Legislation

Jenny's Light Gives $26,000 in Grants!!

We received fifteen total applications from MN, CA, KS, NY, MA, AZ, and VA.

Jenny’s Light is funding seven of the fifteen.

Total amount awarded is $26,120

These are the ones we have chosen to fund…

Postpartum Support International (PSI) CA- $9,850
We are funding PSI’s educational DVD duplication & packaging, printing sales & informational brochures, postage and purchase of mailing lists from organizations. The Jenny’s Light logo will appear on the cover of the DVD as well as on the credits at the end of the video. This is a very powerful and informative DVD about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It features survivors as well as practioners speaking about ppd, signs & symptoms, way to get help, etc. It will be shown at hospitals, through agencies, and by healthcare providers, and will be shown to women from all socio-economic levels, and across all cultures.

Hennepin County Medical Center (Women’s Mental Health Program) MN- $4,800
We are funding the salary for the Project Coordinator position who will work to increase provider capacity and improve the quality of perinatal mental health screening and interventions. They plan to develop a model for screening and treating perinatal depression that different health care systems can implement. They will provide ongoing consultation to health care systems as they implement the model to ensure success and track outcomes. We like that HCMC serves a broad population in MN. Evaluation will be through number of clinics and providers trained, pre-/post-test assessment of knowledge, number/types of contacts and consumer satisfaction surveys.

Pregnancy & PP Support MN - $3,170
We are funding development & distribution of a MN perinatal mental health resource list and development of the PPSM website. A comprehensive resource list (8-page booklet) will be expanded and distributed to more people, including ob’s/peds/parent educators, etc. They want to make their website the ‘go-to’ organization for training Minnesota mental health providers and other medical professionals in treating perinatal mood disorders.

PP Resource Center Kansas - $3,000
We are funding the Community Organizer salary. PRC is a community organizing program that strives to help families be well before and after the birth of a child through programs that hinge on three critical components of recovery: medical treatment, psychological guidance, and social support. The organizer’s job will be to identify community leaders, educate them about perinatal mood disorders, teach them how to lead support meetings, and assist the communities in developing an action plan for identifying and helping families suffering with PMD get access to medical treatment, mental health care and social support. This particular project is aimed at low-income families in an effort to best meet their unique needs. Evaluation will be every 3 months by calling at least 10% of pregnant and postpartum tenants, assessing them, using Edinburgh scale, ask if they’ve head of PRC and describe its purpose and lastly ask them what they would do if they are feeling various symptoms.

Maternal Outreach Mood Services CA - $2,000
We are funding (1) furnishing a welcoming and comfortable therapy session room with rocking chairs and soothing decor (2) distribution of brochures for this support/service to local medical groups & physicians. The mailings will also include relevant research published about perinatal mood disorders and the importance of screening. MOMS is at El Camino Hospital and seeks to provide outreach, assessment, referral, and treatment services for women suffering from perinatal mood disorders. The primary focus of the MOMS program is its innovative, intensive outpatient day treatment program specifically for pregnant and postpartum women. Evaluation will be through patient surveys and number of referrals to the program.

Parenting Oasis MN - $1,800
We are funding rent, printing, supplies, postage, phone/fax so they can continue to be a resource for families in need of social support, therapy for depression or parenting skills and resources. They are a human service agency dedicated to strengthening, educating and supporting parents in the Twin Cities, from conception through the toddler years by providing community space, educational programs, and resources. They serve new parents in a peer-to-peer mentorship fashion and strive to be a family village that new families crave and feel comfortable going to. Regular surveys of member satisfaction and need assessment will be done four times a year and following special programs and classes.

Blossom Birth CA - $1,500
We are funding either salary for their Blossom Outreach Coordinator or purchase of resource materials and printing of instruction materials and flyers for outreach efforts. They are a resource center that provides parents and birth professionals with a holistic, non-judgmental view of pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting. Through classes, workshops, support groups, and accessibility to community resources, Blossom strives to support and inform expectant and new parents to raise healthy, secure children- making our community strong now and into the future. Evaluation will be through focus groups with new parents gathering data on the effectiveness of new materials on PMD introduced in the center. They will also track the number of brochures, handouts, books and DVDs on PMD that are distributed or referred to by clients per month.