By Lakisa Muhammad, CEO, Black Birth Equity NOW, and Dr. Kierra Otis, Director of Research and Evaluation, Black Birth Equity NOW

Aaliyah’s Story

After Aaliyah gave birth to her first child, she struggled with postpartum anxiety. For some time, she struggled silently, unsure of where to turn. After a month, she was able to make some time for self-care, and she visited her favorite nail salon. While spending a few hours at the salon with the nail technician she had seen for the last two years, she shared her experience of birth, the early postpartum days, and the transition into parenthood. As the nail technician heard Aaliyah talking about these experiences, she sensed that Aaliyah might be struggling with anxiety and recalled taking the “Black Perinatal Continuum of Care Toolkit” training a few months prior. One of the cross-cutting strategies that she recalled was referring to trusted and culturally relevant resources, which she did for Aaliyah. A few months later, Aaliyah returned and thanked her nail technician for the gentle nudge to seek support. It had made all the difference in her perinatal mental health. 

Aaliyah is one of the 40% of Black mothers who will struggle with some kind of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) (Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance). The Black Perinatal Continuum of Care Toolkit is a culturally relevant guide for anyone coming into contact with Black perinatal women; it provides solid tools or “cross-cutting strategies” to support the perinatal mental health of Black communities. As reported by the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, Black women are twice as likely to experience a PMAD and half as likely to receive treatment. Given this context, it is critical that strategies to address perinatal mental health are culturally relevant and creative. 

The Black Arizonan Perinatal Continuum of Care Toolkit – An AMCHP Replication Project 

The original Toolkit was developed by the Colorado Perinatal Mental Health Action Network, a regional collaboration, and shared with the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) to include in the Innovation Hub. To adapt the original Toolkit for a Black audience, Lakisa Muhammad and Dr. Kierra Otis assembled a community input team (CIT). This team consisted of a group of Black Arizonan parents, birth workers, teachers, academics, business owners, and trusted community members. 

The CIT met six times to review the original Toolkit and adapt it for a Black Arizonan audience. These adaptations focused on improving the aesthetics, content, and intended audience, leading to the development of a draft of the Black Arizona Perinatal Continuum of Care Toolkit. During this process, the CIT members also fostered relationships with one another, which all agreed would facilitate collaboration on future efforts. 

Now that the Toolkit has been adapted and a network of stakeholders has been engaged, we are well-positioned for the implementation of the Toolkit. The next phase will be held by Black Birth Equity Now, a newly founded nonprofit organization led by Lakisa Muhammad. It will consist of train-the-trainer workshops with people who are not traditionally trained in perinatal mental health support, including nail technicians, salon workers, massage therapists, and those who are more obviously working with Black perinatal communities (health care workers, birth workers, teachers, and more). 

The Replication Project Experience

By participating in this replication project opportunity with AMCHP, the project leads were able to gain valuable education around project management and planning, as well as data and evaluation. This education has served other efforts related to the reproductive health and justice work that the project leads continue to engage in.