Maternal Mental Health NOW grew out of one woman’s ordeal. After the birth of her daughter, Kimberly Wong, Esq. suffered from such severe postpartum depression that she wanted to end her life. Despite good healthcare and strong familial and social support, she struggled to find informed help. Kimberly formed a group in 2007 that would become Maternal Mental Health NOW, a project of 501(c)(3) Community Partners.

Maternal Mental Health NOW believes that the mental and emotional experience of welcoming a baby to the family impacts the entire family unit.

We believe that addressing mental health during the perinatal (pre-conception to one year postpartum) period is as important as screening for gestational diabetes, and that a parent’s emotional well-being can have as much of an impact on the infant’s life as the nutrition that the baby receives in the womb. We work with healthcare providers, health systems, and state and local government to make the prevention, screening, and treatment of perinatal anxiety and depression part of the standard of prenatal and postpartum care for every new parent in LA County, regardless of their circumstances. We center historically oppressed, marginalized, and under-resourced parents at the heart of our work, as they regularly experience the most significant challenges to receiving timely, informed, and culturally appropriate care.