Welcome to the July 2024 issue of Prenatal - 5: Grow & Thrive - HCA’s monthly newsletter about our behavioral health work in the early years of life. We hope that this newsletter helps build shared awareness of HCA’s efforts in this area and provides a centralized place to stay up to date on what’s new and happening. 

In this edition 

• State agencies announce first recipients of Center of Excellence for Perinatal Substance Use certification   
• HCA selects provider for expanded substance use disorder residential treatment beds for pregnant and parenting women  
• All about the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network (FAS DPN) 
• Events & trainings 
  • First Steps Webinar 
  • MHAYC Provider Spotlight series 
  • Doulas community meeting 
  • DC:0-5 Clinical training 
  • Mom’s Access Project

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), and Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) are pleased to announce the first Center of Excellence for Perinatal Substance Use certification recipients. The University of Washington Medical Center – Northwest of Seattle, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center of Spokane, and Providence Holy Family Hospital of Spokane are the first birthing hospitals to receive this award.   

This certificate recognizes hospitals that have made significant progress in supporting birthing parents and infants affected by substance use disorder by adapting perinatal care best practices. It was created in collaboration between DOH, WSHA, and HCA, and supports the state’s Opioid and Overdose Response Plan. 

MHAYC Provider Spotlight Series  

The MHAYC Provider Spotlight series is intended to support providers in implementing MHAYC at their organizations. Each spotlight will focus on different aspects of MHAYC implementation and feature organizations who are putting it into practice. 

TOMORROW! July 25 | 11 a.m. to noon | Agency Shifts – Workflows, Staffing, and Electronic Health Records | Providers will share how they’ve shifted their intake workflows to support multi-session assessments and use of the DC:0-5, including strategies for scheduling, staffing, engaging caregivers, and updating EHRs (e.g. EPIC and Credible) to reduce administrative burden. This session will be recorded. 

Additional spotlights will be held on the following dates:

• October 24, 2024 | 11 a.m. to noon: Gathering Information Part I – Structuring Assessment Sessions and Cultural Considerations 
• January 23, 2025 | 11a.m. to noon: Gathering Information Part II – Screenings, Collateral Information, and Referrals 
• April 24, 2025 | 11 a.m. to noon: Assessments in Home & Community Settings  

TOMORROW! Thursday, July 25, 2024 | 6 to 7:30 p.m. | Virtual. Doulas can have a positive impact on perinatal and infant mental health. The upcoming Doula community meeting will include the opportunity to provide feedback on:  

• draft language for the statewide recommendations for doulas and doula services in Washington. 
• draft language for the doula WAC (rules).  

Join using the link below – no registration is required. More details and meeting materials are available to review here. Email hcadoulas@hca.wa.gov with questions and sign up for doula email bulletins. 

Still haven’t attended a DC:0-5 training or have new staff that need DC:0-5 training? Attended a DC:0-5 training but want to learn more? The following professional development opportunities are provided at no-cost by the IECMH-WC, and they are open to providers who serve children and families enrolled in Apple Health.  

DC: 0 – 5 Clinical Training | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day | Virtual. This 12-hour training is designed to support mental health professionals in developing in-depth knowledge of the approach and content of DC:0-5. Multiple offerings are available: 

• September 16, 17, and 18, 2024 
• October 11, 18, and 25, 2024 

1st Wednesdays of the month from September 2024 through July 2025 | noon to 1 p.m. | Virtual. The upcoming MAP ECHO will focus on: 

• identifying common mental health and substance use disorders in the perinatal period. 
• formulating treatment plans. 
• understanding the benefits and risks of medication (psychotropics, MAT) during pregnancy and lactation.  
• appreciating the role of racism and stigma in treatment engagement.  

The series is facilitated by a multidisciplinary team including UW Medicine perinatal psychiatrists, obstetrician gynecologists, maternal fetal medicine experts, advanced registered nurse practitioners, therapists and social workers. Each monthly session includes a didactic and a case discussion, and CMEs are available.  

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are lifelong disabilities caused by consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. FASD is the leading known cause of intellectual disabilities and is 100% preventable. In Washington, an estimated 70,000 people have FASD, and 870 babies with FASD are born each year (1% of all births).   

The Washington State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network (WA FAS DPN) is a statewide network of community based interdisciplinary FASD diagnostic clinics, linked by the core clinical/research/training program at the University of Washington (UW). The mission of the FAS DPN is the primary and secondary prevention of FAS through screening, diagnosis, intervention, training, education, and research. FAS DPN is recognized as a national/international model for FASD diagnosis and prevention, and it has been replicated worldwide.  

The WA State FAS DPN began diagnosing patients in 1993 and has diagnosed over 3,000 patients to date. Currently, they provide 100% of the state’s interdisciplinary FASD diagnostic and treatment referral services to individuals from birth to under 22 years old with fetal alcohol exposure, with about 70 diagnostic evaluations conducted each year.   

An evaluation is conducted in one four-hour appointment. Families or individuals who are interested in an evaluation can find information on the FAS DPN appointments webpage.  

In addition to diagnostic services, the FAS DPN:  

• Conducts FAS screenings for high-risk populations.  
• Provides FASD training to community professionals.  
• Identifies and refers high-risk women to intervention programs.   
• Develops evidence based FASD screening, diagnostic, and intervention tools through its translational research program.  

If you are a provider who wants training, visit the FAS DPN training webpage.  

You can find earlier editions of this newsletter on our IECMH webpage, under IECMH updates.  

Prenatal – 5: Grow & Thrive is also a spin-off newsletter of HCA’s Prenatal – 25: Thrive newsletter, which focuses on behavioral health for the entire age span of pregnancy to early adulthood. If you missed it, check out the most recent edition of the P-25 Thrive newsletter. 

Learn more by visiting the IECMH webpage for recent project updates.