Supporting national efforts to call attention to the #1 complication of childbirth, Florida Governor Rick Scott has proclaimed May as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month. The Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative offers these strategies for supporting awareness efforts:
- Sign up for the awareness campaign of the National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health. Find it HERE. Spread the awareness messages they will release throughout your community each day the week of 5/1-5/7.
- Write to your area legislators about the importance of the mental health of Moms, Dads and babies. Let them hear from their constituents!
- Host a community screening and discussion of Dark Side of The Full Moon from Florida’s own Maureen Fura and Jennifer Silliman.
- Wear blue on WORLD MMH Awareness day, May 3rd in honor of the Blue Dot, the international symbol for maternal mental health awareness. Order BlueDotProject products at their site HERE.
- View or screen a new documentary, When The Bough Breaks in your community.
- Spread awareness of Postpartum Support International’s numerous resources from their website HERE. Consider rallying support of offices, hospitals, organizations in your community by ordering English and Spanish awareness posters HERE.
- Visit PSI’s bookstore HERE for a huge selection of must reads!
- Visit World MMH Day website to learn more about the resources including posters in several languages!
- Learn more about the Postpartum Society of Florida, visit their website HERE and consider adding to your community resource list!
- Visit the SeventhMomProject.org, located in Tampa and doing amazing peer support and education.
- Visit The Healing Hand Project by Jennifer Silliman to send another Mom hope.
- Don’t forget LOSS: visit PSI’s list of resources for perinatal loss HERE.
- Use social media hashtags: #FLMomsMatter and #ConnectTheDots throughout the month of May.