PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW EVEN IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY MAILED A LETTER. CALL YOUR LOCAL SENATOR/CONGRESSMAN OR MAIL OR EMAIL SAMPLE LETTERS NOW!
SENATOR MENENDEZ APPLAUDS GRASSROOTS SHOW OF FORCE ON BLOG DAY
April 19, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2009
CONTACTS: Menendez Press Office 202-224-4744
Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act has broad support in Congress, needs public pressure to overcome procedural obstacles
WASHINGTON - As bloggers around the country today advocate for passage of federal legislation to combat postpartum depression, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the Senate sponsor of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, applauded the effort as necessary to enact the bill into law. The legislation has broad support in Congress and was able to pass the House of Representatives earlier this year, but has been stalled in the Senate because of objections by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK). Senator Coburn commonly uses senatorial “holds” to stall disease-specific legislation, and indications are that he would do so with the MOTHERS Act.
“Postpartum depression is a condition that is not only more widespread than most realize but also more debilitating than most realize,” said Menendez. “We need to make sure these mothers are fully supported and informed, rather than scared and alone. Working together with a nationwide community of mothers, we are so close to enacting this important legislation into law. What we need is an intense dose of public pressure. This Blog Day helps reinforce the type of grassroots movement that will create the pressure that is needed, and I commend the participants. I invite mothers, fathers and anyone else who believes we need to better support those with postpartum depression to contact their Senators and urge them to vocally support S.324″
The legislation would increase federal efforts to combat postpartum depression by:
Encouraging Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate and continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and find treatments for, postpartum conditions.
Encouraging a National Public Awareness Campaign, to be administered by HHS, to increase awareness and knowledge of postpartum depression and psychosis.
Requiring the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the benefits of screening for postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
Creating a grant program to public or nonprofit private entities to deliver or enhance outpatient, inpatient and home-based health and support services, including case management and comprehensive treatment services for individuals with or at risk for postpartum conditions. Activities may also include providing education about postpartum conditions to new mothers and their families, including symptoms, methods of coping with the illness, and treatment resources, in order to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment.
It is estimated that postpartum depression (PPD) affects from 10 to 20 percent of new mothers. In the United States, there may be as many as 800,000 new cases of postpartum conditions each year. The cause of PPD isn’t known but changes in hormone levels, a difficult pregnancy or birth, and a family history of depression are considered possible factors.
Congressman Rush passes The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.. now it’s on to the senate!!
March 30, 2009
Congressman Bobby L. Rush
H. R. 20 the Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act of 2009
Monday March 30, 2009
Madame Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act of 2009.
I would like to thank Chairman Waxman, Ranking Member Barton, my colleague Congressman Frank Pallone, and the Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee who unanimously supported this legislation’s passage out of the committee.
After eight long years, today marks an important step forward in the journey for Congress to fully recognize postpartum depression as a national women’s health priority. This bill comes to the floor today with strong, bipartisan support. No longer will postpartum depression be dismissed as mere “baby blues.”
Madame Speaker, today, 60 to 80 percent of new mothers experience symptoms of postpartum depression while the more serious condition, postpartum psychosis, affects up to 20 percent of women who have recently given birth. Experts in the field of women’s health like Susan Stone, Chair of the President’s Advisory Council of Postpartum Support International, says that these statistics do not include mothers whose babies are stillborn, who miscarry, or who are vulnerable to these devastating disorders which raises those at risk into the millions. The most extreme form, postpartum psychosis, is exhibited in about one percent of all new mothers.
At what should be the happiest time in a woman’s life these mood disorders result in feelings of despondency, tearfulness, inadequacy, guilt and fatigue. In the worst case scenario, if left untreated or not treated properly, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis has resulted in suicide and infanticide. The consequences of untreated maternal depression in the mother range from chronic disability to death of the infant as well as learning and behavioral disabilities that can negatively impact a child’s development.
In light of all these sobering facts, sadly, I was finally compelled to author H.R. 20 in December 2007 after watching the news accounts of the missing Melanie Blocker Stokes. This bright, vibrant woman who loved life was a first time mother, a successful business woman and my constituent. Despite her family’s valiant interventions, Melanie’s psychosis was so severe that she slipped away and ended her life in solitary agony.
As news of her death swept throughout Chicago, I reached out to Melanie’s mother, Carol Blocker, who told me her daughter’s diagnosis and suicide was the result of postpartum psychosis.
And, sometime later, Dr. Nada Stotland of the American Psychiatric Association, also a constituent of mine, also reached out to me. Dr. Stotland detailed the value of additional research and discussed the under-reporting and misdiagnosis of postpartum depression and psychosis in our country.
There is no denying the fact that the need for resources to combat postpartum depression grows more and more each and every year. Here are the facts:
H. R. 20 will finally put significant money and attention into research, screening, treatment and education for mothers suffering from this disease. Research indicates that some form of postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 1,000 new mothers, or up to 800,000 new cases annually. This data does not include the additional cases of women who may be vulnerable to these illnesses even after they’ve miscarried or who deliver stillborn infants.
Of the new postpartum cases this year, less than 15 percent of mothers will receive treatment and even fewer will receive adequate treatment; however, with treatment over 90 percent of these mothers could overcome their depression. Every 50 seconds a new mother will begin struggling with the effects of mental illness.
Madame Speaker, these facts are profound and, in the words of Carol Blocker, “…hundreds of thousands of women, who have suffered from postpartum depression and psychosis are still waiting for Congress to act eight years after legislation was first introduced.”
Madame Speaker, thank you for this day because, today, Mrs. Blocker and hundreds of thousands of mothers will not have to wait any longer for Congress to act!
By passage of H.R. 20, today, we will put mother’s first.
When this bill becomes law, my legislation will:
- encourage the Secretary of Health and Human Services to continue: (1) activities on postpartum depression; and (2) research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and treatments for, postpartum conditions
- express the sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy in various ways
- amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants for projects for the establishment, operation, and coordination of effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families.
- Direct the Secretary to ensure that such projects provide education and services with respect to the diagnosis and management of postpartum conditions.
Moreover, this bill is an affordable approach to research and services.
This is good policy, good politics and a good public health bill!
Before I close, I’d like to take a moment to remember and honor the hundreds of thousands of women—women who have lost either their ability to “mother” or, in far too many cases, their lives to postpartum depression.
Madame Speaker, this bill, this day and this moment would not be a reality had it not been for a beautiful, young Chicago native, the late Melanie Blocker Stokes, and the valiant effort her husband and her family made to save her lift but to no avail.
And, even though Melanie did not survive her battle with postpartum psychosis, Melanie’s battle and her ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten because of our efforts, here, today.
I would like to thank Carol Blocker, my friend, constituent and fellow activist, who with grace and dignity found a way for her daughter’s memory to live on.
I would also like to thank all the groups who support this legislation. Groups like, Postpartum Support International, the Family Mental Health Foundation, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
I’d also like to acknowledge the tremendous work of groups like the Children’s Defense Fund, the Melanie Blocker Stokes Foundation, Suicide Prevention Action Network, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Mental Health America, NARAL, National Alliance for Mental Illness, Community Behavioral Healthcare, the March of Dimes, The National Association of Social Workers, National Organization for Women and North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology.
I thank these groups and various activists for their relentless efforts to address this issue including calling their congressional representatives and mailing or faxing letters in support of H.R. 20. Our work will not be done until this bill is signed by the President. And, the good news is, this time we have a friend and fellow Chicagoan in the White House.
And, finally, let me once again thank the hundreds of thousands of unsung women, and their families, who have battled postpartum depression in silence or isolation, in some form, for far too long. To those women and their families I say, you will never suffer in silence again.
And, with that, I proudly urge my colleagues to vote “yes” on H.R. 20.
Thank you.
Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
Chair, President’s Advisory Council,
Postpartum Support International
NJHSS Certified Perinatal Mood Disorders Instructor
Adjunct Lecturer, Silver School of Social Work
New York University
Public Reviewer, NIMH
http://www.perinatalpro.com
201-567-5596 (office)
201-567-6597 (fax)
susanstonelcsw@aol.com
Sign the petition in support of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act!
March 9, 2009
March 9, 2009
Last year the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance based in Chicago IL, created a fantastic online petition in support of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act. The online petition generated over 24,000 signatures - in record time – to send an urgent message to Congress in support of the legislation. Thanks to the consistent efforts of Gloria Pope, Advocacy, Public Policy and Training Director for DBSA, the online petition has been reintroduced as of March 9, 2009 again in partnership with Postpartum Support International.
By clicking on this link (or copying and pasting it in to your browser) http://capwiz.com/ndmda/issues/alert/?alertid=12832296 , you will be taken to an advocacy alert page on the DBSA website where you can scroll down, enter your zip code and generate letters of support for The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act to your Congressman, Senators and committee chairs. It could not be any easier!
While U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and Congressman Bobby L. Rush have lent their power and tireless advocacy to the creation of protective postpartum depression legislation for years, our support and constituent advocacy will add the force of the people’s will to their upcoming efforts. When well coordinated, the internet offers a constituent megaphone not previously available. Fifteen seconds of your time could forever change a nation’s view of these disorders!
The petition can track results from states and even constituencies within the state based on zip code, so will give us great information on where we need to target continuing advocacy efforts. By consolidating the petition on one website, our results are more reliable as truly representative of individual supporters.
With the legislation expected to go for a full house vote within the month before proceeding to the senate, this is a great time to go on the record in support of this critical legislation. Please visit the website and add your signature or individualize your letter today!! Then forward this link to everyone you know – colleagues, friends, family members and community organizations, so our legislators continue to understand the enormous bipartisan support that exists for this bill! We cannot wait any longer for this life-saving legislation to pass! Help make it happen THIS YEAR!!
Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
Chair, President’s Advisory Council
Postpartum Support International
NJHSS Certified Perinatal Mood Disorders Instructor
Adjunct Lecturer, Silver School of Social Work
New York University
Public Reviewer, NIMH
www.perinatalpro.com
201-567-5596
susanstonelcsw@aol.com
More Progress on The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act
March 5, 2009
March 5, 2009
The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act moves forward again!
Yesterday, thanks to the consistent advocacy of Congressman Bobby L. Rush, in the U. S. House of Representatives, The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act passed through the Energy and Commerce Committee, now positioning the bill for a full House vote later this month. Many people have written to me asking what this means and/or how their organizations can sign on to be cosponsors of the legislation. Both questions will be addressed below.
What is a markup? What is its significance? A committee markup is a process occurring both in the House and the Senate by which a bill (assigned to that committee) is reviewed and/or “marked up” by committee members. Before bills in either the House or Senate can be considered for a full vote, they must pass through their assigned committee. Any concerns are raised at that time and if necessary modifications can be negotiated, language amended to give the bill the best chance of full bipartisan support for passage. Mark-ups end with a vote to send the new version of the bill to the floor for final approval. This is what happened to the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act in the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday.
If a bill did not pass in the Congressional Session in which it was first introduced, the process initiates again with each new session.
Because Congressman Bobby L. Rush (U.S. House of Representatives) and U. S. Senator Robert Menendez (U.S. Senate) have already formed a powerful constituent/legislator coalition to ensure the bill’s contents, purpose and language reflect concerns of both Congressional bodies and party legislators, it is not surprising that yesterday’s process was successful. It is expected that the full House vote anticipated later this month will also succeed. From there, the bill proceeds to the U. S. Senate for similar action.
The rapid progress of this bill so early in the 111th Congress brings renewed hope that we could see The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act become law later this year! To read a full version of the bill, click here.
How can my national organization sign on to become a cosponsor of this important maternal child healthcare legislation?
If your national organization would like to sign on as a co-sponsor of this bill, please contact the office of Congressman Bobby L. Rush (202-225-4372) or U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (202-224-4744).
Visit the main website www.perinatalpro.com.
Posted March 5, 2009 and Written by Susan Stone
Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
Chair, President’s Advisory Council,
Postpartum Support International
The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act moves forward!
March 3, 2009
March 2, 2009
Written by Susan Stone
Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
Chair, President’s Advisory Council,
Postpartum Support International
We are getting closer! The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, H.R. 20 is scheduled for markup this Wednesday, March 4th, in the Energy & Commerce Committee. This version of the original bill (passed by nearly unanimous bipartisan support in October of 2007,) includes enhancements from U.S. Senator Robert Menendez’s MOTHERS Act with regard to screening, and Congressman Rush’s call for increased funding for etiological research.
Additionally, the bill maintains Congressman Pitt’s compromise language regarding a longitudinal study on depression as a result of voluntary or involuntary termination of a pregnancy. This is important because women whose babies are stillborn, who miscarry, or elect termination are also subjected to these devastating disorders and have not been represented in previously reported statistics or research.
The next step after successful markup would be a full House vote, followed by similar action in the U.S. Senate.
Thank you to Congressman Bobby L. Rush, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and Senator Richard Durbin for your unceasing efforts on behalf of America’s mothers!
Below is a list of Congressman who have been selected to serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee in the 111th Congress. We encourage you to contact them to encourage support and passage of this legislation!
Henry A. Waxman, CA, Chair
Joe Barton, TX, Ranking Member
John Dingell, MI, Chair Emeritus
Ralph Hall, TX
Edward Markey, MA
Fred Upton, MI
Rick Boucher, VA
Cliff Stearns, FL
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
Nathan Deal, GA
Bart Gordon, TN
Ed Whitfield, KY
Bobby Rush, IL
John Shimkus, IL
Anna Eshoo, CA
John Shadegg, AZ
Bart Stupak, MI
Roy Blunt, MO
Eliot Engel, NY
Steve Buyer, IN
Gene Green, TX
George Radanovich, CA
Diana DeGette, CO
Joseph Pitts, PA
Lois Capps, CA
Mary Bono Mack, CA
Michael Doyle, PA
Greg Walden, OR
Jane Harman, CA
Lee Terry, NE
Janice Schakowsky, IL
Mike Rogers, MI
Charles Gonzalez, TX
Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC
Jay Inslee, WA
John Sullivan, OK
Tammy Baldwin, WI
Tim Murphy, PA
Mike Ross, AR
Michael Burgess, TX
Anthony Weiner, NY
Marsha Blackburn, TN
Jim Matheson, UT
Phil Gingrey, GA
G.K. Butterfield, NC
Steve Scalise, LA
Charlie Melancon, LA
John Barrow, GA
Baron Hill, IN
Doris Matsui, CA
Donna Christensen, VI
Kathy Castor, FL
John Sarbanes, MD
Christopher Murphy, CT
Zachary Space, OH
Jerry McNerney, CA
Betty Sutton, OH
Bruce Braley, IA
Peter Welch, VT
Summary of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act (S. 324/H.R.20)
The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, sponsored by Senators Menendez and Representative Rush, will help provide support services to women suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis and will also help educate mothers and their families about these conditions. In addition, it will support research into the causes, diagnoses and treatments for postpartum depression and psychosis.
“Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act” or the “Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act”
TITLE I- Research
· Encourages Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate and continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and find treatments for, postpartum conditions. Also, encourages a National Public Awareness Campaign, to be administered by HHS, to increase awareness and knowledge of postpartum depression and psychosis.
· Includes a Sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institutes of Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy (intended or unintended) in various ways, including carrying the pregnancy to term and parenting the child, carrying the pregnancy to term and placing the child for adoption, miscarriage, and having an abortion. This study may assess the incidence, timing, magnitude, and duration of the immediate and long-term mental health consequences (positive and negative) of these pregnancy outcomes.
TITLE II- Delivery of Services
· Encourages HHS to make grants available for projects for the establishment, operation, and coordination of systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with postpartum depression.
o (Entities): Makes grants available to public or nonprofit private entity, which may include a State or local government, a public-private partnership, a recipient of a grant under the Healthy Start program, a public or nonprofit private hospital, community-based organization, hospice, ambulatory care facility, community health center, migrant health center, public housing primary care center, or homeless health center, or any other appropriate public or nonprofit private entity.
o (Activities): Eligible activities include delivering or enhancing outpatient, inpatient and home-based health and support services, including case management and comprehensive treatment services for individuals with or at risk for postpartum conditions. Activities may also include providing education about postpartum conditions to new mothers and their families, including symptoms, methods of coping with the illness, and treatment resources, in order to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment.
TITLE III- General Provisions
· (Funding): Authorizes $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
· (HHS Report): Requires the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the benefits of screening for postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
· (Limitation): The Secretary may not utilize amounts made available under this Act to carry out activities or programs that are duplicative of activities or programs that are currently being carried out through the Dept of HHS.
Supporters
American College of Nurse Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American Psychological Association
American Psychiatric Association
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Children’s Defense Fund
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Family Mental Health Foundation
Guttmacher
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
March of Dimes
Melanie Blocker Stokes Foundation
Mental Health America
NARAL, Pro-Choice America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women’s Law Center
OWL- The Voice of Midlife and Older Women
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Postpartum Support International
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez Reintroduces MOTHERS ACT Legislation
January 27, 2009
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez Reintroduces Important Postpartum Depression Legislation today!!
Today, I had the joy of participating in a conference call with the office of Senator Menendez and the other organizational sponsors of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act. We received the heads up that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez was hoping to reintroduce the bill today. And as of this afternoon, that is exactly what he has done!!. For hundreds of thousands of American mothers and families, this renews the hope that 2009 and will indeed be the year when Congress acknowledges our nation’s mothers by addressing the full spectrum of maternal experience and finally passes this legislation .
The statistics we have on the incidence of postpartum mood disorders (which range from 12 - 22% in the research) easily exceeds the qualifications of a public health crisis and these statistics, do NOT include the suffering of women who miscarry, endure stillbirths, or terminate pregnancies, all of whom are also susceptible to these devastating disorders.
It is not too soon to begin contacting the senators in your state to let them know you support this long overdue legislation!! Thank you to Senator Robert Menendez and the bill’s other leading cosponsors, Senators Richard Durbin, (D-IL) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). And while you are at it, feel free to express your support to U.S. Senator Robert Menendez for whose steadfast determination we are so very grateful.
Written by Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
The latest copy of the The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, follows the official press release below!
COMBATING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: SEN. MENENDEZ BEGINS PUSH IN 111TH CONGRESS
MOTHERS Act reintroduced in Senate, was close to passage last year
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today officially kicked off his efforts to secure an increased federal commitment to combating postpartum depression by reintroducing the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act in the Senate. The legislation, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), has support from Senate leadership. It was nearing passage last year, despite being blocked from a vote on the Senate floor by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), who has objected to this and other bills targeting specific diseases on ideological grounds.
“We gained significant support for this effort to combat postpartum depression over the last two years, which makes me optimistic that we will be able to deliver this gift to new mothers,” said Senator Menendez. “Increasingly, my colleagues in the Senate are learning about the vicious, debilitating nature of postpartum depression and how it affects families, and they understand why this initiative is so important. We have to attack postpartum depression on all fronts - with education, support, and research - so that new moms can feel supported and safe rather than scared and alone.”The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act (S. / H.R. 20)
MOTHERS ACT Reintroduced to the U.S. Congress
January 19, 2009
HR-20, Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression.
On January 6, 2009, The MOTHERS Act was re-introduced to the United States Congress and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The intent of this bill is to provide for research on, and services for individuals with, postpartum depression and psychosis. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL] and co-sponsored by many other legislators. In the 110th Congress in 2008, this legislation had 130 bi-partisan cosponsors and passed the United States House of Representatives on October 15, 2007 by a vote of 382-3. We hope to have as many or more cosponsors in the 111th Congress! The leadership of Representative Rush, Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) , and the hard work of many other partners has kept this legislation alive in the 111th session of Congress.
Below is a summary of the bill, written by the Congressional Research Service, a well-respected nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress. For the full text of the bill and other information, go to its page on GovTrac.us.
1/6/2009–Introduced.
Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act or the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act - Encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services to continue: (1) activities on postpartum depression; and (2) research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and treatments for, postpartum conditions. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy in various ways. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants for projects for the establishment, operation, and coordination of effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families. Directs the Secretary to ensure that such projects provide education and services with respect to the diagnosis and management of postpartum conditions. Authorizes such projects to include: (1) delivering or enhancing outpatient home-based health and support services; and (2) providing education to new mothers and their families about postpartum conditions to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment. Sets forth grant requirements. Directs the Secretary to study the benefits of screening for postpartum conditions. Prohibits the Secretary from utilizing amounts appropriated under this Act to carry out activities or programs that are duplicative of activities or programs that are already being carried out through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Click Here for the FULL TEXT of the bill.
Legislative Update
September 25, 2008
“Congress considers billion dollar bailout for Wall Street, but not a dime for mothers struggling with postpartum depression”
September 25, 2008
Written by Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
While our senate heroes, U. S. Senators Robert Menendez and Richard Durbin of IL, co sponsors of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, and their supporters - including presidential candidate Barack Obama and many other bipartisan advocates lost a battle in the U.S. Senate today, we have not lost the war against postpartum depression and services for our nation’s mothers. Indeed, this setback is not due to the lack of national support for the legislation, but a defiant blockade by one Senator, Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma who has singlehandedly obstructed this and other legislation by using a procedural loophole never meant to overturn the will of the people.
While Senator Coburn himself failed to appear at yesterday’s hearing sparing himself and his conscience further consideration of facts which would have made such action impossible, he sent a surrogate whose mission was to continue his objection to the legislation thereby “denying relief to hundreds of thousands of mothers who suffer from the condition each year” said Senator Robert Menendez who advocated for the bill’s passage.
Despite today’s setback, Senator Menendez reaffirmed his commitment to continue this critical battle “Hundreds of thousands of women across the country suffer at the hands of postpartum depression every year, and they deserve better than the ideological games being played with legislation intended to bring them relief,” said Senator Menendez. “This is a cause I am committed to seeing through, and I will continue to stand up on behalf of mothers suffering from this condition until the blockade is cleared.”
Among the MOTHERS Act’s champions is former New Jersey First Lady Mary Jo Codey, Carol Blocker, mother of the woman for whom the legislation was named who died from postpartum illness (who prays everyday this bill will pass), Brooke Shields, who spoke passionately in support of the legislation at a Capitol Hill Press Conference, Valerie Plame Wilson, who wrote about her experiences with postpartum depression in her best selling book Fair Game, Joan Mudd who lost her daughter to postpartum depression and formed the Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Foundation in Chicago, IL, and many others who remain staunchly committed to this issue.
Congressman Bobby L. Rush who sponsored the bill’s counterpart in the U.S. House of Representatives, saw it pass in October ‘07 with a nearly unanimous bipartisan vote. It would likely have enjoyed the same fate in the U.S. Senate long before now if legislators were as interested in representing the will of their constituents as they were in continuing current political stalemates that serve no one.
Birdie Meyer, President of Postpartum Support International, (www.postpartum.net) the bill’s lead organizational sponsor said:
“The effects of pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety can be devastating to the mother, the baby, the partner, the family, and society. Passing the Melanie Blocker Stokes Mother’s Act would have provided nationwide education and recognition of this illness. Childbearing women and their families deserve to have this education in every city, every hospital, every clinic, everywhere.”
“After years of needless suffering, American women need the relief that would have been provided from increased research into the causes of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, better education of healthcare professionals to identify and treat these disorders, and grants for programs and services to help women recover,” said Katherine Stone, former director of marketing at The Coca-Cola Company and creator of Postpartum Progress, (www.postpartumprogress.typepad.com) the most widely-read blog in the U.S. on postpartum depression. “It is critical to foster healthy family development by preventing the serious physical and mental health problems affecting both mother and child that stem from undiagnosed or improperly treated postpartum depression.”
Dr. Shoshana Bennett, former president of Postpartum Support International, and a survivor of two life-threatening, undiagnosed postpartum depressions, said “I urge you to reconsider this bill and pass The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act.”
Sylvia Lasalandra, author of A Daughter’s Touch and a longtime advocate for the legislation who traveled to Capitol Hill to speak in support of its passage stated, “The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS ACT would have provided supportive services to women suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis. It would have helped educate mothers and their families about PPD. An illness that effects close to 800,000 women in the U.S. alone! Shame on you Senator Coburn!”
Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW, chair President’s Advisory Council, Postpartum Support International (www.perinatalpro.com) stated, “It seems our Senate has lost its way - this continuing blockade by one Senator offers a troubling analogy to the current financial crisis. Within our federal mortgage agencies, decisions made by a very few deaf to constituent welfare and subject to minimal oversight have brought our country to the brink of bankruptcy. And today, a decision made by one person refusing to defer to his constituents will and the indisputable science, research and statistics that support the need for this legislation, means thousands of innocents will continue to suffer. More lives will be lost. More families will be irreparably damaged. And more children will suffer the consequences of untreated maternal depression. Only 15% of women suffering with these devastating disorders are ever diagnosed and treated. Billions for the guilty, not a dime for our nation’s most critical and innocent social dyad of mother and child.”
When did such legislators decide that in the world’s greatest democracy, individual opinion trump society’s need, consistent research findings and responsibility to constituents? Coburn is a doctor who participates in funding decisions for NIH and NIMH yet apparently remains unmoved by their perilous findings indicating that untreated maternal depression is a public health crisis. When one legislator can overturn the will of a country, we are no longer living in a democracy.
We will again await its inevitable passage at the next Congressional session when reason may more strongly prevail. Below is an outline of the bill’s urgent and noble purpose:
The legislation would increase federal efforts to combat postpartum depression by:
· Coordinating and continuing research to better understand the causes of, and treatment for, postpartum conditions. Also, supports a National Public Awareness Campaign to increase awareness and knowledge of postpartum depression and psychosis.
· Creating a grant program for the delivery of essential services to individuals with postpartum depression.
· Conducting a study on the benefits of screening for postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
It is estimated that postpartum depression (PPD) affects from 10 to 20 percent of new mothers. In the United States, there may be as many as 800,000 new cases of postpartum conditions each year. The cause of PPD isn’t known but changes in hormone levels, a difficult pregnancy or birth, and a family history of depression are considered possible factors.
Groups supporting the legislation:
Postpartum Support International
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
American Psychological Association
American Psychiatric Association
Children’s Defense Fund
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
March of Dimes
Mental Health America
American College of Nurse Midwives
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
National Partnership for Women & Families
OWL- The Voice of Midlife and Older Women
National Women’s Law Center
Written by Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
Chair, PSI President’s Advisory Council
Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act waits for next vote
August 24, 2008
Despite the Senate vote on July 28, 2008 to not consider The Advancing American Priorities Act (AAPA) at this time - which included The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, the bill will come up again sometime soon. The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act is not “dead” nor was it “defeated”. While Republicans except for Senators Warner, Coleman and Smith chose not to move forward on the AAPA package of bills, The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act actually has garnered broad bipartisan support.
Click on this link to see how your state senators voted. Then call them with your thanks, or your request that they vote YES on this essential legislation when it comes up again.
There is good news! The inclusion of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act in this package generated unprecedented coverage by major press agencies resulting in even more attention and awareness of the need for its critical initiatives for mothers, infants and families. We have been deluged with requests for information about the bill, emailed and faxed hundreds of copies taking full advantage of this current national platform to solidify ever wider, bipartisan support and has already passed in the House of Representatives.
We are thankful to Senator Robert Menendez and Senator Harry Reid for including this bill in The Advancing American’s Priorities Act and their determination to end the public health crisis of untreated maternal depression. We applaud their efforts and that of every senator who voted to end needless suffering. The vote was very close.
While disappointed in July’s outcome, we remain encouragingly galvanized by our widening circle of support and the national attention on this issue.
THANK YOU to the 20,000 plus individuals who have written letters, signed the petition and verbalized their support. Thank you to the community of bloggers, who have helped spread the urgent message to mothers and families nationwide. Thank you to the national media outlets who now offer their support for the bill’s adoption and join us in expressing outrage at its further delay. We continue to prepare for the next presentation of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act with a growing force of American families who have waited too long and long enough.
Letter written by Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW
Used and edited by permission of Susan Stone, MSW, LCSW
Chair of President’s Advisory Council
Read the Whole Bill and Legislative Status
The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act moves forward
July 23, 2008
Today, American’s mothers, infants and families have reason to be encouraged and to reach out to their state senators to again request their support of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act in its final push to passage.YOU HAVE BEEN HEARD and this morning, Majority Leader Reid introduced a package of bills called Advance America’s Priorities Act which now includes The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act. Senators Robert Menendez (NJ) and Richard Durbin (IL) have been working very hard with Majority Leader Harry Reid and Chairman Edward Kennedy to pass this legislation.
These initiatives will be considered over the next week.
Your renewed advocacy and attention is especially welcome RIGHT NOW! We need to continue make it deafeningly clear how important this bill is to women and families all across America. The online petition in support of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act has been reintroduced and we invite your signature and call to your state senators office. If you wish to write a personal letter, this would also offer welcome support. By clicking on this link you will be connected to the petition and information on how you can reach your senator and sign the petition. CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
We are almost there!! After years of unfathomable and needless suffering, American women may finally get the relief offered through increased research into the causes of perinatal mood disorders, better education of healthcare professionals to identify and treat these disorders, and grants for programs and services to help women to recovery. Thanks for the tremendous efforts which have brought us to this point and your steadfast participation in this final effort.