GPS Director of Programs Participates in White House Maternal Mental Health Briefing
We are thrilled to announce that Nelly Willis, GPS Program Director and Director of GPS en Español, participated in a high-level briefing on maternal mental health provided to Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, July 26. Nelly’s involvement stemmed from her volunteer work with the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, a toll-free, confidential hotline that is available 24/7 to respond to the mental health needs of pregnant women, new moms, their families, and the communities that support them.
Nelly was among a select group of 10 hotline counselors invited to share their experiences and insights with Vice President Kamala Harris and Health Resources and Services Administration Administrator Carole Johnson. This convening, which marked the two-year anniversary of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, highlighted the critical work being done to support maternal mental health.
Nelly’s Journey: From Participant to Leader
Nelly’s journey as a recipient of services to a nationally-recognized provider of them is as inspiring as it is impactful. As a new parent, Nelly faced her own struggles with postpartum depression and OCD. As she battled for her own health and the health of her children (one of whom required numerous surgeries to treat complications from a congenital chronic illness), she became involved in the perinatal community as a peer advocate. Several years into her journey, Nelly attended her first GPS Group Peer Support meeting, initially skeptical but ultimately transformed by the experience.
Today, Nelly leads GPS programs, develops trainings, and supervises over 50 GPS facilitators and coaches. She has adapted materials and created Spanish-language groups to meet the needs of Latino/Hispanic communities and has been instrumental in bringing GPS to Spanish-speaking perinatal parents as well as the other communities we serve.
In 2011, she began volunteering for Perinatal Support International (PSI) as an advocate and counselor. She has been a featured presenter at PSI’s annual conference annually since 2019 and in 2024 led a session on how to provide trauma-informed support to Latino/Hispanic mothers.
Bridging Gaps in Maternal Mental Health Care
Nelly’s participation in the White House briefing underscores the importance of community-based services in addressing the maternal mental health crisis. Her work with both GPS and the Maternal Mental Health Hotline demonstrates the effectiveness of providing accessible, culturally sensitive support to those whose needs are only rarely met with cookie-cutter approaches to care.
The inclusion of frontline workers like Nelly in high-level policy discussions represents a significant step towards comprehensive maternal mental health care. It acknowledges the vital role of racially, linguistically, and culturally diverse peer support and community-based interventions in addressing the complex challenges faced by pregnant women and new mothers.
Her work embodies our mission of empowering and transforming lives through community-based peer support. Congratulations, Nelly on this high profile recognition of your expertise and contributions to the perinatal community!