A practical new tool to support perinatal mental health care in family medicine

Family physicians are often the first and most consistent point of care for patients during pregnancy and the postpartum period. As rates of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders continue to rise in Texas, family physicians play a critical role in identifying concerns early, initiating treatment, and ensuring patients receive timely support.

To help meet this need, the Texas Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network, or PeriPAN, has released a new Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit and companion pocket card, designed to support clinicians with clear, actionable guidance at the point of care.

Designed for real-world practice

The PeriPAN toolkit was developed with frontline clinicians in mind. It brings together current clinical guidance, validated screening tools, and practical resources into a single, easy-to-use reference for busy practices. For family physicians providing prenatal, postpartum, or interconception care, the toolkit offers support across the full continuum, from screening to treatment planning to follow-up, and includes insights into how to make your office mental-health friendly.

Key components of the toolkit include:

• An overview of common perinatal mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and trauma-related conditions, with guidance on presentation and risk factors.
• Vetted screening tools, including how to score them, and how to interpret results.
• Clinical guidance on next steps, including treatment considerations, referral options, and when to seek additional consultation.
• Patient-facing resources, such as psychoeducation materials, safety planning tools, and self-care supports that can be shared during visits.

The pocket card: Quick reference at the point of care

Complementing the full toolkit is a laminated PeriPAN pocket card, created in consultation with ACOG District XI, to make screening and decision-making even easier during patient encounters. The pocket card highlights important resources from the toolkit including recommended screening tools and cut scores, allowing clinicians and care teams to quickly determine severity and appropriate next steps without interrupting workflow.

Family physicians can keep the pocket card in a lab coat, exam room, or shared workspace, making it especially useful for practices that incorporate team-based care or see patients across multiple settings.

No-cost consultation support for family physicians

In addition to the toolkit itself, PeriPAN offers no-cost, real-time consultation services for Texas clinicians. Family physicians can connect directly with reproductive psychiatrists for peer-to-peer guidance on screening results, medication considerations, treatment planning, or complex cases.

Consultations are available by phone and are designed to support, not replace, the ongoing care provided by the patient’s primary clinician. PeriPAN can also facilitate one-time direct patient assessment or help identify appropriate referral options. You remain the primary, and PeriPAN provides you with treatment notes and next steps—all at no cost.

Why this matters for family medicine

Family physicians are uniquely positioned to identify perinatal mental health concerns early, especially for patients who may not have consistent access to obstetric or specialty care. Practical tools like the PeriPAN toolkit and pocket card help reduce uncertainty, support clinical confidence, and reinforce best practices, without adding administrative burden. In short, PeriPAN easily fits into a busy clinical day and workflow.

By integrating mental health screening and follow-up into routine perinatal visits, family physicians can help improve outcomes for both parents and infants, while strengthening continuity of care.

How to access the toolkit and pocket card

The full PeriPAN Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit is available online here. Family physicians can request a consult, vetted referral, or a laminated pocket card by calling 1-888-901-2726. To stay up to date with CPAN and PeriPAN program features, free CMEs, and mental health resources for your practice, follow CPAN on Facebook and LinkedIn.

We encourage TAFP members to explore these resources and consider how they can support mental health conversations and care within your practices.