About Us

After Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling lost her battle with postpartum depression, her parents Joan and Charles Mudd launched an initiative to help prevent other women from suffering a similar fate. In 2004, they established The Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Postpartum Depression Foundation.

Mission

The Foundation is dedicated to educating the public and health care professionals about the symptoms, dangers and treatments for postpartum depression and promoting effective screening and rapid response treatments for mental health complications associated with childbearing.

Objectives

Based in Chicago, the Foundation seeks to:

• Encourage and assist hospitals in creating effective programs to identify and treat postpartum depression sufferers and to add new public education efforts.  
   
• Educate the public and health care professionals about the symptoms, dangers and treatments for postpartum depression
   
• Promote effective screening and rapid response treatments for mental health complications associated with childbearing.

How we help

We work hands-on with hospitals and medical practices in the Chicago area to establish comprehensive programs in their institutions. Our programs fall into three categories: public education; education of health care providers; and advocacy and support for improved screening and treatment practices. 

Key accomplishments

• Established the Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Postpartum Depression Program at Evanston Northwestern Hospital. This program offers prenatal and postnatal screenings, education programs for health care professionals and a 24-hour crisis line for new mothers.
  
  
• Launched Grand Rounds presentations in postpartum depression at Mercy Hospital, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Illinois Masonic Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital and Northwestern Hospital.
  
  
• Co-sponsored the 2006 and 2007 Perinatal Depression Conference for healthcare professionals with Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. These conferences featured leading experts on postpartum depression and offered continuing education credits. 
   
• Co-sponsored the 2006 Forum on Postpartum Disorders. Speakers included Laura Miller, MD and Lucy Martinez-Schallmoser, PhD, RN. Additonal speakers included Cardinal Francis George, OMI, Nancy L. Rago Durbin, MS, RNc, and Carol Blocker, the mother of Melanie Stokes who died of postpartum psychosis. 
  
  
• Established the Award for Courage to recognize individuals for their outstanding work in raising awareness of postpartum depression disorders. Brooke Shields received the 2006 award, which was presented at the Foundation's first benefit: "The Alternative Oscars," featuring Roger Ebert.