For Immediate Release
Contact: Carol Ann Campbell
cacampbell@njhcqi.org (973-567-1901)
June 4, 2025
TRENTON, New Jersey — The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute has been named a 2025 NJBIZ Health Care Hero for its leadership in creating the nation’s first perinatal focused Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings. The Quality Institute is offering the Perinatal MHFA training to doulas, nurses, community health workers, and others working with pregnant and postpartum patients and clients.
The NJBIZ awards were created to recognize excellence, promote innovation, and honor individuals and organizations that make a significant impact on the quality of health care in New Jersey. A panel of independent judges examined submissions across 10 categories; the Quality Institute won in the Education category.
Linda Schwimmer, President and CEO of the Quality Institute, thanked NJBIZ for highlighting the Perinatal MHFA trainings that equip maternal health workers with the skills to identify, understand, and respond to mental health challenges during pregnancy and postpartum.
“Issues related to mental health are a leading cause of death during pregnancy and for months afterward,” Schwimmer said. “We responded to an urgent need for training around mental health issues by developing these Perinatal MHFA training scenarios. We regularly hear from people who took that training that it enabled them to better understand and serve their clients and patients with respect and without judgment.”
During pregnancy and in the postpartum period, one in five women and nearly three in five women of color experience mental health conditions, such as postpartum depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. National pregnancy and mental health data show a gap in training for the direct care workforce for pregnant women.
The Quality Institute formed a steering committee of subject matter experts, in partnership with the Mental Health Association of NJ, to design six prenatal and postpartum training scenarios — or simulated examples of common mental health challenges pregnant patients may experience. The scenarios are central to the Perinatal MHFA training and allow participants to develop an action plan and discuss how they would intervene.
The Quality Institute piloted the scenarios and then submitted them to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the creators of Mental Health First Aid, for official approval. The scenarios have since been approved and made available for all MHFA training instructors to use across the nation.
The Quality Institute team is continuing to build on the trainings and recently developed three additional postpartum scenarios, which were also approved by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. With grant funding, the trainings will continue at no cost to as many people as possible.
Michael Schmidt, CEO of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, noted the Foundation is proud to be the seed funder of the Quality Institute’s formative work on creating this innovative pilot project, which has improved perinatal care in Essex, county and is now spreading to other areas in New Jersey.
“This program ensures that those who work closely with pregnant clients can recognize mental health warning signs and connect them to care. Once trained, these professionals incorporate this knowledge into their practice, creating long-term, scalable impact,” Schmidt said.
To date, the Quality Institute has trained over 200 frontline workers.
Lisa Asare, President and Chief Executive Officer of the NJ Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, lauded the Perinatal MHFA training as a valuable element in the efforts to improve maternal health outcomes in New Jersey.
“Too often, mental health struggles during pregnancy and postpartum go unnoticed and untreated. The Quality Institute’s initiative bridges that gap by training nurses, doulas, and trusted community members to spot the signs of mental health needs early and connect people to life-saving support,” she said.
As part of its evaluation of the Perinatal MHFA trainings, the Quality Institute surveyed training participants three to six months later to assess its impact. Participants said they felt better prepared to intervene in a crisis. One doula shared that, “Since the training, I feel better equipped to assess my clients’ mental health status and offer reassurance.” Another said, “I was supporting a postpartum mom who showed signs of depression. I was able to calmly talk to her and without judgment assisted her in getting help.” Participants continue to recommend the training to others. Contact the Quality Institute to sign up for a training or learn more.
About the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute’s (Quality Institute) mission is to improve the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for everyone. Our membership comes from all stakeholders in health care. Together with our 120 plus member organizations, we are working towards a world where all people receive safe, equitable, and affordable health care and live their healthiest lives.