New hotline launches for clinicians treating maternal mental health

A new pilot expansion of the Child Psychiatry Access Network recently launched. The Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network is now available in select Texas regions for clinicians to call when necessary. PeriPAN is a clinician-to-clinician hotline for physicians treating pregnant women and new mothers who may be experiencing mental health distress. Family physicians, obstetricians, pediatricians, psychiatrists, midwives, and more health care professionals are welcome to call the hotline.

The network of psychiatrists assist providers by offering prompt, phone-based consultation, resource and referral navigation, medication management, diagnostic clarification, and education on reproductive mental health. According to PeriPAN, in 2019, nearly 50,000 Texas women who gave birth suffered from depression.

The program is currently available in four pilot regions, all based on the medical institutions responsible for responding to calls — the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Check out the map to see if you are in any of the regions.

Physicians can call (888) 901-2726 to reach the hotline, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for state holidays. You will receive a call back from a mental health clinician within 30 minutes who will help you assess the situation and address your needs.

The pilot program is state funded and will hopefully expand to other regions of the state in the future.