Perinatal Behavioral Health · Ancillary Services

The maternal mental health crisis is treatable. We treat it.

Mood and anxiety disorders are one of the biggest gaps in maternity care, mental health is now the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States.1 Ouma pairs universal screening with real perinatal mental health specialists, so women living with a silent, treatable illness are found and cared for within days.

Care through the full first year postpartum· Perinatal mental health NPs· Reproductive psychiatry for complex cases· MFM-supervised
  1. CDC Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). Mental health conditions, including suicide and overdose, are the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the U.S.; more than 4 in 5 (>80%) of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
#11
cause: mental health conditions are now the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the U.S.
>80%1
of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable
~1 in 52
perinatal individuals experience a mood or anxiety disorder (PMAD)
~75%2
of those go untreated
  1. CDC Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). Mental health conditions, including suicide and overdose, are the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the U.S.; more than 4 in 5 (>80%) of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
  2. Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health / MMHLA. About 1 in 5 perinatal individuals experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder (PMAD); up to ~75% go untreated.
The silent-disease gap

A disease nobody was looking for

4 in 51

More than 4 in 5 pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Depression and anxiety are among the most preventable of all, if someone screens, and someone acts.

For decades, the deadliest risks in pregnancy were hemorrhage and hypertension. That has changed. Today, mental health conditions, including suicide and overdose, are the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the country.1

These deaths are not driven by untreatable illness. They are driven by illness that goes unseen.

Everyone in maternity is busier than ever, and screening for mood disorders is the thing that quietly falls off the visit. So women carry a silent illness that no one has named.

It follows them through pregnancy, through delivery, and into a postpartum period when they are most vulnerable and least likely to ask for help.

  1. CDC Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). Mental health conditions, including suicide and overdose, are the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the U.S.; more than 4 in 5 (>80%) of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
100%3
of members screened for mood disorders
~1 in 33
diagnosed mood disorders were previously unknown to the local provider
What universal screening actually finds

When Ouma launched its Medicaid program, we made a decision most practices cannot: screen 100% of members for mood disorders. For roughly a third of the patients we diagnosed, their local provider had never known, and nothing had been done.3 These were not new illnesses. They were illnesses no one had gone looking for.

Timeliness is the other half of the job. Ouma gets these patients to care the same day or within a couple of days.3 That's a meaningful quality measure, and a kindness.

  1. Ouma program data: universal screening of members, screening and diagnosis findings, time to first behavioral-health appointment, coverage window, crisis protocol, and quality-measure impact.
The care team

Not a coaching app. Not a peer chat line.

Behavioral health at Ouma is a real clinical team, built specifically for the perinatal period and backed by subspecialty medicine.

Perinatal Mental Health NPs (PMHNPs)

Your patient's primary behavioral-health clinician.

  • Assess, diagnose, and treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
  • Trained specifically for pregnancy and postpartum, including the medication questions unique to this period
  • Relationship-based: the same clinician across the journey wherever possible

MFM Supervision & Collaboration

Subspecialty medicine behind every plan.

  • Work under the supervision of and in collaboration with an MFM physician
  • Keep behavioral-health care coordinated with the realities of a high-risk or complex pregnancy
  • Built on the same MFM-led model that defines every Ouma service line

Reproductive Psychiatry

For the cases beyond everyone's comfort.

  • Available for complex presentations that exceed the team's and the referring provider's comfort level
  • Ensure escalation happens inside the program, not as a dead-end referral out
  • Add depth on demand, without the patient having to start over somewhere new
Scope of care

What this program helps with, and what it provides

Ouma behavioral health covers the whole perinatal window, throughout pregnancy and the entire first year postpartum, up to 12 months.3

What this program helps with

Common presentations we're built for.

  • Anxiety related to pregnancy or postpartum adjustment
  • Postpartum mood changes or depressive symptoms
  • Adjustment to early motherhood and the transition to parenting
  • Stress, overwhelm, and difficulty coping
  • Sleep disruption tied to mood or anxiety
  • Distress related to fertility, pregnancy complications, or birth experiences

What this program provides

Real clinical care, by perinatal specialists.

  • Psychiatric evaluation and medication management when appropriate
  • Brief supportive counseling and coping-skill development
  • Co-management of complex mood and anxiety disorders
  • Prevention plans and follow-up for high-risk patients
  • Guidance on perinatal mental health resources
  • Coordination with obstetric and primary-care teams
  1. Ouma program data: universal screening of members, screening and diagnosis findings, time to first behavioral-health appointment, coverage window, crisis protocol, and quality-measure impact.
Why telemedicine fits this specialty

Principles we practice by

A cognitive specialty, built for telehealth.

Behavioral health is a talking specialty, no exam, nothing to palpate. That makes it one of the few areas of medicine where telemedicine is an ideal fit rather than a compromise.

Easier to show up for.

No waiting room, no drive to find the one perinatal therapist in the region, and care that works around a new mother's schedule from home. Removing those barriers is often the difference between attending and disappearing.

Real clinicians, real continuity.

Every patient is matched with a licensed perinatal mental health specialist, not a coach or a chatbot, and sees the same clinician across the journey. We extend your team and protect the relationship you have with your patient.

For clinics & providers

We are not a separate provider. We are an extension of your team.

Your clinic identifies and schedules the patients. Ouma stands up the behavioral-health capacity behind them, on your systems and in your workflow.

Your Team, Extended

Plug-and-play on your systems.

A solution that works in your environment, so behavioral health integrates into the care you already deliver.

Scalable virtual clinics.

Stand up Ouma virtual clinics sized to your need, starting in half-day blocks and scaling as demand grows.

Prescribing in every state.

Licensed clinicians who can prescribe in all 50 states, so medication management is never gated by geography.

Coordinated, not siloed.

We co-manage with your obstetric and primary-care teams and share decisions, protecting your patient relationship.

How we practice responsibly

The right care, in the right setting

What this program is built for

Designed for mild-to-moderate perinatal mood and anxiety. For most perinatal depression and anxiety, this is exactly the right level of care.

  • Mild-to-moderate perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
  • Patients who are medically stable
  • Patients appropriate for outpatient telehealth
  • Care that is timely, specialized, and accessible

When we route to a higher level of care

Some situations need in-person, higher-acuity, or emergency care. We coordinate rapid routing for patients who have:

  • Active suicidal ideation with intent, plan, or past attempt
  • A major mental-health event in the past year (hospitalization or attempt)
  • An active eating disorder
  • An active manic episode or a history of Bipolar I
  • Psychosis, or a history of schizophrenia or psychotic disorders
Safety by design

How we handle a safety concern

Ouma maintains a formal telehealth crisis protocol. When a safety concern surfaces, our clinicians follow a structured risk assessment using validated tools and coordinate an immediate 911 or 988 response as needed. Safety is built into how we practice, not left to chance.3

In a crisis, call or text 988, 24/7. In a medical emergency, call 911.

  1. Ouma program data: universal screening of members, screening and diagnosis findings, time to first behavioral-health appointment, coverage window, crisis protocol, and quality-measure impact.
Who this is for

Built for the people responsible for maternal mental health

Health Plans

Universal screening plus rapid treatment closes a gap that drives maternal mortality and quality scores, a measurable lift on maternal mental health and postpartum HEDIS measures.3

For health plans →

Employers

Support working parents through pregnancy and postpartum with real perinatal mental health care, beyond an EAP hotline.

For employers →

Clinics & Providers

Treat the mood disorders your screening surfaces without building a behavioral-health line yourself, a specialist team a warm handoff away.

For clinics →
  1. Ouma program data: universal screening of members, screening and diagnosis findings, time to first behavioral-health appointment, coverage window, crisis protocol, and quality-measure impact.
Pairs well with

Behavioral health touches nearly every part of the maternity journey

Mental health rarely stands alone in pregnancy. These Ouma services share the same care team and screening, so emotional wellbeing is supported alongside the medical picture.

High-Risk Pregnancy (teleMFM)

The MFM backbone that supervises and coordinates this team

Learn more →

Addiction Medicine

For perinatal substance use, where mood disorders so often travel alongside

Learn more →

Midwifery

Relationship-based, continuity-first care that pairs naturally with mental health support

Learn more →

Nurse Navigation

The care coordination that ensures a positive screen actually reaches a clinician

Learn more →
Diving deeper

Perinatal mental health, delivered by licensed clinicians

Perinatal mental health is specialty care for the mood and anxiety conditions that arise during pregnancy and the first year postpartum. Ouma treats it as real medical care: standardized perinatal depression screening, licensed psychiatric nurse practitioners who can prescribe in all 50 states, and integration with the patient's maternity care team. That depth and continuity is what maternal mental health demands, and it pairs with remote patient monitoring and coverage for health plans and their members. For a plain-language overview, see perinatal mental health: signs, screening, and support.

Screening for perinatal depression and anxiety

Universal, standardized screening (such as the EPDS) surfaces perinatal depression and anxiety that routine visits miss, so treatment can start early rather than after a crisis.

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs)

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complication of pregnancy. Ouma's clinicians diagnose and treat the full range of PMADs, from anxiety and depression to more complex presentations.

Postpartum depression support

Postpartum depression care continues through the full first year after delivery, when risk peaks and local follow-up often lapses.

Medication management by psychiatric nurse practitioners

Ouma's psychiatric nurse practitioners provide medication management and therapy coordination, with reproductive psychiatry available for complex cases, all licensed and prescribing across all 50 states.

Frequently asked

Common questions about perinatal behavioral health

Our clinical team can show how behavioral health integrates with your maternity care.

Talk to our team →

What is perinatal mental health?
Perinatal mental health covers mood and anxiety conditions during pregnancy and the first year postpartum, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). These are now the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the U.S., and Ouma's program is designed to identify and treat them.

Who provides virtual maternal mental health care at Ouma?
Perinatal mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), with MFM supervision and reproductive psychiatry for complex cases. They're licensed clinicians who can prescribe in all 50 states.

Does the program include postpartum depression screening?
Yes. 100% of program members are screened for mood disorders, and about 1 in 3 diagnoses were previously unknown to the local provider.

How long does behavioral health support last?
Care runs throughout pregnancy and the full first year postpartum, up to 12 months.

Is Ouma a separate mental-health vendor?
No. Ouma integrates with your obstetric and primary-care teams as an extension of your care, coordinating rather than operating as a siloed provider. It pairs with tele-MFM and nurse navigation.

What does the program treat, and how is medication handled?
The program treats the full range of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, perinatal and postpartum depression, anxiety, and more. Ouma's psychiatric nurse practitioners provide medication management and therapy coordination, licensed and prescribing across all 50 states, with reproductive psychiatry available for complex cases.

What is perinatal mental health care?
Perinatal mental health care treats the mood and anxiety conditions of pregnancy and the first year postpartum, including perinatal depression, postpartum depression, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). Ouma delivers it as real medical care with standardized screening and licensed clinicians.

Who provides Ouma's perinatal mental health services?
Ouma's perinatal mental health services are provided by psychiatric nurse practitioners licensed and prescribing in all 50 states, with MFM supervision and reproductive psychiatry for complex cases, integrated with the patient's maternity care team.

Let’s Talk

Perinatal mental health, integrated.

Our clinical team can show how behavioral health integrates with your maternity care.

Get in Touch → Learn How It Works

Expert maternity telehealth, extending the reach of subspecialty clinicians to every patient who needs it.

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