Maternal Mental Health with Kelly O'Connor Kay

Welcome to another episode of This Is Rural Health. Today we have board member Michel Schneider speaking with Kelly O'Connor Kay, Executive Director of Maternal Mental Health NOW. Her goal is to ensure that all of Los Angeles County’s new families have the resources to address maternal mental health disorders so they can grow and thrive.

In this episode, you’ll see why it's essential to catch and address mental health issues during the perinatal period, the challenges that exist in service rural California areas, and how a community-driven directory in helping connect people to much-needed resources.

“The pandemic has prompted or forced our hand to become more innovative, but it's also highlighted some discrepancies and disparities in access.”

‍What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

• [01:37] About Maternal Mental Health NOW
• [03:22] Who fits into LA's most vulnerable populations?
• [04:12] What is the perinatal period, and why is it important?
• [05:35] Why it's important to address depression or anxiety during pregnancy
• [07:11] How the landscape has changed with mental health begin top of mind
• [09:41] How technology has advanced to meet client needs since COVID
• [11:44] Understand LA county's urban versus rural areas
• [12:28] About the LA County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium
• [14:41] A community-driven directory providing resources and support
• [16:56] How listeners can help Maternal Mental Health HOW

Connect with Us: 

• On Facebook | @csrha.advocate
• On Twitter | @CSRHA1 and @CSRHApodcast
• Visit our website | csrha.org
• Email Address | podcast@csrha.org

Connect with Kelly O'Connor Kay:

• On LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/kellyokay

Resources Mentioned:

• Maternal Mental Health NOW website | maternalmentalhealthnow.org
• On Instagram | @maternalmentalhealthnow
• On Twitter | @MMHealthNow
• On Facebook | facebook.com/MaternalMentalHealthNow
• Los Angeles County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium | homevisitingla.org

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