Levin, Chukwuocha, Snyder-Hall, S. Moore; Sens. Hoffner, Lockman, Seigfried

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 82

DIRECTING THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM TO PRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE STATE OF PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, mental health issues are a major contributing factor in nearly half of maternal deaths in Delaware with postpartum depression affecting approximately 1 in 9 individuals in the state; and

WHEREAS, 18.5% of mothers in Delaware report less than optimal mental health with approximately 23.8% reporting anxiety or depression during pregnancy and 13.1% reporting postpartum depressive symptoms; and

WHEREAS, Delaware has made significant progress in creating and improving the systems and structures affecting paid family leave, Medicaid reimbursement for doulas, and perinatal mental health; and

WHEREAS, perinatal mental health remains a priority, focusing on evidence-based policies and practices to provide improved outcomes for all Delawareans; and

WHEREAS, the current data collection systems in place include the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), Maternal and Child Health programs, home-visiting, perinatal behavioral health programs in Delaware’s hospitals, health systems, and advocacy organizations; and

WHEREAS, Delaware has expanded system supports including postpartum coverage under Medicaid and other pilot programs under Medicaid such as the home delivery of meals and household items; and

WHEREAS, Delaware does not have mechanisms in place to track long term datasets such as interventions, treatments, and outcomes over time; and

WHEREAS, detailed, timely, equity-focused data on Delaware’s maternal mortality and morbidity rates is limited and makes it difficult to address and design targeted interventions with measurable racial and equitable outcomes; and

WHEREAS, rates of infant mortality among Black and Hispanic women in Delaware are significantly higher than for white women and correlate with higher maternal stress and depressive symptoms; and

WHEREAS, national research confirms Black and Hispanic women face higher perinatal mental health burdens, a pattern that likely applies in Delaware, even though specific in-state PRAMS mental health figures are not readily available; and

WHEREAS, a comprehensive inventory of perinatal mental-health providers and corresponding workforce shortages and service deserts are not publicly centralized; and

WHEREAS, clinical guidance and pilot programs address some needs, limited evaluations and outcome measurement limit Delaware’s ability to scale up the pathways and services that work for the Delawareans that need it the most; and

WHEREAS, the Behavioral Health Consortium, under its expanded authority in Delaware Code, shall provide oversight of Delaware’s private and public bodies or entities that affect behavioral health care to ensure the delivery of quality care; and

WHEREAS, the Behavioral Health Consortium’s Maternal Mental Health Working Group is tasked with addressing perinatal mental health issues in Delaware including enhanced access and supportive systems.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 153

rd

General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the Behavioral Health Consortium is directed to produce a comprehensive perinatal mental health state of the state report to the Governor, the Delaware State Senate, the Delaware House of Representatives, the Senate Health and Social Services Committee, the House Health and Human Development Committee, and the Director and Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services by December 1, 2026.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Behavioral Health Consortium will create this report in consultation with its Maternal Mental Health Working Group, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Delaware Health Commission’s Health Workforce Subcommittee, the Delaware Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and the Maternal and Child Death Review Committee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report is to include a summary of all current state programming relating to perinatal mental health and their operating agencies, funding streams, utilization data, demographic information of families served, analysis of performance outcomes, delivery locations, any contracts utilized, and other relevant information necessary to improve the state’s data collection mechanisms and tracking abilities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report must include information lacking from the current systems in place including treatment access, service gaps, workforce shortages, service deserts, social needs services, program evaluations, outcome measurements, and centralized data collection.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report may also include recommendations as necessary for addressing access, service gaps, training and education, shortages, outcomes, data collection, and programmatic changes should include potential financial opportunities, strategies to address racial and socioeconomic disparities, and policies to improve service delivery and increase capacity.

SYNOPSIS

This House Concurrent Resolution establishes the purpose and protocol for the creation of a state of the state report on perinatal mental health in Delaware. The report is to be prepared by the Behavioral Health Consortium in consultation with its Maternal Mental Health Working Group, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Delaware Health Commission’s Health Workforce Subcommittee, the Delaware Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and the Maternal and Child Death Review Committee for review by the Governor, the Delaware State Senate, the Delaware House of Representatives, the Senate Health and Social Services Committee, the House Health and Human Development Committee, and the Director and Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services by December 1, 2026, and is to include a summary of current state programming, training and education, gaps in services, funding streams, demographic information, performance outcomes, and utilization data as well as any recommendations for addressing access and racial and socioeconomic disparities.