[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1110-1111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28890]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions From the Task Force 
on Maternal Mental Health

AGENCY: Office on Women's Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Health, Office of the Secretary; Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS)

ACTION: Notice of request for information

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Task Force on Maternal Mental Health (Task Force), which 
is being implemented as a subcommittee of the SAMHSA Advisory Committee 
for Women's Services (ACWS), solicits public comments on a set of 
questions concerning the context, policies, effectiveness, promising 
practices, and limitations and gaps related to prevention and treatment 
of maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders 
(inclusive of alcohol use/misuse) and its complications. The Task Force 
is required to solicit public comments, as appropriate, from 
stakeholders for the purposes of developing a report that analyzes and 
evaluates the state of maternal mental health programs at the Federal 
level and identifies best practices with respect to maternal mental 
health and substance use disorders as well as a national strategy for 
improving maternal mental health. The taskforce will be highlighting 
recommendations that fall within the pregnancy and postpartum (up to 1 
year after birth) periods for individuals with or at risk for mental 
health and substance use conditions.

DATES: Electronic or written/paper comments will be accepted through 
midnight eastern standard time (EST) January 31, 2024.

ADDRESSES: The set of questions is available in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section below. Public comments can be submitted in the 
following ways:
     Electronic submissions can be filed online at http://www.regulations.gov by following the ``Instructions for Public 
Comments'' section below. Comments submitted electronically, including 
attachments, will be posted to the docket unchanged. Evidence and 
information supporting your comment can be submitted as attachments. 
Please provide your contact information or organization name on the 
web-based form for follow up by the Task Force.
     If you prefer to comment on paper, mail your comment to 
the following address: 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 18E01, Rockville, MD 
20857. For mailed submissions, OWH/SAMHSA will post your comment, as 
well as any attachments, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket ID into the ``Search'' box 
and follow the prompts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Kolick, Designated Federal 
Officer, Advisory Committee for Women's Services, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 18E01, Rockville, MD 20857. 
Phone: 240-276-1738 or Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1113 of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328) requires the HHS Secretary 
to establish a Task Force on Maternal Mental Health or incorporate the 
duties, public meetings, and reports specified into existing relevant 
Federal committees or working groups. The Task Force consists of 
representatives of specific federal agencies and non-federal 
individuals and entities who represent diverse disciplines and views. 
The Task Force will evaluate and make recommendations to the ACWS for 
further deliberation regarding improvements and coordination for 
Federal activities that address maternal mental health and co-occurring 
substance use disorders. The ACWS will make final recommendations to 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services and to Congress.
    The Task Force invites members of the public to comment on any 
issues or concerns they believe are relevant or appropriate to the 
state of maternal mental health programs at the Federal level, and 
identification of best practices with respect to maternal mental health 
and substance use. Specifically, the Task Force requests public comment 
on the following questions:
    1. Data, Research and Quality Improvement:
     What are the priority outcomes for pregnant and postpartum 
individuals with substance use disorder and/or mental health 
conditions?
     How would you define quality care for pregnant and 
postpartum individuals with substance use disorders and/or mental 
health conditions?
     What are the priority research questions and gaps related 
to maternal substance use disorder and/or mental health conditions that 
must be addressed to improve services and outcomes for individuals 
while pregnant and postpartum?
    2. Prevention, Screening and Diagnosis:
     What is lacking and what is working to support maternal 
emotional health, and substance use and well-being during pregnancy and 
after?
     What steps should be taken to ensure that approaches to 
detecting maternal emotional health issues and substance use challenges 
are culturally appropriate?

[[Page 1111]]

     What can be done to help pregnant and postpartum 
individuals feel more comfortable to open up about how they are 
feeling? Who, where, and how might pregnant and postpartum individuals 
feel safest about disclosing their experience?
    3. Evidence-based Intervention and Treatment:
     What are key evidence-based intervention and treatment 
models that should be broadly implemented to address maternal mental 
health and substance use?
    i. Do providers have the training and resources to appropriately 
provide evidenced-based intervention and treatment or referral?
    ii. Are community-based resources being utilized to bridge the gap 
in education, evidence-based screening, and treatment or referral? If 
not, what are the challenges of incorporating culturally competent 
community-based health care workers?
     What are the barriers/gaps to evidence-based intervention 
for maternal mental health and substance use among reproductive age 
individuals? How do access and engagement differ between people who 
have already received mental health and/or substance use treatment 
prior to pregnancy versus those who never have?
     Are underserved populations represented in the research 
and subsequent guidelines developed from the research for screening and 
treatment? What evidence is still needed to inform guidelines for 
screening and treatment, including for underrepresented, underserved 
populations?
    i. Underserved populations may include Black, Latino, and 
Indigenous and American Indian/Alaska Native persons, Asian Americans 
and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious 
minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex 
(LGBTQI+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural 
areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty 
or inequality.
    4. Evidence-Based Community Practices:
     What are the most pressing needs related to maternal 
mental health and maternal substance use in your community? For the 
purposes of this question, please define ``community'' however it most 
resonates with you (e.g., geography, race, ethnicity, sexual 
orientation, and gender identity, disability status, American Indian/
Alaska Native status, veteran status, etc.)
     What strategies have been the most successful, 
transformative, and/or sustainable in addressing maternal mental health 
and maternal substance use needs in your community? What strategies 
have been the least successful, transformative, and/or sustainable, and 
why?
     What innovations are needed to better address maternal 
mental health and substance use needs in your community (i.e., how can 
community-based organizations and entrepreneurs partner to address gaps 
and provide support for areas of identified need)?
    5. Communications and Community Engagement:
     What do ideal services and resources look like for a 
pregnant or postpartum individual in your community? And what are 
barriers to access to these services?
     What steps should be taken to ensure that approaches to 
detecting maternal emotional health issues and substance use challenges 
are culturally appropriate?
     What can be done to help mothers and pregnant and 
postpartum people feel more comfortable to open up about how they are 
feeling? Who, where, and how might mothers and pregnant and postpartum 
people feel safest about disclosing their experience?
    How to submit a response: All submissions must be submitted in the 
Docket ID HHS- for ``Solicitation for Public Comments on Questions from 
the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health.'' Comments are encouraged 
from the public and will be accepted through January 31, 2024. The 
https://www.regulations.gov electronic filing system will accept 
electronic comments until midnight eastern time at the end of January 
31, 2024. Comments received by mail/courier will be considered if they 
are postmarked or the delivery service acceptance receipt date is on or 
before that date. Written comments via mail will be uploaded into 
https://www.regulations.gov and are under the same limitations as for 
those directly submitted electronically into https://www.regulations.gov: 5,000 character limit for text box, and maximum 
number (10) of attached files and maximum size (10 MB) of each attached 
file.
    This RFI is for informational and planning purposes only and is not 
a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the 
Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to 
it. Please note that the Government will not pay for the preparation of 
any information submitted or for use of that information.

Alicia Broadus,
Public Health Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2023-28890 Filed 1-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P