This forum is a follow-up to the 2022 Integration Forum, Moving Forward in Massachusetts: Paving the Road to Integrated Behavioral Healthcare for All, where the aim was to educate medical and behavioral health providers on racial healthcare inequities, strategies to address it, and methods to improve healthcare access, quality, and outcomes among diverse populationsThe intent of this year’s forum is to highlight palpable actions that providers can take to reduce health disparities and increase health equity among birthing populations. The program will focus on increasing the awareness of the behavioral health challenges that birthing people face, while also brainstorming ways to improve accessible, affordable and culturally competent perinatal care outcomes. The speakers will show medical and behavioral health providers that sustainable change will require significant commitment and practice adjustment across all provider types, organizations, and systems in order to help populations access, and engage in, equitable treatment when and where they need it.Our expert speakers will demonstrate how their efforts drive the ultimate goal of increased equity in access, engagement, and outcomes for birthing populations. They will share their intersectional perspectives on these topics, and build out evolving strategies for meaningful change. Participants will also have time to share their thoughts, experiences, and strategies for change. Last year’s forum focused on deepening the participants’ understanding of what racial inequity is, how it manifests, and its effects, while this year, we will expand on that knowledge base with tangible next steps that providers can take to reduce disparities and increase health equity within their organizations.Learning Objectives: 1. Outline strategies that can be implemented to improve maternal/birthing people outcomes as they relate to behavioral health and physical health.2. Describe and understand the Collaborative Care Model of care which promotes treating behavioral health in a primary care or OB/GYN environment;3. Describe the role of doulas and midwives in OB/GYN care environments and ways they can improve BH outcomes; and4. Summarize the most common mental health diagnoses that affect women/birthing people and ways to improve diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy and the postnatal period.

Hosted by Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership for 4.25 CEs. For more info click here