Our Mission
Moms Mental Health Initiative is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those navigating perinatal mental health disorders by sharing information, connecting them to resources and providing peer-driven support.
Our Vision
Everyone in southeastern Wisconsin and Dane County who is suffering from perinatal mental health disorders has access to evidence-based treatment and peer support.
Our Values
Collaboration & Collective Impact
We believe lasting change happens together. MMHI is committed to breaking through siloed systems by building strong partnerships, fostering teamwork, and engaging in collective action within our organization and across the broader community.
Evidence-Informed & Integrated Knowledge
We value peer insight alongside clinical and systems knowledge. We intentionally bridge that knowledge to community wisdom and peer experience to support providers and partners in delivering care that is responsive, relevant, and effective.
Affirmation, Voice & Belonging
We place dignity above all else. MMHI honors and elevates the experiences of all perinatal people, without requiring them to fit a diagnosis, identity, or story. MMHI works to ensure individuals feel seen, heard, valued, and respected, recognizing that representation and belonging are essential to healing and system change.
Empowerment & Self-Determination
We believe perinatal individuals are experts in their own lives. MMHI equips people with knowledge, tools, and confidence to navigate systems, advocate for their mental health, and make informed decisions aligned with their values and needs.
Accountability &
Integrity
We hold ourselves accountable to the communities we serve. MMHI is committed to transparency, ethical leadership, continuous learning, and remaining responsive to the needs of those impacted by gaps in care.
All Are Welcome Here
When Moms Mental Health Initiative first came to be, it was led by two moms eager to help other moms. As the years have gone on and our community has grown, we recognize that our work with birthing people goes beyond those who may identify as moms. So while we are Moms Mental Health Initiative, we remain an organization for all. All gender identities and sexualities of birthing and parenting people are welcome here. With the right help, you will feel better.
The Pillars of Our Work
Peer Support
Connecting those who have walked a similar path. This happens through one-on-one conversations with our resource brokering team, in our private, online peer support group, Circle of Hope, and through sponsoring in-person support groups led by local providers.
Resource Brokering
MMHI is a bridge to qualified, available perinatal mental health resources. Whether it's a primary care doctor, psychiatrist or therapist, we have someone on our preferred provider list who accepts your insurance and can speak with them quickly. Our team vets these providers carefully to ensure they're knowledgeable and experienced with perinatal mental health.
Information Sharing
Whether it's our social channels, website or tailored presentations to local organizations and providers, our dream is to walk through a world where every touchpoint with perinatal people is knowledgeable about and prepared to address perinatal mental health conditions.
Our Story
In 2016, two moms, Sarah and Becky, bonded over their shared experiences to start Moms Mental Health Initiative. They both experienced their own perinatal mental health conditions and recognized the obstacles to getting help. Their goal was to help more moms in our community to reach the “light” at the end of the dark and lonely perinatal mental health “tunnel.”
Moms Mental Health Initiative (MMHI) is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that ensures perinatal people in Southeastern Wisconsin and Dane County can access timely, culturally responsive mental health care and peer support. Since the organization’s inception in 2016, MMHI has helped more than a thousand moms and families, ensuring every mom, birthing person and family has access to equitable, quality care as they navigate their perinatal mental health journey.
The organization has grown from a grassroots volunteer effort into a vital regional resource, offering peer support, mental health referrals, education, and community partnerships. With a specialized focus on perinatal mental health, MMHI works to break down barriers and stigma by helping birthing people connect with resources, access qualified providers, and build supportive peer networks.