DC Mother-Baby Wellness program

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DC Mother-Baby Wellness Program

HOME / DC MBW PROGRAM

Supporting moms and their children

We focus on helping Washington, D.C.’s expectant and new mothers with mental health concerns and a need for other resources during pregnancy and postpartum, through screenings, education, therapy, treatment and connection to others going through similar experiences.

Your healthcare provider or a friend or family member may have told you about the services offered by our DC Mother-Baby Wellness Program. We work with pregnant and postpartum women who receive their medical care in Washington, D.C.

Did you know that across Washington, D.C., healthcare providers are seeing thousands of mothers during pregnancy each year and caring for them during more than 8,000 deliveries across the city? We know that care for these mothers is inconsistent, and women in the District often face barriers to obtaining care.

Concerns including stress, depression, anxiety and mood swings are common during pregnancy but often go undetected and undertreated. The DC Mother-Baby Wellness Program offers problem-focused interventions to address these and other concerns during pregnancy and postpartum.

Since our program began in 2021, we have received more than 2,300 referrals for services, including coordinating care for mothers and their infants at nearly 17,000 visits with our team of prenatal and postpartum specialists. Thanks to a generous investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, we were able to offer all services at no cost to participants through this initial phase. As we continue to grow and sustain the program, these services are now being transitioned to a billable model to ensure ongoing access and long-term program sustainability.

Read the case study.

Providing full-spectrum care for mothers and babies

Our goal is to ensure that we’re in a position to screen all pregnant and new moms for mental health problems in Washington, D.C., and provide comprehensive behavioral health and care coordination services to support them during this critical period, says Catherine Limperopoulos, Ph.D., who leads the Clark Parent & Child Network Prenatal-Neonatal Pillar.

Services

We offer the following services for individuals and their babies in Washington, D.C.:

Screening for perinatal mental health concerns
Care coordination during pregnancy, including support, connections to community resources, and assistance completing applications and forms
WePlay! DC infant development and maternal social support groups
Time-limited, problem-focused, group or individual therapy with a licensed behavioral health provider
Referrals personalized to patients’ needs, including for psychiatry services
Referrals for additional services and resources
Developmental screening for infants and young children

Who can participate?

Any woman aged 18 or older who is:

Pregnant or through 6 months post-delivery at enrollment and
Getting prenatal, delivery and postpartum care in Washington, D.C.

Participants will be served by the DC Mother-Baby Wellness program until their babies turn 3 years old. During their time in the program, mothers will receive quarterly health check-ins, developmental and mental health screenings and other support as needed.

How can you sign up?

Speak to your prenatal or postpartum care provider about a referral. Or, contact us directly to see if you are able to participate:

Call: (202) 476-4649 (non-emergency)
Email the DC Mother-Baby Wellness Program
FAX: (202) 476-2014

Please note: If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the Community Response Team (mobile crisis) at (202) 673-6495 or 911 for immediate assistance.