The Perinatal Mental Health & Substance Use Education, Research & Clinical Consultation (PERC) Center is working to increase access to quality and timely perinatal (conception through 1 year postpartum) behavioral health care through clinical care, training and workforce development activities, and implementing and testing care delivery models.


Main Challenge

Washington State has about 80,000 births each year. At least 13,000 of the birthing parents experience behavioral health problems in the perinatal period but few receive the care they need. Our largely rural state has significant challenges in access to care, with a dearth of providers with expertise and willingness to treat their perinatal patients’ mental health. Access is especially challenging for people who are low income or members of ethnic minority groups.

Our Approach

  • We discover innovative approaches to deliver high quality and accessible behavioral health care to the perinatal population.
  • We build frontline providers’ capacity to care for their perinatal patients’ mental health through training and workforce development activities.
  • We support the implementation and evaluation of evidence based perinatal behavioral treatments across diverse healthcare and community based settings.

Contact

Jamie Adachi
Center Manager
mcmh@uw.edu
206-543-2448