The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is committed to addressing and identifying birth problems that residents face. Promoting community engagement, the state facilitated town halls to identify birth problems faced by residents. The Advancing Healthy Births strategic plan was created as a result of the town halls. One of the goals of this plan is to bring birth deaths and birth disparities down to zero.

The plan is to achieve this goal by addressing four areas until 2028: health across the reproductive span, full-term and healthy baby weights, safe sleeping for infants, and overall mental/behavioral health and well-being.

MC3 is in a unique position to support the Advancing Healthy Births plan. MC3’s mission is to provide no-cost psychiatry services to address the mental/behavioral health of children, adolescents, and perinatal women. We support providers by offering consultation and resources for their patients. Additionally, our Perinatal Patient Care program provides free, direct mental health support for pregnant and postpartum women.

Together, we can support the Advancing Healthy Births initiative. Let us support you and your patients. Anyone working with pregnant and postpartum families in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, Ingham, and Washtenaw Counties can refer to MC3 Perinatal Patient Care, including:

• OB/GYN, General Medicine, and Family Medicine M.D.s, D.O.s, N.P.s, P.A.s, and C.N.M.s
• midwives, doulas, and lactation consultants,
• social workers,
• and even pediatricians, who can refer mothers of babies up to 12 months old.

For more information on the MC3 Perinatal Patient Care program, visit its webpage or email us at MC3PPCinfo@umich.edu. 

Maria Muzik, M.D., M.S.

MC3 Perinatal Medical Director

If you are a prescriber and have never submitted a consult with MC3, or it's been a while since you've submitted one, watch this brief video that explains the process!

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has many excellent resources and learning opportunities. Check these out: 

• Social Media and Youth Mental Health Question & Answer Portal: This interactive Q&A Portal is a two-way communication channel that allows clinicians, educators, parents/families, youth, and others to submit questions about social media and mental well-being. 

• AAP Pediatric Mental Health Care: Access and Capacity Building in Primary Care ECHO: Cohort 2: This ECHO program will support pediatric primary care professionals (PCP) to increase their knowledge, competence, and confidence in providing behavioral and mental health care to pediatric patients and their families. The first session will be on February 7.

• Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention

• Information for parents from HealthyChildren.org on how to help prevent suicide

Substance use disorder consults: Whenever you would like a consult related to substance use disorder, you can submit a consult request to the Michigan Opioid Collaborative (MOC). 

A photo from Sen. Debbie Stabenow's tour of MSU Health Care Pediatrics Lansing in Sep. 2023. Pictured, L-R: HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, MC3 Behavioral Health Consultant Mindy Evans, MC3 Consulting Psychiatrist Dr. Richard Dopp, Senator Stabenow, Dr. Lia Gaggino, and Dr. Yakov Sigal

MC3 Outreach Specialist Jessica Jenkins (L) and Behavioral Health Consultant Karen Duczyminski (R) at the MPCA conference in Traverse City in Sep. 2023

Dr. Rena Menke (L), Lead Perinatal Behavioral Health Consultant for MC3's Perinatal Patient Care program, with Outreach Specialist Jessica Jenkins (R) at the Michigan Premier Public Health Conference in Bellaire in Oct. 2023