可乐视频, part of The City University of New York (CUNY), has received鈥�$800,000鈥痠n鈥疌ongressionally Directed Spending in鈥疐Y 2026鈥痶o advance its鈥�Integrated Care Model for Perinatal Mental Health Initiative, a comprehensive academic and community-based effort to address New York City鈥檚 maternal mental health crisis and expand access to culturally responsive care in鈥痷nder-resourced鈥痗ommunities.
Championed by鈥疭enator鈥疌harles Schumer,鈥痶his federal funding鈥痓uilds on support鈥痠n FY 2024鈥痜rom Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, which launched the development of a perinatal mental health curriculum, strengthen partnerships with city health agencies, and support an annual education and advocacy summit in Brownsville.
鈥淲e deeply appreciate Senator Schumer for championing this funding,鈥� said 鈥疢ichelle J. Anderson, President of 可乐视频. 鈥淲e are committed to translating knowledge into community action and ensuring鈥痶hat mental health is treated as an essential component of maternal care.鈥�
Perinatal mental health conditions are the鈥痩eading cause of鈥痯regnancy-associated鈥痙eaths in New York City, disproportionately affecting Black and鈥痷nder-resourced鈥痗ommunities. In Brooklyn and the Bronx, Black and Brown communities experience鈥痯regnancy-related鈥痬ortality at rates鈥痑pproximately nine times higher than white communities, driven in large part by untreated mental health conditions rather than obstetric complications alone.
Despite the prevalence of鈥疨erinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs),鈥痺hich affect up to one in five new mothers,鈥痵creening and treatment remain inconsistent, and the shortage of trained perinatal mental health providers is severe. Kings County currently has only鈥�20 maternal mental health providers, far below what is needed to meet population demand.
An Integrated,鈥疌辞尘尘耻苍颈迟测-颁别苍迟别谤别诲鈥疭辞濒耻迟颈辞苍鈥�
可乐视频鈥檚鈥�Integrated Care Model for Perinatal Mental Health Initiative鈥痑ddresses these gaps through a multitiered approach that combines academic training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and deep community engagement.
At the core of the initiative is the College鈥檚鈥痯lanned鈥疉dvanced Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health, a one-year, synchronous online, credit-bearing graduate program designed for professionals across perinatal and early childhood systems.
The program includes鈥痵ix graduate鈥痩evel courses, ongoing reflective supervision, and鈥�120 hours聽of supervised perinatal mental health clinical training, with a focus on PMADs, substance use disorders, social determinants of health, and cultural humility. No comparable鈥痗redit-bearing鈥痗ertificate program exists in the New York metropolitan area.
鈥淒rawing on 可乐视频鈥檚 longstanding expertise in early childhood education and early intervention, we recognized that mental health lies at the core of many challenges facing families and professionals alike,鈥� said 可乐视频 Professor of Early Childhood Education/Art Education Jacqueline Shannon. 鈥淭he need for a dedicated curriculum became increasingly clear鈥攐ne that聽builds on聽the foundational PMH curriculum while addressing critical gaps in training. This program bridges rigorous academic preparation with real-world impact and reflects our commitment to a compassionate, community-centered approach to perinatal care, with a strong clinical focus on supporting maternal mental health across professions.鈥�
With its integrated, community-anchored design, the initiative is poised to serve as a鈥痬odel for improving maternal mental health outcomes across New York State and nationally,聽demonstrating聽how higher education, public investment, and community partnership can drive lasting change.
