Minnesota Mental Health Clinics
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GAPS Initiative

Growing Access to Perinatal Support

The GAPS Initiative embeds perinatal‑trained behavioral health clinicians within OB/GYN, fertility, and early family education settings to close the gap between screening and care. By partnering with Minnesota Mental Health Clinics, partner clinics bring specialized mental health expertise directly to where patients already receive medical support.

How GAPS works

Four ways we meet patients where they are

  • Screening & Brief Assessment

    EPDS, PHQ‑9, GAD‑7, plus a 15–30 minute clinical interview to identify perinatal mood, anxiety, and trauma concerns early.

  • Care Coordination

    Warm hand‑offs to MMHC clinicians with telehealth and in‑person options across Minnesota — no waiting for a faxed referral to come back.

  • Group & Psychoeducation Services

    Weekly perinatal support and process groups, plus monthly topic‑based groups for clients across pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenting.

  • Staff Consultation & Training

    CEU‑eligible education and monthly provider consultations — building maternal mental health capacity inside partner clinics.

For medical and education partners

Built around the way your team already works

GAPS is designed for OB/GYN practices, fertility clinics, and early family education programs that want a clear, reliable behavioral health pathway for the patients they already see — without rebuilding workflows. Our clinicians plug into existing screening processes and follow patients through pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenting.

  • Reduces stigma at the point of screeningPatients meet a behavioral health clinician inside the medical setting they already trust.
  • Closes the screening‑to‑care gapPositive screens flow into a real care plan instead of sitting in an inbox.
  • Trauma‑informed, evidence‑basedCare follows current best practices in perinatal mental health.
  • Builds your team's capacityMonthly consults and CEU‑eligible training raise maternal mental health fluency across your staff.

Partner with MMHC

Talk with us about embedding perinatal mental health support in your clinic, fertility practice, or early family program.

Learn about partnering with MMHC →Call (651) 381‑4695

Already a patient looking for perinatal mental health care? Visit the Center for Reproductive Mental Health →