Committee backs perinatal mental-health bulletin for board review

The Outreach and Education Committee voted April 16 to send an informational bulletin on perinatal mental health to the full Board of Behavioral Sciences for further consideration.

Board staff said the bulletin, developed with stakeholders including Postpartum Support International, summarizes perinatal mental-health conditions, the role of behavioral health professionals, and continuing-education resources. Steve Sodren, the board’s executive officer, told the committee that two 2024 laws (AB 2270 and AB 2581) prompted review of training and continuing-education options for licensees.

Sodren said the draft uses the term “perinatal mental health” to be inclusive and to capture a broader set of needs: “perinatal mental health actually encompasses a broader range and is more appropriate for this discussion,” he said. Public commenter Alise Springer, co-chair of the California chapter of Postpartum Support International, urged broad dissemination and stronger training requirements, saying the perinatal period “deserves that CEU or continuing education” in many settings.

Committee members praised the draft and discussed where to place the bulletin on the board website, adding hyperlinks to resources, and using social media and the listserv for distribution. Susan Freriedman moved to bring the bulletin to the full board for further discussion; the motion was seconded and carried with recorded ‘yes’ votes from Dr. Nicholas Boyd, Susan Freriedman and Dr. Annette Walker.

Next steps reported by staff include incorporating any additional public feedback, adding working hyperlinks to resources in the digital version, and returning with a revised draft for board consideration.