Name
Poster 35 - Meaningful Follow-Up: The Impact of the Mama Bexar Model After Routine Screenings on Perinatal Mental Health
Date & Time
Friday, October 9, 2026, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location Name
Grand Foyer (4th Floor)
Description

The Mama Bexar Program is a multidisciplinary perinatal mental health initiative designed to improve maternal mental health through routine depression screening and meaningful follow-up across pregnancy and the postpartum period. Using standardized PHQ-3/9 screening at key perinatal milestones, counselors, nurses, and patient navigators identify individuals at risk and connect them with timely behavioral health services, education, and community resources. This evaluation examines changes in depressive symptoms over time and the impact of coordinated follow-up, with findings intended to inform scalable models for improving maternal mental health screening, care coordination, and access to support throughout the perinatal continuum.

Speakers
Mercedes Ingram, PhD, LPC
Mariluz Martinez, B.S.
Co-Authors
Yasmin Al-Rafati, MPH; Raquel Espino, M.S., LPC; Melissa Valdes, BSN, RN; Miguel Rodriguez, B.S.; LPC; Maria Luz Martinez, BA; Anna Taranova, MD
Tags
Care management, Population and public health, Social determinants of health or SDoH, Team-based care
Session Type
Poster
Evaluate changes in maternal depressive symptoms by examining longitudinal PHQ-3/9 scores collected at multiple perinatal timepoints from enrollment through 6 months postpartum.
Describe the reach and implementation of multidisciplinary follow-up interventions provided to participants who screen positive for depression, including behavioral health referrals, psychoeducation, care coordination, and linkage to community resources.
Assess the feasibility and value of a standardized, multidisciplinary perinatal mental health screening and navigation model for identifying maternal mental health needs and improving timely access to supportive services throughout the perinatal period.

Daw, J. R., MacCallum-Bridges, C. L., & Admon, L. K. (2025). Trends and disparities in maternal self-reported mental and physical health. JAMA Internal Medicine, 185(7), 857–865. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.1260

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2023). Screening and diagnosis of mental health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum (Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4). Obstetrics & Gynecology, 141(6), 1232–1261. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000005200

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2023). Treatment and management of mental health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum (Clinical Practice Guideline No. 5). Obstetrics & Gynecology, 141(6), 1262–1288. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000005202