BILL ANALYSIS
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
ACR 105 (Nava)
As Amended April 12, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(April 15, |SENATE: |35-0 |(April 15, |
| | |2010) | | |2010) |
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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.
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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
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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