Peer support provided by trained peer support specialists is a proven model for addressing mental health conditions. In 2007 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) identified peer support services for mental health to be an evidence-based practice. CMS deems the use of certified peer specialists reimbursable for states that choose to incorporate these services into their medicaid plans.
In October 2017, 2020 Mom was awarded a grant from the ‘hope & grace’ initiative, a commitment by the global women's skincare brand philosophy to support the mental health and well-being of women.
The aim of the study was to learn:
Whether existing and evidence-based mental health certified peer specialist training could be leveraged to support women with maternal mental health disorders and what modifications if any would need to be made to address gender-responsiveness.
The study findings were released in February 2020 at the 2020 Mom annual FORUM. The full study is below.
Peer Support and Study PowerPoint Presentations
Full Report
The study found:
Existing certified peer specialist trainings in each state can be effectively utilized if adapted to provide training to mother-specific cohorts and provide training in virtual settings.
Maternal mental health “add-on” training should also be provided by experts in maternal mental health, so peers have a basic understanding of the range of maternal mental health disorders and types of evidenced-based treatments.
The goals are to ultimately:
Augment maternal mental health provider shortages,
Offer women support in a manner that meets them where they are,
Provide women who have recovered (or managing chronic depression and anxiety) and are eager to ‘give back’ a career opportunity
Give support to those at risk and to those who are already suffering
How to Implement Use of Certified Peer Specialists In Your Practice or State:
Are you offering clinical services and already contracted with your state Medicaid agency to serve/bill Medicaid enrollees if yes skip to 3.
Become a clinical or community entity that bills Medicaid services by contacting your state Medicaid agency. (If your agency offers community support but not clinical support you may still be eligible to become an agency that bills for certified peer specialist time.)
Find out who your state peer certifying body/training agency is by doing a web search on “[state] certified peer specialist training”
Contact the training agency to find out if they are collecting who the mothers are who have been trained and/or ask the agency for their upcoming training schedule and encourage the patients you believe would be successful peer specialists to enroll in the training.
Once you have mothers who have been trained and certified (as of 4-2020 every state except California now offers certification). Have the peer(s) take a Maternal Mental Health add-on training.
Check back here to learn of available peer Maternal Mental Health Trainings launching in 2020.
Have your peers join the 2020 Mom “Certified Peer Specialist” circle and as an “Employer of Certified Peer Specialists” staffed by 2020 Mom non-profit partners. (Launching soon)
