Residential mental health care for mothers

The guilt, and what it costs

Research on why mothers delay mental health care keeps finding the same things: guilt about the children, worry about how they will manage, and fear of being judged a bad mother. So many women wait until things are very hard before they let themselves stop.

Getting care is part of looking after your children, not a failure to. The weeks away are finite, and they are planned.

Who this program is for, and who it is not

Mental Health Residential treats anxiety, depression, trauma, complex PTSD and grief in adult women, including mothers of children of any age. Plenty of mothers struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma or grief have older or grown children, and reasons that have nothing to do with a new baby.

It is not a specialist perinatal or postpartum program, and there is no place for children to stay. If you are pregnant or have recently given birth, tell us when you call, so we can talk honestly about whether this is the right place, or help you look for one that is.

If you are pregnant or have recently given birth

You are not alone in it. The CDC found about one mother in eight reports symptoms of postpartum depression. Specialist help exists:

• The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), offers free, confidential support by call or text, 24 hours a day, in English and Spanish, before, during and after pregnancy.
• Your OB, midwife or primary care provider can refer you to perinatal mental health care.
• The hotline is not an emergency line. In a crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.

Planning to be away

Most of the weight is in the practical questions. It helps to settle these before you arrive:

• Who covers the day-to-day: school runs, meals, bedtimes, and who is called in an emergency.
• What you tell your children. Simple and true, at their level: you are unwell, you are going somewhere to be looked after, and you will be back.
• How you will stay in touch. Ask us how calls and contact with family work during a stay.
• Anything the people covering for you need written down: routines, medications, contacts.

If custody is on your mind

It is a common fear. Family courts differ by state and this is not legal advice, but in general they look at a parent’s overall ability to care for a child, not at whether she has sought mental health treatment. If custody is a live concern for you, speak to a family law attorney before or during a stay.

Time off work, for your own health

This is medical leave for your own condition, which is different from leave to bond with a new child. Depending on your employer and state, you may be eligible for:

• The federal FMLA: up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for your own serious health condition, if you and your employer meet its thresholds.
• In California, CFRA gives similar protection at employers with five or more staff, and State Disability Insurance can replace part of your pay while you cannot work.

Outside California, the FMLA may still apply, but CFRA and state disability insurance will not. Ask your HR department what your employer offers.

Conditions we treat