Post Partum Depression Initiative
SNJPC has several services to help healthcare providers comply with new state requirements for educating and screening patients for postpartum depression (PPD):
Electronic Screening for PPD
New Jersey law now requires screening women for postpartum depression (PPD) after delivery and at their first few postpartum visits. The state recommends, but does not require, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for these screenings.
The EPDS is a 10-question self-assessment tool to identify mothers at risk for PPD. It is completed independently and privately. Although most providers offer the EPDS in a paper-and-ink format, the Cooperative is working with several participating pilot sites that allow patients to take the survey using TLC For Moms hand-held electronic devices. These devices can automatically transmit positive test results directly to a clinician via a seamless, HIPAA-compliant, and secure connection. English and Spanish voiceover cues assist women who have difficulty reading, or for whom English is a second language. This approach saves time and quickly connects patients with the assistance they need. SNJPC also provides technical support for the paperless screening system.
Safety Nets
Patients identified by the EPDS as being at risk of developing PPD are contacted by the TLC For Moms program and notified about the support groups. Any follow-up activities are shared with the provider. Patients with an urgent need, and who cannot be seen by managed care services within three to five days, are assessed for short-term psychotherapy at designated facilities.
Consumer Counseling Services
TLC For Moms weekly support groups offer professionally facilitated psycho-education for mothers suffering from PPD.
Groups convene at clinical pilot sites throughout South Jersey: Kennedy Health System in Washington Township, Virtua Health System in Voorhees, and Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point.
Sessions are free-of-charge, completely confidential, and open-ended: participants attend at-will for any length of time. Babies are welcome.
For more information about this program, contact SNJPC at 856-665-6000, or e-mail PPD@snjpc.org.
TLC for Moms is based on a program created by Virtua Health.
WarmLine
The TLC for Moms WarmLine (1-888-722-2903) is a toll-free call-back service offering one-on-one information about PPD. The WarmLine is staffed by a counselor and specialist who can refer women to support groups and answer PPD questions. WarmLine calls are returned weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please remember, the WarmLine is not an emergency service. For emergency calls, dial 911 or the nearest hospital.
Professional Education
In 2007, SNJPC produced Postpartum Depression and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a 45-minute, CME-certified (1.0 physician credit) DVD that identifies PPD requirements for healthcare professionals. It also provides an overview of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the state-recommended PPD screening tool, and education on perinatal mood disorders. Click here for CME materials.
South Jersey healthcare providers: click here to order your free copy.
For more information on PPD, visit the consumer section
On-site Professional Education
Consultants are available to provide free on-site assistance to improve the PPD screening and treatment process at inpatient units and ambulatory centers. This instruction covers:
- an expanded overview of PPD
- individual case presentations
- strategies for cross-referencing in-house physiological and mental health hospital services