File #: Int 0890-2024    Version: Name: Implementing a pilot program to establish postpartum support groups.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted (Mayor's Desk for Signature)
Committee: Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction
On agenda: 5/16/2024
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law in relation to implementing a pilot program to establish postpartum support groups
Sponsors: Linda Lee, Lincoln Restler, Justin L. Brannan, Sandra Ung, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Amanda Farías, Shahana K. Hanif, Mercedes Narcisse, Lynn C. Schulman, Crystal Hudson, Diana I. Ayala, Pierina Ana Sanchez, Tiffany Cabán, Julie Won, Erik D. Bottcher, Farah N. Louis, Kalman Yeger , Carlina Rivera , Darlene Mealy
Council Member Sponsors: 19
Summary: This bill would require the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to implement a three-year pilot program to establish postpartum support groups focused on the mental health of postpartum individuals. The support groups would be professionally facilitated and provide access to peer support, educational materials on postpartum mental health and postpartum stressors, and resources on home visiting support, lactation consultants, and other maternal health experts. There would need to be at least one group established in each borough, at least one group established in each of the three community districts with the highest rates of postpartum mental health issues, and at least one group established in each of the three community districts facing the greatest community and geographic impacts due to factors such as structural racism, high poverty rates, limited access to healthcare services, and social determinants of poor mental health. The Commissioner would be required to submit to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council, and post online, a report on the program, in part including recommendations on whether to establish a permanent postpartum support group program.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 890-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 890, 3. Int. No. 890, 4. May 16, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 5-16-24, 6. Committee Report 6/25/24, 7. Hearing Testimony 6/25/24, 8. Hearing Transcript 6/25/24, 9. Proposed Int. No. 890-A - 9/19/24, 10. Committee Report 9/26/24, 11. Hearing Transcript 9/26/24, 12. September 26, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 13. Fiscal Impact Statement
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
9/26/2024ALinda Lee City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/26/2024ALinda Lee City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
9/26/2024*Linda Lee Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/26/2024*Linda Lee Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/26/2024*Linda Lee Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
9/26/2024ALinda Lee Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
6/25/2024*Linda Lee Committee on Women and Gender Equity Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/25/2024*Linda Lee Committee on Women and Gender Equity Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/25/2024*Linda Lee Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/25/2024*Linda Lee Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
5/16/2024*Linda Lee City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
5/16/2024*Linda Lee City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 890-A

 

By Council Members Lee, Restler, Brannan, Ung, Gutiérrez, Farías, Hanif, Narcisse, Schulman, Hudson, Ayala, Sanchez, Cabán, Won, Bottcher, Louis, Yeger, Rivera and Mealy

 

A Local Law in relation to implementing a pilot program to establish postpartum support groups

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Postpartum support group pilot program. a. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:

Agency. The term “agency” has the same meaning as set forth in section 1-112 of the administrative code of the city of New York.

Commissioner. The term “commissioner” means the commissioner of health and mental hygiene.

Department. The term “department” means the department of health and mental hygiene.

Postpartum support group. The term “postpartum support group” means a group of postpartum individuals who meet virtually or in-person.

b. Program established. The commissioner shall coordinate with any agency or any community-based organization the commissioner deems appropriate to implement a pilot program to establish postpartum support groups. Such groups shall:

1. Involve professionally facilitated meetings focused on the mental health of postpartum individuals, that include, at a minimum, access to peer support;

2. Make available to such individuals, at a minimum, educational materials on postpartum mental health, resources and techniques for addressing postpartum stressors, and resources regarding home visiting support, lactation consultants, obstetricians, and gynecologists;

3. Incorporate, as deemed appropriate by the commissioner, best practices with respect to maternal mental health that are identified in the most recent report issued by the task force on maternal mental health within the federal department of health and human services pursuant to paragraph 1 of subsection (c) and subsection (e) of section 1113 of the consolidated appropriations act of 2023; and

4. Each serve a number of postpartum individuals as determined by the commissioner.

c. Postpartum support group locations. In implementing the pilot program required by subdivision b of this section, the commissioner shall establish:

1. At least 1 postpartum support group in each borough;

2. At least 1 postpartum support group in each of the 3 community districts with the highest rates of postpartum mental health issues, as identified by the commissioner; and

3. At least 1 postpartum support group in each of the 3 community districts facing the greatest community and geographic impacts due to factors including structural racism, high poverty rates, limited access to healthcare services, social determinants of poor mental health, and other factors the department deems relevant.

d. Implementation. The pilot program established by subdivision b of this section shall commence no later than 180 days after the effective date of this local law and shall be in effect for 3 years.

e. Informational materials. 1. The commissioner shall create materials in the designated citywide languages as defined in section 23-1101 of the administrative code of the city of New York that provide information regarding the pilot program established by subdivision b of this section, including but not limited to:

(a) The types of resources provided through the postpartum support groups;

(b) The meeting locations of such groups; and

(c) The telephone number or other contact information for the department.

2. No later than 180 days after the effective date of this local law, the commissioner shall:

(a) Make such materials available to healthcare providers for dissemination to postpartum individuals; and

(b) Post such materials on the department’s website.

f. Report. 1. No later than 1 year after the end of the pilot program established by subdivision b of this section, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council and post on the department’s website a report on such program. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

(a) The number of postpartum individuals who were served through such program;

(b) The number of individuals who facilitated meetings of the postpartum support groups established through such program;

(c) The community districts the postpartum support groups were placed in as identified by the commissioner as required by paragraph 2 of subdivision c of this section;

(d) The community districts the postpartum support groups were placed in as identified by the commissioner as required by paragraph 3 of subdivision c of this section;

(e) Whether the commissioner established a postpartum support group in each borough and in certain community districts as required by subdivision c of this section, and if not, the reasons why;

(f) Any challenges with maintaining such program;

(g) Any recommendations for increasing access to mental health resources for postpartum individuals; and

(h) Recommendations as to whether to establish a permanent postpartum support group program and whether and how to expand such program.

2. Such report shall also include a table with a separate row for each postpartum support group, indicated by a unique identification number. Each such row shall include the following information, set forth in separate columns:

(a) Such unique identification number;

(b) The borough in which the postpartum support group was established;

(c) The community district in which such group was established;

(d) The number of postpartum individuals who were served through such group;

(e) The number of individuals who facilitated the meetings of such group; and

(f) The most common meeting location of such group.

3. All data in such report shall be reported in a machine-readable format.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law.

JEF/SOS

LS #16508

9/18/2024 8:15pm