Licensed Professional Counselors: Advancing Maternal Mental Health in Congress

Maternal mental health is foundational to healthy motherhood, thriving families, and resilient communities. Licensed professional counselors bring specialized expertise in assessment, intervention, and ongoing support that can mitigate risks for mothers and infants alike. As policymakers consider measures to improve maternal health outcomes, it is essential to recognize how legislative proposals, particularly those centered on telehealth and behavioral health, can empower counselors to deliver high-quality care where and when it is most needed. 

Why Maternal Mental Health Matters

Maternal mental health encompasses a range of conditions, from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders to postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress related to pregnancy and new motherhood. Untreated maternal mental health concerns can have lasting effects on bonding, child development, and family functioning. Professional counselors contribute to multiple levels of compassionate care: 

• Assessment and early identification: Counselors use evidence-based screening and clinical interviewing to identify perinatal mood and anxiety disorders early, facilitating timely referrals and interventions. 
• Individual and family-centered treatment: Counseling approaches that involve the mother, partner, and family systems help address relational dynamics that influence maternal well-being. 
• Competent, Expert-Trained Care: Counselors tailor interventions to the individual, acknowledging the multiple factors that affect access to quality care and outcomes. 
• Care coordination and continuity: As part of integrated care teams, counselors help navigate medical, social, and community resources, promoting holistic health. 
• Outcome-focused practice: Through measurable goals and ongoing progress monitoring, counselors demonstrate tangible improvements in maternal mood, functioning, and family health. 

The Impact of Telemental Health on Maternal Mental Health Care 

Telemental health has transformed access to mental health services for pregnant and postpartum individuals who face barriers such as transportation, childcare, stigma, or rural isolation. The benefits of telehealth in maternal mental health align with the strengths of professional counselors: 

• Accessibility: Remote sessions reduce waiting times and travel burdens, enabling more consistent care during pregnancy and the postpartum period. 
• Flexibility: Telehealth supports appointment scheduling that fits mothers’ busy lives, including evening and weekend sessions. 
• Continuity of care: High-risk pregnancies or postpartum complications often require ongoing monitoring. Telehealth sustains therapeutic relationships across changes in settings. 
• Multidisciplinary collaboration: Virtual platforms facilitate real-time coordination with the mother’s care team, which may include obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, etc. 
• Crisis response and safety planning: Digital modalities can augment risk assessment, safety planning, and timely interventions when in-person visits are not feasible. 

For professional counselors, telehealth expands the reach of evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based approaches, and trauma-informed care that are effective for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and related concerns. 

Advancing Maternal Mental Health in Congress: Why Professional Counselors Should Advocate 

For years, Congress has focused on efforts to improve maternal health. During these times, we have witnessed vast improvements but have yet to reach the pinnacle where all mothers and families are receiving the care they require to live productive lives during pregnancy and postpartum. 

A focus on expanding access to telemental health and behavioral health services for pregnant and postpartum individuals would not only improve care, it would also likely reduce the nation’s infant mortality numbers. Counselors play a unique role because of their training, and the expertise obtained is designed uniquely to support this population. 

How Professional Counselors Can Impact Mothers and Families Through Supportive Legislation 

• Improved access leads to healthier mothers: With expanded Medicaid telehealth coverage, more mothers can access timely counseling and crisis intervention, reducing the risk of escalation to hospitalization or emergency care. 
• Enhanced infant and child outcomes: Maternal mood and functioning directly influence infant sleep, attachment, and developmental trajectories. Counselor-led interventions support healthier parent–child interactions and positive long-term outcomes. 
• Reduced stigma and barriers: Integrated behavioral health within Medicaid helps normalize mental health care during and after pregnancy, encouraging families to seek help without fear of stigma or financial strain. 
• Strengthened family systems: Involving partners and extended family through family-centered counseling creates supportive environments that sustain maternal recovery and promote resilience. 
• Cost-effectiveness and system efficiency: Early, accessible mental health care can reduce costly interventions later, such as hospitalizations or substance use treatment, yielding long-term savings for families and the health care system. 

Ways to Engage in Advocacy 

First, visit the NBCC Take Action page, where you can locate your legislators and send letters to Congress at the click of a button. 

You can also consider using your expertise in your community: 

• Educate stakeholders: Share evidence on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, effective therapies, and the benefits of telemental health with policymakers, payers, and health care systems. 
• Highlight client stories: Illustrate the benefits of how legislation can change access and outcomes for mothers and families. 
• Collaborate with professional associations: Partner with counseling associations, maternal health organizations, and Medicaid advisory groups to present a unified advocacy voice. 
• Provide policy-informed clinical input: Offer expert perspectives on feasible telehealth workflows, privacy considerations, and competent care delivery. 

Call to Action

Maternal mental health is not a niche concern; it is a public health priority with lasting implications for families and communities. By contacting your legislator, you can help expand access to care for mothers and their families.  

Increasing access to evidence-based maternal mental health care will advance support for pregnant and postpartum mothers in need. Counselor support strengthens the vehicle for early intervention, prevention, and family resilience. 

As trusted clinicians, counselors are already ethically committed to compassionate, competent, and accessible care. Participating in legislative engagement efforts that align with this commitment ensures that more mothers receive the support they need to thrive and that families have a stronger foundation for healthy futures. 

Click here to review bills and resolutions that are related to or reference maternal mental health. NBCC and Affiliates is sharing this list for your knowledge and does not necessarily support all the bills on this list. If you have questions, please email govtaffairs@nbcc.org.