As some of you may know, the AAMC launched a 10-point strategic plan to address some of the most pressing issues facing patients, academic health systems, providers, and learners. As a part of Strategic Action Plan 7: Improve Access to Health Care for All, one of our top priorities is to address the U.S. mental health care crisis impacting adults, children, and pregnant individuals.
Our aim is to advocate for changes in health care policy and support academic health systems in obtaining the necessary information to make systems-level changes and strike fruitful and transparent partnerships with communities. We actively engage our members on the evidence-based practice of integrated behavioral health (IBH), promote technology-assisted mental health care, and seek to provide vital information on the devastating disparities and gaps in maternal mental health care.
To this end, the Action Plan 7 (AP7) team has:
This fall, we will be launching a new webinar series titled, Improving Maternal Mental Health Outcomes: Varied Approaches to Closing the Gap of Care. The first webinar featuring Postpartum Support International on Perinatal Mental Health Hotlines & Resources will be held Monday, September 11th from 4:00 – 5:00pm ET. We encourage you to register and share the news with your colleagues!
Additionally, we are looking to build community and provide a platform for consistent knowledge-sharing and improvement of mental health care. If any folks working in mental health are interested in connecting, please let us know here or email mentalhealth@aamc.org! We would appreciate the opportunity to engage more people about this important topic, hear about your work, and use these connections to make the AAMC more representative of patient and physician voices.
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Nailah Russell
Program Specialist
Association of American Medical Colleges
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