Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health
PSI-GA utilizes evidence-based approaches throughout its provider training programs. The information taught in training has evidentiary support. It is based on existing topics and data that support the efforts to train providers that work closely with families and perinatal mental health. PSI-GA also contracts with the Department of Public Health to reimburse for the scholarships provided for training. Additional scholarship aid comes through the Climb out of the Darkness fundraising events.
During my internship, I consistently saw evidence-based approaches utilized within the Climb out of the Darkness and Black Maternal Mental Health Summit. I was able to attend several board meetings and different committee meetings. I was introduced to the reliance upon evidence-based information regarding maternal mental health status rates within Georgia compared to other states. The committee members also consistently referred to the use of proven diagnostic testing aids such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the PHQ-9 scale for training and teaching purposes of the providers and members. I used the information I learned about evidence-based approaches to create the evaluation plan and social media communications deliverable.
One recommendation for incorporating evidence-based approaches would be to increase the number of providers that can diagnose and treat or prescribe medication related to perinatal mental health. According to best practices for treating postpartum mental health is early diagnosis and treatment. Increasing the number of providers across Georgia increases the chances of diagnosis and early treatment to prevent interruption of the quality of life.
Public Health and Health Care Systems
PSI-GA addresses public health and healthcare systems through the Black Maternal Mental health summit. The Black Maternal Mental Health summit addresses racial inequities and explores solutions to problems within minority groups and underserved communities. This program also provides training for providers during the summit and delivers materials throughout Georgia to underserved and rural communities with limited access to care.
While interning at PSI-GA, I learned how racial inequities affect mental health and how these racial inequities have fractured the healthcare system within the United States. PSI-GA’s Black Maternal Health summit board allowed me to attend the planning meeting. This experience gave me valuable information on how health care is delivered to black mothers versus mothers of other races and how this affects the maternal mortality rate in African Americans. I was also given valuable information on the level of health care provided to mothers of lower socioeconomic status and the difference in care this group typically receives. All information given was based on statistical and reporting data collected across Georgia. The board then used this information to create training for providers who work within these groups to serve the target population better.
Within this particular competency, I recommend that the organization expand on its contracts and partnerships with the department of public health and other nonprofit organization during the events. Including partnerships in the summit can expand public health by targeting the populations ideally serviced through the public health departments and public healthcare facilities.
Planning and management to Promote Health
Planning and management to promote health within PSI-GA can be observed through human programs and provider training established by the chapter. This includes the Climb out of the Darkness fundraiser, which promotes awareness and raises funding for training to help with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It also consists of the planning and execution of the Black Maternal Mental Health Summit. The summit promotes awareness, but it also promotes the importance of perinatal mental health. Each year, the summit is held, and the attention surrounding the planning and management increases the number of providers and participants to promote health within the many communities across the state.
While creating the evaluation plan for the Climb out of the Darkness event, I saw firsthand how PSI-GA plans and manages the event. The planning for next year's event starts immediately after completing the Climb out of the Darkness event. This event centers around educating the community and increasing awareness of perinatal mental health and its implications for maternal morbidity and mortality. They also host several training sessions I could attend each year, which train providers across Georgia on early diagnosis and treatment. The training sessions are very detailed and use current techniques to treat families successfully.
PSI-GA can enhance its efforts and elevate impact by incorporating more partnerships with different organizations to help expand its reach during the planning of the events. Other organizations can also benefit through collaboration with their events, increasing the reach of all events.
Policy in Public Health
PSI-GA is implementing a policy agenda with several target policy areas. The target areas are to extend Medicaid eligibility in the postpartum period up to one year after delivery, expand certified peer specialist credentials to include perinatal mental health, enshrine world maternal mental health day in the Georgia code, create a comprehensive statewide universal screening system for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and support mental health workforce development and reimbursement parity. Through advocacy efforts such as the day at the capital when representatives of the PSI-GA board go to the money to advocate and discuss the policy agenda, they address the different policy issues in the service population.
I was privileged to have the chance during my internship to sit in on the planning for the PSI-GA Day in the Capital. The current policy agenda was discussed during this meeting, and ideas were finalized for approaching the topics at the state capital. All of the policies mentioned in the plan were covered; however, I found the procedure to extend Medicaid eligibility to one year and the support workforce development and reimbursement parity closely aligned with significant policy reforms across the state. Currently, Medicaid only covers up to 6 months postpartum period. During my internship, I learned that many mothers exhibit perinatal mental health complications between six months to one year. Concurrently, the current workforce shortage for mental health in many rural and lower socioeconomic areas makes it difficult and often impossible for mothers to get care. The plan for the day in the capital was to give evidence-based arguments for changing these policies to provide more services for mothers and families.
One avenue that could increase the effectiveness of arguments for policy change is to lean into partnerships with other organizations that can strengthen the call for change. Collaborating with organizations serving the same population can increase ideas and allow for more advocates for the exact cause.
Leadership
PSI-GA leadership and decision-making for the service communities is primarily the duty of the board members. They host strategic planning meetings to plan events for the year and ensure the organization's vision. They are working to increase resource capacity through a grant from Empower health Grant which is provided by the healthcare Ga Foundation. This grant aims to ensure funding for the increase in resources through the training and hiring of staff members.
During my internship, I was welcomed to attend board meetings, and often, they would ask my opinion on some issues. Many of the board members specifically stated that my point of view gave some helpful insight into the community. I used my knowledge from my current career as a Dentist at a public health center. I work with a large portion of the population within the service area that PSI-GA strives to assist. My added knowledge of what I encounter daily helped in decision-making concerning the service population.
With this experience, a recommendation for enhancing leadership and decision-making for the service communities would be to incorporate community leaders and workers from the various service counties. This would allow the community to have input into what they need or want. It will also create a sense of buy in terms of the events and help to make longevity in these areas. Partnering with community leaders and workers will also aid in decision-making by getting the community's voice and what would interest them and increase participation. With this information, the PSI-GA leadership team can make informed decisions and use evidence-based approaches to their leadership and decision-making.
Communication
Currently, PSI-GA is utilizing its website for information and communications with the public. Recently, the communications team changed leadership, and a new communications chair was appointed. The team is working diligently on restoring their Facebook and Instagram pages. The plan is to create several weekly posts to engage the community, bring awareness to perinatal mood disorders, and highlight resources and suggestions for new mothers and families. The sites will also update the community on upcoming events in different areas and how to participate.
I had minimal experience with the communications department of PSI-GA due to the change in leadership. However, I was able to utilize their Canva account to create my communications deliverable. This was beneficial as changes and revisions could be made in real time by anyone within the chapter. It simplified the ability of the chapter to save the work for later dissemination.
Due to the limited nature of the communications department during my internship, I recommend improving its presence on social media. Social media is the go-to for everyone to find information or acquire a recommendation for necessary services, even doctor referrals. They can increase their social media presence by paying for a sponsorship to share their posts with a broader demographic. They can increase their followers and extend their reach to the target communities by actively posting information. Another recommendation is to partner with an influencer who has the lived experience of perinatal mood disorders and elevate their following and their reach of influence to mothers who may subscribe to these other influencers for advice or suggestions of products or services.
Interprofessional Practice
The PSI-GA chapter team is the perfect example of interprofessional practice. The board and members of the organization range from stay-at-home mothers, stay-at-home fathers, community professionals with MPH and Ph.D. degrees, those with lived experiences in the field, and families with children. By having a diversified team, they can relate to the communities they serve. It enables them to understand what the families might be experiencing and can, therefore, provide a better service atmosphere.
The interprofessional practice atmosphere was significant in the successful planning and execution of the Climb out of the Darkness event. Many climbs were led by mothers, community leaders, and some families and medical professionals. They were all critical instruments in creating a bridge for individuals to understand PSI-GA and the resources they provide. By collaborating with PSI-GA, these individuals help to enhance the participation and understanding of the community serviced.
This team can benefit from partnering with local community workers and families on board decisions in the service populations. Partnerships can enhance the efficacy of the chapter and its service to the community. It will also boost the community's morale that someone outside the community needs to come along and tell them how they should function and solve their problem. The community leaders and workers can help guide PSI-GA in working within the community to allow everyone to be a part of the growth.
Systems Thinking
PSI-GA incorporates systems thinking when analyzing the Climb Out of the Darkness events and the information gathered and learned from the Black Maternal Mental Health Summit. PSI-GA uses survey and verbal data responses during and after the events to understand the organization of the communities served. They take this information to make collective health goals for the communities while identifying critical people that can contribute to policy advocacy and outcomes. Furthermore, they take all the perspectives of the workers and critical people within the community and place them in a framework or model that shows different ways the system may react to the choices made for the policy changes for the community.
PSI-GA realizes that incorporating social determinants of health into their planning and analysis benefits the service population. In my time with the organization, I witnessed the importance they exhibited for all the determinants individually. Access to healthcare is addressed in the policy agenda for supporting mental health workforce development and was addressed at the recent capital day. The Climb out of the Darkness event and the Black Maternal Mental health summit addressed social and community contexts. Economic Stability is a prominent topic of the policy agenda as the push for Medicaid extension to cover the postpartum period up to one year so that mothers are covered with insurance to receive perinatal mental health care. Neighborhood, environment, and education are topics discussed during the Black Maternal Mental Health Summit and proposed ideas on bettering the environment of families during the perinatal period to increase the quality of life and improve their mental health.
To enhance systems thinking within PSI-GA, it would be beneficial to create charts and models when analyzing data from the two main events to compare the correlation between the social determinants and the outcomes. This data can help the organization understand how the determinants function within events and their relevance to the service population. The information can then be used to adjust the existing programs to address the social determinants of health better.