BILL ANALYSIS ACR 105 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS ACR 105 (Nava) As Amended April 12, 2010 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(April 15, |SENATE: |35-0 |(April 15, | | | |2010) | | |2010) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: HEALTH SUMMARY : Establishes May, each year, as Perinatal Depression Awareness Month in California and requests that stakeholders work together to increase awareness and improve women's access to culturally competent mental health care services. Specifically, this resolution : 1)Proclaims May, each year, as Perinatal Depression Awareness Month in California. 2)Requests the Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Department of Mental Health, First 5 California, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Postpartum Support International, and other motivated stakeholders to work together to explore ways to improve women's access to mental health care at the state and local levels, to facilitate increased awareness and education about perinatal depression and related mood disorders; and, to explore and encourage the implementation of universal use of perinatal treatment and community-based supportive services. The Senate amendments : 1)Add physicians to the list of individuals for which maternal and mental health before, during, and after child birth is an issue of great concern. 2)Clarify that perinatal depression is clinically referred to as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. 3)Clarify a strong social support network can take the form of hotlines, Internet Web sites, community-based support, home visitation, referral services and respite care. ACR 105 Page 2 4)Clarify that services should be available regardless of ability to pay, and services should be culturally and linguistically appropriate. 5)Clarify that provisions of the proposed federal Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act was made into law by the federal Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act. 6)Add that the lack of available services due to inadequate funding for comprehensive medical care, and specifically mental health services, creates an environment where care may not be readily available, and it is particularly important to bring awareness to this problem so that women and their families are able to seek out help. 7)Add public programs to the list of entities to establish and encourage policies of diagnosis, identification, and referral to informed treatment and supportive services and behooves hospitals, health plans, insurance companies and public programs to pay for such policies. 8)Add the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to the list of stakeholders that are requested to work together to explore ways to improve women's access to mental health care at the state and local levels, to facilitate increased awareness and education about perinatal depression. 9)Delete the requirement that the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States and instead requires the Assembly to transmit copies to the author for appropriate distribution. EXISTING LAW : 1)Authorizes and requires DPH to implement various disease prevention and health promotion programs, including a program for maternal and child health. Authorizes the maternal and child health program to include the provision of educational, preventative, diagnostic, and treatment services, including medical care and facilitating services directed toward improving the health of mothers and children. 2)Establishes the comprehensive community-based perinatal program to provide comprehensive perinatal care for the ACR 105 Page 3 purpose of reducing maternal, perinatal, and infant mortality and morbidity through contracts, grants, and agreements with health care providers through the Medi-Cal Program. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar to the version passed by the Senate. FISCAL EFFECT : None COMMENTS : According to the author, despite the high prevalence of perinatal depression, which is also known as perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD), many women are not adequately informed about, screened for, or treated for PMAD, and the state has not created a uniform standard of care or laws to address PMAD information, treatment or resources. The author states there is a significant need for women and their families to be educated and made aware of the statistics and symptoms related to PMAD, the treatment and support options available, and that the stigma associated with PMAD prevents many at-risk women from accepting services and treatment for their disorder. The level of severity of a PMAD episode has potentially serious repercussions on the psychological, social, and physical health of mothers, children, and their families. Postpartum depression can even sometimes develop into psychosis following a traumatic event. The author highlights the story of Kristina Fuelling, a Placer County mother who was sentenced to over six years in custody after suffering postpartum depression that developed into psychosis, resulting in her drowning her infant in the family home on January 20, 2008. Her mental state was verified by two court doctors. Analysis Prepared by : Tanya Robinson-Taylor / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097 FN: 0003921