Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network (PeriPAN)
Clinicians or other Health Professionals
To speak with your local PeriPAN team
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM-5PM
A team member will respond to you within one business day
Quick Links
What is PeriPAN?
PeriPAN’s Core Components
PeriPAN’s Geographic Network of Psychiatrists
Toolkits and Resources
Background
What is PeriPAN?
PeriPAN is the Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network in Texas: a new pilot expansion of the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN). PeriPAN is a hotline for clinician-to-clinician consultation for providers serving pregnant women and new mothers experiencing mental health distress, including:
- Obstetricians
- Family practitioners
- Primary Care physicians
- Pediatricians
- Psychiatrists
- Midwives
In 2019, nearly 50,000 Texas women who gave birth suffered from depression. PeriPAN can help providers address maternal mental health conditions like this.
PeriPAN’s Core Components
PeriPAN’s network of psychiatrists assists providers in addressing maternal mental health conditions (MMHC) by offering:
- Prompt, phone-based clinician-to-clinician consultation
- Resource and referral navigation, diagnostic clarification, and medication management
- Training and education on reproductive mental health
PeriPAN’s Geographic Network of Psychiatrists
The map below indicates the medical institutions responsible for responding to calls in the four different pilot regions of Texas. Call 888-901-2726 to enroll your practice and speak to a mental health clinician.
Toolkits and Resources
PeriPAN Grand Rounds Series Recordings:
- Introduction to Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders | Passcode: hf8w^131
- Screening and Diagnosis of Anxiety and Depression in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period | Passcode: 3oK8&N23
- Screening and Diagnosis of Bipolar and Schizophrenia Spectrum in the Pregnancy and Postpartum Period | Passcode: 7g..6kq$
- Suicide Risk and Safety Assessment in Perinatal Mental Health
Texas PeriPAN ECHO Series Recordings:
- Screening and Diagnosis of Anxiety and Depression in the Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Screening and Diagnosis of Bipolar and Schizophrenia in the Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
Other Resources:
- Women & Children | Texas Health and Human Services
- The Baby Blues | Texas WIC
- https://www.familyresources.texas.gov/
- Hear Her Texas
- Maternal Health in Texas (Department of State Health Services)
The Challenge
TCMHCC was established in 2019 to improve the mental health care system in Texas for children and adolescents. That same year, 49,816 new Texas mothers were affected by maternal mental health conditions (MMHC), such as depression during and after pregnancy, anxiety, PTSD and bipolar disorder.
Unfortunately, there is a shortage in mental health professionals and reproductive psychiatrists in Texas and left untreated, mental health disorders contribute to:
- Preeclampsia
- Preterm delivery
- Substance use
- Maternal suicide
- 16 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Texas
These disorders can also have negative impacts on newborn children, including:
- Low birthweight or preterm birth
- Lower likelihood of breastfeeding
- Increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome
- Cognitive delays
- Behavioral problems
The Solution
In 2021, the Texas Legislature appropriated federal funds from the America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to expand TCMHCC’s operations. Using the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN) framework and structure, TCMHCC now offers clinicians mental health support as they serve pregnant women and new mothers. In doing so, providers can help improve mental and physical health for both mother and child in the long run.
Medical Director for PeriPAN
Dr. Sarah Wakefield, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Texas Tech University School of Medicine.