Mayowa addressed post-partum depression by creating an online support group where first-time, low-income mothers served by Nurse Family Partnership could go for additional resources and understanding. Due to COVID, Mayowa was unable to visit with clients in-person and worked hard to develop trust with women and to normalize the challenges of motherhood. Mayowa curated a series of mental health-related websites, list of local resources, and discussion prompts, creating a calendar so that the group could continue after her year of service.

As a result of the program:

• Based on the recent assessment, more than 15 members of the Strong Family program have less anxiety and depression, indicating improved mental health.
• Moms served by Nurse Family Partnership have improved their coping skills by learning how to seek support from each other using the online support group

The Strong Family support group will continue, as Mayowa has recruited a newly-graduated NFP member to serve as its administrator. Mayowa is training this volunteer on how to generate meaningful content and to keep moms engaged in the group.

“Being a Schweitzer Fellow has taught me that it is better to serve than to be served. I have learned a lot while serving NFP mothers. Now, I know more about this population and how to better advocate for them. I have gained more insight about women’s health and a lot more outside of my profession. The experiences I have learned in almost a year being a Schweitzer Fellow mean a lot to me and because of this, I will continue to serve my community.”