In response to the growing mental health needs of pregnant and postpartum families in underserved communities particularly affected by COVID-19, the PSI Community Engagement Committee designed a one-time grant to award innovative programs that address disparities, bridge gaps in care, or address financial and socioeconomic needs. The Grant Committee, led by PSI Board Member Dr. Nicole Doghor, was inspired to learn of the innovative and life-saving work being done around the United State to serve individuals and families.
The grant was open to groups and organizations focused on perinatal mental health, including community organizations, support groups, healthcare systems, and PSI state chapters. The grant application asked programs to identify the community served, identify the needs, and share a program design including outcome measures that would address those needs. Award options were from $500 – $10,000; the size of the grant was dependent upon the scope of the project and the number of people served. Applications were reviewed and evaluated by PSI state chapters and the PSI Community Engagement Committee. 224 programs applied and 32 were granted funds.
Funds were generated through the PSI Perinatal Action Fund, which combines dedicated funds from a portion of the PSI Climb Out of the Darkness, the PSI Affordable Perinatal Care campaign, and PSI general funds dedicated to the Community Engagement Grants.