Breaking down the stigma around miscarriage and stillbirth

Latin American women in San Francisco have suffered from post-partum depression, social isolation, and chronic stress at the time of their pregnancies. Run by midwives, the Centering Pregnancy program at the San Francisco General Hospital provides patient-centered care, an environment to speak in Spanish, and a nurturing community for women’s group appointments. The results boast fewer c-sections and pre-term births, and an improvement in emotional support and overall prenatal health.

The anti-violence program at a YMCA in Chicago has war veterans mentoring young gang members as a treatment for the mental and physical wounds of violence. The gang members have healthy role models and the veterans a new sense of purpose.

Children who have been through traumatic experiences have trouble opening up to people. A virtual program in Mexico City created by psychotherapists uses animated characters to get children to explain their thoughts.

Domestic violence victims often suffer in silence and do not have encouragement to find help. San Luis Obispo in California has created a program RISE that trains primary care physicians to identify signs of domestic abuse and collaborates with clinics to treat and rehabilitate victims. The Affordable Care Act provides coverage for domestic violence screenings, offering financial incentives to help get victims the help that they need.

In a regular court it is very difficult for a person with a history of drug abuse to regain custody of their children. The state of Wisconsin is promoting trauma-informed drug courts which offer participants the chance to get their children back if they pass a strict rehab program.

In some D.C. neighborhoods with high rates of teen pregnancy, schools are stepping in with more than just school nurses; dedicated midwives have conversations with students, educating students, providing birth control, and supporting teens who have had children and continued with high school. The informal advice and constant presence in schools mean the midwives can reach students who might not have reached out otherwise, ultimately helping to prevent teen pregnancies and build healthier families.

New Mexico has been fighting the rise of the opioid epidemic for decades, so when medical professionals noticed an increase in opioid-dependent mothers giving birth, one doctor started a new program to address this. This program uses both medication-assisted substance abuse treatment and behavioral therapy, and has resulted in a decrease in overdose deaths.

Two regions within Kenya, Mandera and Isiolo, have made significant strides in reducing their rate of maternal mortality cases. Both counties employed similar tactics, such as improving facility quality, increasing the number of healthcare workers, and training local community volunteers to advocate for ante-natal care. Among other metrics, Mandera now records 588 deaths per 100,000 live births (down from 3,795), and Isiolo now has 57 facilities (up from 47) to make healthcare more accessible.

The Nurse-Family Partnership pairs low-income, first-time parents with a personal nurse from pregnancy through their child's second birthday. The Partnership serves 56,000 families each year, and works to help improve pregnancy outcomes for both parents and their babies through early education, access to care and helping to empower parents to get the care they need.

Teenspace is a free online therapy program that offers video and text-based mental health support. Nearly 7,000 teens have signed up for the program so far, and 65% of them have reported an improvement in their mental health since connecting to a licensed therapist through the platform.