46: Advocacy & Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadow

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito is a member of the the North Shore Postpartum Taskforce [NSPPDT and is a Commissioner with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Special Commission on Postpartum Depression. Jamie helps educate the Statehouse and stakeholders on maternal mental health illnesses, gaps in the system and what mom’s may need to get better. Jamie partnered with grassroots groups and local legislators to help ensure passage of funding for MCPAP for Mom’s, PPD pilot program and implementation of universal maternal mental health screening for Mom’s in the Commonwealth, commencing in 2016.

In partnership with Senator Lovely, Senator Tarr and Representative Story, Jamie helped to establish the first ever maternal mental health Advocacy and Awareness Day at the Statehouse in June 2015. Jamie has since been working with Congresswoman Katherine Clark [D- MA5], Senator Elizabeth Warren [D- MA] and Senator Ed Markey [D- MA] offices on federal level maternal mental health complications legislation. She is working with Congress to pass House and Senate bills “Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act of 2015” [HR3235/S2311]. She has over 15 years working in state and federal advocacy.

Jamie is a two time survivor of pregnancy and postpartum depression. It was during this time that Jamie learned first hand about the difficulties of finding quality mental health care to address maternal mental health complications, as well as the lack of communication around the issue of maternal mental health complications at the OB/GYN’s, primary health care, and pediatrics offices.