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Where mission
and heart meet behavioral health, from the very start. |
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Welcome to the March 2026 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.
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Mental Health Assessments for Young Children (MHAYC) is a set of Apple Health clinical and reimbursement policies designed to align with infant-early childhood mental health (IECMH) best practices. MHAYC policies went into effect in 2022, and initial reports showed an increase in best practices, such as multi-session assessments.
Data for calendar year 2024 is now available, and it shows that multi-session assessments continued to increase, resulting in a 5x increase since the MHAYC policies went into effect. These results represent the hard work of the IECMH community, as well as areas for continued work.
HCA recently published key metrics about access to behavioral health care for individuals prenatal – age 25 enrolled in Apple Health in Calendar Year 2024. While there has been great progress in recent years supporting the behavioral health in the early years of life, gaps still remain. These metrics found that:
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8% of all young children (birth – age five) had an identified mental health need, and 46% of the young children who needed mental health care received any. In comparison, 65% of older children and youth (ages 6-17) who needed mental health care received any.
- 54% of all pregnant individuals (of all ages) had an identified need for mental health care, and 57% of those individuals who needed mental health care received any.
- 18% of all pregnant individuals had an identified need for substance use disorder (SUD) care, and 33% of those individuals who needed SUD care received any.
- Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander pregnant people were less likely to receive needed mental health and SUD care.
- Pregnant people younger than age 26 were less likely to receive needed SUD care.
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Clinical DC: 0 – 5™ training is designed to support mental health professionals in developing in-depth knowledge of the approach and content of DC:0-5™, understanding the multi-axial system, and utilizing the approach and system in their work with children from birth through age five. Multiple registration options are available.
- March 16 – 18, 2025 | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. each day
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June 16, 23 & 30 | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. each day
April 20, 2026 | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | The kind and quality of relationships that young children have with each of their caregivers can differ substantially. Understanding relational specificity is critical to using the DC:0-5, particularly Axis 2. This training will demonstrate the importance of understanding each caregiver’s perspectives of their child and themselves as parents. Illustrative case and video vignettes will be presented.
April 17–20, 2026 | Seattle | Join researchers, clinicians, families, and policymakers from around the world at FASD 2026: Integrating Research, Practice, and Policy Around the World. Hosted by FASD United, this four-day international conference explores how science, systems, and lived experience come together to improve real-world outcomes for adolescents and adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
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Hello from Kiki, your Prenatal – Five Grow and Thrive newsletter writer for the past three years. It’s with a bittersweet heart that I share I will be transitioning out of my role at HCA on March 17th. While I am excited for my new role, I am sad to be leaving this one behind.
Working on early relational health in Washington for the past five years has been a true dream job. I feel deeply proud of the progress that has been made, I am grateful for the work that will continue, and I know there still is more to do. Even this newsletter tells this story — increases in multi-session assessments, upcoming DC:0-5 trainings and an FASD conference, and room to grow in access to care.
I am also appreciative of the chance to write this newsletter. The Prenatal – Five Grow & Thrive Newsletter started out in 2022 as an informal email to around 200 individuals. The newsletter transitioned to a more formal GovDelivery style in 2023, and it's now grown to reach ~5,000 subscribers each month. It has been an honor and privilege to connect with all of you in this way over the years.
Thank you to each and every one of you for the work you do to support families and children. May our paths cross again!
Best,
Kiki
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If you have any questions about this newsletter, please email us.
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