The WV Maternal Mental Health Advisory Council (MMHAC) is a statewide representative body comprised of a multidisciplinary team of health care providers and affiliated professionals. Goals of the MMHAC include:

Goals:

  1. Guide the Partnership and our state partners in performing a comprehensive analysis/needs assessment of West Virginia’s maternal mental health data, gaps, and barriers;
  2. Make policy recommendations regarding care of pregnant and postpartum women and their infants;
  3. Identify best practices and develop programs to address gaps in care for maternal mental health services;
  4. Collaborate with the Partnership’s Substance Use During Pregnancy Advisory Council (SUPAC), an established statewide multi-disciplinary group that has been active since 2006; and
  5. Develop a collaborative and coordinated approach to best meet the needs of this high-risk population.

The MMHAC has 5 committees that meet monthly to improve outcomes for perinatal mental health.

Workforce Committee

Works to increase number of perinatal mental health workers in WV. It is in the process of launching a provider database that has providers who specialize in perinatal mental health (PMH) in collaboration with the WV Higher Education Policy Commission.

Provider Education Committee

Works on training and educating providers throughout WV on maternal mental health issues. This committee is working on identifying training opportunities within WV where they can provide training on PMH and creating a training curriculum for providers on the West Virginia Psychiatric Access Program (WV PPAP).

Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis Committee

Assesses strengths and weaknesses within our state on developing an effective system for maternal mental health care. In collaboration with Marshall University, we have completed and finalized the Needs Assessment report for perinatal behavioral health in WV.

Screening Tools Committee

Identifies effective screening tools needed to identify perinatal mental health conditions. This committee is in the process of creating a provider screening tool kit on perinatal mental health.

Community Outreach Committee

Finds resources within our local WV communities that could be sent to providers to help treat PMH conditions. Committee members have attended many community events, including football games, trunk-or-treats and a “Mom’s Day Out” event in November 2025. They have distributed HRSA materials at these events in addition to other resources.

To sign up for a committee, click here