Your browser doesn't support audio playback.
Only 10 states received a grade higher than C-Plus, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health’s 2026 Maternal Mental Health Report Card, but West Virginia’s B-Minus grade is an improvement from just three years ago.
The report card evaluates states on policies and programs that support maternal mental health, including screening, treatment access, provider training, and insurance coverage.
In 2023, West Virginia received a D-Minus on the report. That year, the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership received funding from the West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health.
“This funding enabled us to initiate a long-overdue statewide initiative to tackle perinatal mental health conditions among our population,” Amy Tolliver, executive Director of the WV Perinatal Partnership, said.
“According to the Alliance for Innovation for Maternal Health (AIM) data, 1 in 4 women who have given birth in West Virginia also have a perinatal mental health condition present. Since receiving the grant, we have been able to create a statewide multidisciplinary Maternal Mental Health Advisory Council (MMHAC) with five committees, sponsor over 200 full scholarships for maternal mental health trainings through Postpartum Support International (PSI), and add over 30 perinatal mental health certified providers to our state.”
The Perinatal Partnership recently launched the state’s first Perinatal Psychiatric Access Program (WV PPAP) designed to support frontline healthcare providers to build capacity to treat perinatal psychiatric disorders during pre-conception, pregnancy and postpartum.
Through real-time consultations and telehealth services Ob/Gyns and other primary care providers have access to a perinatal psychiatrist for diagnostic and treatment guidance for their patients.
“The program provides frontline healthcare providers with rapid access to expert diagnostic and treatment guidance, which in turn helps patients receive timely, evidence-based care,” Dr. Emily Boothe, psychiatrist and medical director of the WV PPAP, said.
“By reducing the reliance on a lengthy mental health referral process and connecting patients to appropriate care more quickly, WV PPAP ensures pregnant and postpartum individuals can access mental health care when they need it the most.”
The project is made possible through a federal grant of nearly $800,000 from the US Health Resources and Services Administration and is completely federally funded.
For more information about the Perinatal Partnership and its programs, visit www.wvperinatal.org or contact Amy Tolliver at atolliver@wvperinatal.org.