Notice2023-28890
Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions From the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services Department
Abstract
The Task Force on Maternal Mental Health (Task Force), which is being implemented as a subcommittee of the SAMHSA Advisory Committee for Women's Services (ACWS), solicits public comments on a set of questions concerning the context, policies, effectiveness, promising practices, and limitations and gaps related to prevention and treatment of maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders (inclusive of alcohol use/misuse) and its complications. The Task Force is required to solicit public comments, as appropriate, from stakeholders for the purposes of developing a report that analyzes and evaluates the state of maternal mental health programs at the Federal level and identifies best practices with respect to maternal mental health and substance use disorders as well as a national strategy for improving maternal mental health. The taskforce will be highlighting recommendations that fall within the pregnancy and postpartum (up to 1 year after birth) periods for individuals with or at risk for mental health and substance use conditions.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1110-1111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28890]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions From the Task Force
on Maternal Mental Health
AGENCY: Office on Women's Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Health, Office of the Secretary; Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS)
ACTION: Notice of request for information
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SUMMARY: The Task Force on Maternal Mental Health (Task Force), which
is being implemented as a subcommittee of the SAMHSA Advisory Committee
for Women's Services (ACWS), solicits public comments on a set of
questions concerning the context, policies, effectiveness, promising
practices, and limitations and gaps related to prevention and treatment
of maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders
(inclusive of alcohol use/misuse) and its complications. The Task Force
is required to solicit public comments, as appropriate, from
stakeholders for the purposes of developing a report that analyzes and
evaluates the state of maternal mental health programs at the Federal
level and identifies best practices with respect to maternal mental
health and substance use disorders as well as a national strategy for
improving maternal mental health. The taskforce will be highlighting
recommendations that fall within the pregnancy and postpartum (up to 1
year after birth) periods for individuals with or at risk for mental
health and substance use conditions.
DATES: Electronic or written/paper comments will be accepted through
midnight eastern standard time (EST) January 31, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The set of questions is available in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section below. Public comments can be submitted in the
following ways:
<bullet> Electronic submissions can be filed online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> by following the ``Instructions for Public
Comments'' section below. Comments submitted electronically, including
attachments, will be posted to the docket unchanged. Evidence and
information supporting your comment can be submitted as attachments.
Please provide your contact information or organization name on the
web-based form for follow up by the Task Force.
<bullet> If you prefer to comment on paper, mail your comment to
the following address: 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 18E01, Rockville, MD
20857. For mailed submissions, OWH/SAMHSA will post your comment, as
well as any attachments, to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and insert the docket ID into the ``Search'' box
and follow the prompts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Kolick, Designated Federal
Officer, Advisory Committee for Women's Services, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 18E01, Rockville, MD 20857.
Phone: 240-276-1738 or Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bec8dfd2dbccd7db90d5d1d2d7ddd5fecddfd3d6cddf90d6d6cd90d9d1c8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="483e29242d3a212d66232724212b23083b2925203b296620203b662f273e">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1113 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328) requires the HHS Secretary
to establish a Task Force on Maternal Mental Health or incorporate the
duties, public meetings, and reports specified into existing relevant
Federal committees or working groups. The Task Force consists of
representatives of specific federal agencies and non-federal
individuals and entities who represent diverse disciplines and views.
The Task Force will evaluate and make recommendations to the ACWS for
further deliberation regarding improvements and coordination for
Federal activities that address maternal mental health and co-occurring
substance use disorders. The ACWS will make final recommendations to
the Secretary of Health and Human Services and to Congress.
The Task Force invites members of the public to comment on any
issues or concerns they believe are relevant or appropriate to the
state of maternal mental health programs at the Federal level, and
identification of best practices with respect to maternal mental health
and substance use. Specifically, the Task Force requests public comment
on the following questions:
1. Data, Research and Quality Improvement:
<bullet> What are the priority outcomes for pregnant and postpartum
individuals with substance use disorder and/or mental health
conditions?
<bullet> How would you define quality care for pregnant and
postpartum individuals with substance use disorders and/or mental
health conditions?
<bullet> What are the priority research questions and gaps related
to maternal substance use disorder and/or mental health conditions that
must be addressed to improve services and outcomes for individuals
while pregnant and postpartum?
2. Prevention, Screening and Diagnosis:
<bullet> What is lacking and what is working to support maternal
emotional health, and substance use and well-being during pregnancy and
after?
<bullet> What steps should be taken to ensure that approaches to
detecting maternal emotional health issues and substance use challenges
are culturally appropriate?
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<bullet> What can be done to help pregnant and postpartum
individuals feel more comfortable to open up about how they are
feeling? Who, where, and how might pregnant and postpartum individuals
feel safest about disclosing their experience?
3. Evidence-based Intervention and Treatment:
<bullet> What are key evidence-based intervention and treatment
models that should be broadly implemented to address maternal mental
health and substance use?
i. Do providers have the training and resources to appropriately
provide evidenced-based intervention and treatment or referral?
ii. Are community-based resources being utilized to bridge the gap
in education, evidence-based screening, and treatment or referral? If
not, what are the challenges of incorporating culturally competent
community-based health care workers?
<bullet> What are the barriers/gaps to evidence-based intervention
for maternal mental health and substance use among reproductive age
individuals? How do access and engagement differ between people who
have already received mental health and/or substance use treatment
prior to pregnancy versus those who never have?
<bullet> Are underserved populations represented in the research
and subsequent guidelines developed from the research for screening and
treatment? What evidence is still needed to inform guidelines for
screening and treatment, including for underrepresented, underserved
populations?
i. Underserved populations may include Black, Latino, and
Indigenous and American Indian/Alaska Native persons, Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious
minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex
(LGBTQI+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural
areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty
or inequality.
4. Evidence-Based Community Practices:
<bullet> What are the most pressing needs related to maternal
mental health and maternal substance use in your community? For the
purposes of this question, please define ``community'' however it most
resonates with you (e.g., geography, race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, and gender identity, disability status, American Indian/
Alaska Native status, veteran status, etc.)
<bullet> What strategies have been the most successful,
transformative, and/or sustainable in addressing maternal mental health
and maternal substance use needs in your community? What strategies
have been the least successful, transformative, and/or sustainable, and
why?
<bullet> What innovations are needed to better address maternal
mental health and substance use needs in your community (i.e., how can
community-based organizations and entrepreneurs partner to address gaps
and provide support for areas of identified need)?
5. Communications and Community Engagement:
<bullet> What do ideal services and resources look like for a
pregnant or postpartum individual in your community? And what are
barriers to access to these services?
<bullet> What steps should be taken to ensure that approaches to
detecting maternal emotional health issues and substance use challenges
are culturally appropriate?
<bullet> What can be done to help mothers and pregnant and
postpartum people feel more comfortable to open up about how they are
feeling? Who, where, and how might mothers and pregnant and postpartum
people feel safest about disclosing their experience?
How to submit a response: All submissions must be submitted in the
Docket ID HHS- for ``Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions from
the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health.'' Comments are encouraged
from the public and will be accepted through January 31, 2024. The
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> electronic filing system will accept
electronic comments until midnight eastern time at the end of January
31, 2024. Comments received by mail/courier will be considered if they
are postmarked or the delivery service acceptance receipt date is on or
before that date. Written comments via mail will be uploaded into
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and are under the same limitations as for
those directly submitted electronically into <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>: 5,000 character limit for text box, and maximum
number (10) of attached files and maximum size (10 MB) of each attached
file.
This RFI is for informational and planning purposes only and is not
a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the
Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to
it. Please note that the Government will not pay for the preparation of
any information submitted or for use of that information.
Alicia Broadus,
Public Health Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2023-28890 Filed 1-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P
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