Mothers Overcoming Maternal Stress (MOMS)
By Hannah Lambalot | Categories: | Comments Off on Mothers Overcoming Maternal Stress (MOMS)
Postpartum Support Helps Improve Mental Health, Family Connection
High levels of parenting stress can cause poor birth outcomes, slow child development, lack of child-parent bond, and child maltreatment. Memorial Healthcare System started Mothers Overcoming Maternal Stress (MOMS) in 2008 to help mothers improve mental health and keep children healthy.
MOMS serves women who exhibit symptoms of depression or anxiety affecting daily functioning for more than two weeks, as well as mothers with additional risk factors, including low-income status, single-parent households, early or unplanned pregnancy, medical complications, and traumatic life events. Customized participant plans include in-home cognitive behavioral therapy, parenting classes, community resources, and case management services.
MOMS offers flexible hours for counseling and case management, transportation to appointments and program activities, and help applying for government assistance programs. Other benefits include:
- connections to the local food pantry and housing authority to mitigate food and housing insecurity;
- cooking classes;
- dollar store and supermarket tours to teach label reading and healthy shopping skills;
- warm handoffs to Memorial Primary Care to develop a medical home;
- financial assistance;
- employment opportunities; and
- quarterly family retreats to provide bonding opportunities within and among program families.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, MOMS provided participants smartphones with six months of prepaid service to use for telehealth services and delivered masks, diapers, gloves, cleaning supplies, and food to participants’ homes. MOMS has served 1,532 participants since 2008. Among participants, 97 percent report improved overall family functioning and parenting skills, 96 percent report feeling more connected to the community, 94 percent report fewer depression or anxiety symptoms, 93 percent demonstrate an acceptable level or improvement of attachment and bonding with their child, and 86 percent have children that score within range of developmental milestones.