December 2025

Dec 22

HMHB-MT 2025 Year in Review

By Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Uncategorized

As we look back on 2025, we do so with deep gratitude. This year reminded us again and again that meaningful change happens through partnership, listening, storytelling, and shared commitment. Every milestone reached was shaped by the dedication of families, advocates, providers, Tribal partners, policymakers, and organizations across the state who continue to show up for Montana families by supporting mothers and babies from pregnancy through age three.

Advancing Doula Licensure and Access to Care in Montana

In 2025, HMHB worked collaboratively with statewide partners, policymakers, doulas, birthworkers, The Montana Doula Collaborative and others invested in maternal health to pass legislation licensing doula practice in Montana. This important step paves the way for Medicaid reimbursement for doula services and expands access to doula care for families across the state, particularly those in rural and Indigenous communities.

Following the passage of the bill, we spent the remainder of the year working closely with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry to support thoughtful and intentional rulemaking for the doula workforce. We are deeply grateful to the many doulas and partners who contributed their expertise, time, and lived experience throughout this process.

Creating Doula Training

In collaboration with Montana doulas and birthworkers, we developed a training program for individuals seeking doula licensure. This learning management system supports training, education, and workforce development efforts across a variety of subject matter. The training is available at no cost to Montanans and will launch for public access in January 2026.

Supporting Indigenous Birthwork and Native American Initiatives

This year, we took early steps to grow the Native American Initiatives team into its own fiscally sponsored project within HMHB, focusing on Indigenous birthwork. While we look forward to sharing more about this work in the coming year, we are deeply proud of the collective efforts and momentum to support Indigenous birthwork in Montana, led by Dr. Amy Stiffarm and the Native American Initiatives team.

Throughout the year, the Native American Initiatives team continued building community within the Indigenous Birthworkers Network, supported family care spaces at powwows, and worked alongside partners to share newly created Indigenous Birth Preference Guides that support culturally grounded care.

In December, Dr. Amy Stiffarm and HMHB Executive Director, Stephanie Morton, presented on allyship and organization building at the national BUILD Conference in Los Angeles, California. We are grateful for the opportunity to share Montana based work and allyship on a national stage.

Covering the Essentials

By November 30, 2025, our Essentials Program had reached 560 families across 29 counties and seven Tribal Nations, distributing 458 car seats and 315 safe sleep kits. These tangible supports not only protect babies, they help strengthen trust and connect families to the local systems of care that help them thrive.

Expanding the LIFTS Umbrella

In 2025, we rebranded the MotherLove Podcast into the LIFTS Podcast. By leveraging the trusted LIFTS brand, we aim to reach more listeners and continue amplifying the voices of Montana families and advocates.

This year marked the release of the fifth annual LIFTS Magazine, centering stories of lived experience from families across Montana. We remain humbled by the willingness of families to share their stories and by the power of showing when help helps. More than 14,000 copies of the magazine were distributed statewide.

We also worked to enhance the LIFTS Online Resource Guide to improve usability and ensure it functions well for all users. This work was guided by feedback from families and providers who rely on LIFTS every day.

Continuing Work to Destigmatize of Perinatal Substance Use Disorders

We continued strengthening the Look Closer campaign, a public health effort focused on decreasing negative bias surrounding perinatal substance use disorders and increasing kindness and compassion to support recovery. In 2025, we refreshed the campaign so that all artwork and models reflect real Montana moms and babies, alongside authentic Montana landscapes. It is our hope that this updated imagery allows the campaign to feel more personal, relatable, and rooted in the communities it is meant to serve.

Connecting the Perinatal Mental Health Workforce

In June, HMHB hosted the 8th Annual Perinatal Mental Health Conference, welcoming approximately 332 professionals from across Montana, the Northwest, and parts of Canada. This gathering was one of our largest in person convenings to date and reflected the growing commitment to perinatal mental health across the region. We are looking forward to hosting the 9th Annual Perinatal Mental Health Conference next year in Billings on June 23 and 24, 2026.

In partnership with Montana PSI, we paved the way to launch the Montana Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, creating a space for coordination, collaboration, and shared learning among providers and advocates.

We also continued working with partners across the state to explore the expansion of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health efforts in Montana and the Montana Association of Infant Mental Health. This included hosting an IECMH Roadshow that invited stakeholders to help shape how these initiatives can best support families and behavioral health professionals statewide.

Strengthening the Montana Workforce

HMHB hosted an in person convening of the Montana Home Visiting Coalition in September and co-convened several trainings throughout the year. Together with partners, we focused on strengthening the home visiting workforce, sharing resources, supporting home visitor safety, and advancing legislative investments that help this essential work grow.

We are deeply grateful to Sarah Corbally for the work she has done to grow the Home Visiting Coalition and help shape policy in Montana. While her work will take a new direction in January, her impact on moms, babies, and families across the state will be felt long into the future.

We also continued co-convening the Montana Early Childhood Coalition alongside Montana Zero to Five. These monthly meetings bring together early childhood advocates from across the state to share partnership, advocacy opportunities, funding updates, and training. In September, we were grateful to gather in person for a statewide convening.

Honoring Leadership

In 2025, Stephanie Morton was honored with the Mignon Waterman Award from the Montana Healthcare Foundation in recognition of her leadership in expanding access to behavioral health services for pregnant and postpartum women. We are grateful for Stephanie’s steady leadership, care, and vision. She leads her team with such grace and intention and we are all extremely proud of her.

Growing our HMHB Team

We were so happy to welcome Mary Collins as our Policy Coordinator in October. Many of our partners already know Mary well, and her leadership and experience strengthen our ability to engage in advocacy and policy work that centers families.

Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome a new Storytelling and Engagement Coordinator in January. This role reflects our commitment to amplifying lived experience and deeply integrating family stories into our policy and systems work.

We will also be welcoming a new Operations Coordinator to help streamline organizational operations, allowing leadership to focus more deeply on strategic and programmatic direction. We invite you to visit our Meet Our Team page in January to learn more about these new team members.

Moving Forward with Gratitude

This year was marked by growth, uncertainty, and resilience, including navigating a shifting federal funding landscape. Through it all, we were sustained by the strength of our partnerships and the shared belief that families deserve care, dignity, and support.

As we move into the new year, we do so with humility, gratitude, and hope. Thank you to every partner, funder, advocate, provider, and family who walked alongside us in 2025. If you’ve read this far, no doubt you are one of those individuals and please know that we appreciate and value you. We are honored to continue this work together.

When families have what they need, babies are safer and communities are stronger. If you feel called to support this work, we welcome your tax-deductible donation to Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies – The Montana Coalition. $75 helps place a baby safely in a car seat; $135 helps ensure a safe sleep space. If you feel called to donate, visit hmhb-mt.org/donate.

Dec 19

Love0

LIFTS Out Loud: Ryan’s Journey Home

By Ashley Martin Caregiving, Community Support, Dads, Early Childhood, Parenting

By Callie Triller & Jake Maher

This story appears in the 5th Annual LIFTS Magazine, where Montana parents share honest experiences about connection, resilience, and the journey through early parenthood.

By Jake:

Before my son Ryan was born, my life was spiraling out of control. I wasn’t a productive member of society, and was just lost. I was in jail when I discovered I’d become a dad, and Ryan’s mother and I were no longer together.

I eventually got into the drug court program, and went to treatment, and that’s when Callie and her family got involved as foster parents.

I started doing weekly video calls with them, which Child Protective Services (CPS) encouraged. Callie sent me a notebook and a pen, and said if you want to write a letter to Ryan, we’ll read it to him, so I did. She and her family were so supportive of me. They sent care packages while I was in treatment, they sent pictures and a photo album, and wrote to me about what it had been like since the day they got him. They saw me as a person who was struggling and needed a lot of extra encouragement, and were always helping work towards the goal of reunification. When I got back from treatment, Callie would drive Ryan to me for my supervised visits, twice a week for an hour each.

I took parenting classes, got enrolled in an intensive outpatient program, and went to 12-step meetings. Ryan was the reason I didn’t give up. I didn’t really look at that as an option at that point. I just wanted to be with him.

When he finally came to live with me, I continued these efforts, attending recovery meetings and taking every parenting class that I could. I wasn’t court-ordered to do these things, but felt it was necessary to keep me on the path that I was on. I wanted to take full advantage of every opportunity I could that would give me greater chances of having Ryan permanently. I’ve learned that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. That’s why I went all out, and did everything I possibly could to better my chances of getting him back. I work full-time, Monday through Friday, and Ryan goes to daycare. He’s just started walking, and has been communicating more. It’s not so much like a guessing game anymore – he can actually let me know what he wants. The communication between the two of us, growing together, and having the bond that we do is a huge win.

Eighteen months ago, I never would’ve thought that I’d be where I am today.

By Callie:

When we started fostering, we knew we would need every resource at our disposal. With every placement, it held true – we needed friends, babysitters, doctors, and community to support us so we could love and support each child who walked in our doors. Baby Ryan was no exception. He came to us straight from the NICU after a pre-term birth, and we immediately enlisted as many friends as we could to take turns holding and rocking him, knowing he needed all the love we could provide.

As a child in Montana’s foster care system, Ryan qualified for many public benefits, including Medicaid, WIC, and the Best Beginnings Scholarship. Through Medicaid, we were able to quickly connect with an occupational therapist familiar with feeding premature infants. She educated us on proper bottle placement and techniques to allow him to drink as much formula as he could so that he would grow stronger. His occupational therapist also worked to provide him positive sensory touch, and coach us on how to best care for him as his body and brain developed outside of the womb.

Medicaid also paid for all of his well-child check-ups. Over the course of the year that Ryan lived with us, his primary care provider helped us navigate some difficult illnesses and directed us to the proper treatments when there were milestones he was slow to meet.

We connected Ryan with the WIC program, which paid for most of his formula throughout the first year, helped track his growth and development, and provided us with nutrition support as Ryan transitioned to solid foods.

Once Ryan worked his way into a more routine schedule and got bigger and stronger, we enrolled him at a high-quality early childhood program in our community, utilizing the Best Beginnings Scholarship, a state-funded program that helps families cover the costs of childcare.

We had no idea that one of the coolest parts of fostering Ryan would be getting to know his biological parent. I remember learning that Jake had chosen to go to treatment and I literally cheered! When he asked to do Zoom visits through treatment, we were so happy to help make that happen. As soon as possible, we wanted Ryan to know his dad, and for Jake to be continually motivated by all the sweet coo’s and big brown eyes Ryan could give.

After Jake finished treatment, and in-person visits started, we got to know him even better – seeing him at least once per week. We were inspired by his hard work and dedication to both his sobriety and his parenting. He was utilizing every resource he could for himself, just as we were utilizing every resource we could to support Ryan.

As visits progressed from “supervised” to “monitored”, and then from a day at a time to overnight, we got to witness Jake and Ryan’s bond flourish until our very final handoff. I was tearful, as I knew I was saying goodbye to the sweet little boy who had lived with us for the past 15 months. But Ryan crawled right over to Jake who picked him up. He then looked at me with a big smile and just waved. He knew he was home.

Professional photos by Highland Creative Solutions.

Visit hmhb-lifts.org for local resources using the search terms “Family Support & Education”, “Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers”, and “Birthing & Parenting Classes”.

Dec 05

Love0

Finding Strength Through Motherhood, Loss, and Healing: A Story from Chile to Montana

By Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Maternal Mental Health

Guest post by Catalina Geyger

Growing Up in Emotion and Resilience

I grew up watching my mom ride the highs and lows of her emotions. From a young age, I knew sadness and tears. Born and raised in Santiago, Chile, I took medication and did therapy through high school just to survive the day and ride horses after. That world kept me sane.

My mom died of colon cancer when I was 23, and I was devastated. It pushed me to leave the country, travel, and work with horses. On one trip, I visited my aunt in Montana and met my husband while helping at a remote bar. I never imagined marrying him and living here. When my grandpa met Reed, he said he was a good man—that stuck with me. We married and got a horse thanks to my father-in-law, who drove six hours so I could see one. I felt at home.

I know myself enough now to do things for me, whether going to a city for my nails or riding for a while. But admitting that need isn’t always easy. I’ve always been honest with Reed about my feelings, thoughts, and crazy ideas, and even when he doesn’t understand, he lets me be.

My First Birth and Postpartum Experience

When our first son was born, I experienced it all—baby blues, excitement, nervousness, sadness, fear. It was winter, during COVID, the baby was tiny, jaundiced, and breastfeeding struggled. Reed went out to feed cows every day, and the four walls felt tight. I needed help. After a couple fights, I admitted my jealousy that he could leave while I couldn’t. Then my father-in-law started taking the baby and me to see the horses nearly every day. I also asked my doctor for my “happy pills,” which help me be happier.

Before our second child, I was off medication but knew I’d restart afterward. Breastfeeding didn’t last long, and formula worked best. I kept taking medication, adjusting doses until I found what worked. Seeing myself more at peace, I now tell pregnant friends it’s okay to take medication—it doesn’t mean forever, and that’s fine too.

Seeking Therapy and Real Support

When our third child was born, I needed more than medication. I drove an hour to the city twice a week for therapy sessions, and it was life-changing. Even surrounded by loving people, you can feel alone, and having non-judgmental support made all the difference.

I am lucky—not just for my family, home, and raising my kids, but because Reed’s family hugs me like my mom did, listens to my ideas, and loves me through highs and lows. Losing my mom taught me life is short. I believe she moved things so I could meet Reed, wake up to mountains and cows, and build this life. I am grateful every day.

Maternity leave in the U.S. is hard—you work like you have no kids and raise kids like you don’t work. Not all jobs offer more than four to six weeks, so you have to be lucky. I wish more people knew they could ask for help and use resources, even when money is tight. Small steps to care for yourself make each day easier.

Finding Light in Hard Seasons

Winter is still hard—cold, isolating—but a sunny day can lift everything. Even through sadness, fear, or exhaustion, joy, connection, and gratitude are possible. That’s what keeps me going.

Versión en Español

Crecí Entre Emociones y Fortaleza

Crecí viendo a mi mamá subir y bajar con sus emociones. Desde pequeña conocía la tristeza y las lágrimas. Nací y crecí en Santiago, Chile, y durante toda la enseñanza media tomé medicación e hice terapia solo para sobrevivir el día y montar a caballo después. Ese mundo me mantenía cuerda.

Mi mamá murió de cáncer de colon cuando tenía 23 años y me devastó. Eso me impulsó a salir del país, viajar y trabajar con caballos. En un viaje, visité a mi tía en Montana y conocí a mi esposo mientras ayudaba en un bar en medio de la nada. Nunca imaginé casarme con él y vivir aquí. Cuando mi abuelo conoció a Reed, dijo que era un buen hombre; eso se me quedó grabado. Nos casamos y conseguimos un caballo gracias a mi suegro, que manejó seis horas para que pudiera verlo. Me sentí en casa.

Ahora me conozco lo suficiente para hacer cosas para mí, ya sea ir a la ciudad a hacerme las uñas o montar un rato. Pero admitir esa necesidad no siempre es fácil. Siempre he sido honesta con Reed sobre mis sentimientos, pensamientos e ideas locas, y aunque a veces no entienda, me deja ser.

Mi Primer Parto y el Posparto

Cuando nació nuestro primer hijo, pasé por todo: tristeza posparto, emoción, nervios, pena y miedo. Era invierno, en plena COVID, el bebé era pequeño, tenía ictericia y la lactancia no funcionaba bien. Reed salía todos los días a alimentar las vacas y esas cuatro paredes se sentían pequeñas. Necesitaba ayuda. Tras un par de discusiones, le confesé que sentía celos de que él pudiera salir y yo no. Entonces, mi suegro empezó a llevarnos al bebé y a mí a ver los caballos casi todos los días. También pedí a mi doctora mis “pastillas felices,” que me ayudan a estar mejor.

Antes de nuestro segundo hijo, había dejado la medicación, pero sabía que la retomaría después del parto. Intenté amamantar otra vez, pero la fórmula funcionó mejor. Seguí tomando medicación, ajustando dosis hasta encontrar lo que me funcionaba. Al sentirme más en paz, ahora les digo a amigas embarazadas que está bien tomar medicación; no significa para siempre, y también está bien si lo es.

Terapia y Apoyo Real

Cuando nació nuestro tercer hijo, necesitaba más que medicación. Conduje una hora a la ciudad dos veces por semana para terapia, y fue transformador. Aunque estés rodeada de personas increíbles, puedes sentirte sola, y ese apoyo sin juicio marcó la diferencia.

Soy afortunada, no solo por mi familia, nuestro hogar y criar a mis hijos, sino porque la familia de Reed me abraza como lo hacía mi mamá, escucha mis ideas y me quiere en los altos y bajos. Perder a mi mamá me enseñó que la vida es corta. Creo que ella movió las cosas para que conociera a Reed, despertara con montañas y vacas, y pudiera construir esta vida. Estoy agradecida todos los días.

La licencia de maternidad en EE. UU. es difícil: trabajas como si no tuvieras hijos y crías a tus hijos como si no trabajaras. No todos los trabajos dan más de cuatro a seis semanas, así que hay que tener suerte. Ojalá más personas supieran que pueden pedir ayuda y usar recursos, aunque el dinero sea poco. Pequeños pasos para cuidarse hacen los días más llevaderos.

Encontrar Luz en las Temporadas Difíciles

El invierno sigue siendo duro, frío y aislante, pero un día soleado puede levantar todo. Incluso con tristeza, miedo o cansancio, es posible encontrar alegría, conexión y gratitud. Eso es lo que me mantiene adelante.

Professional photos by M.Kaye Photos.

If Catalina’s story resonates with you, remember: you don’t have to navigate parenthood alone. LIFTS offers a free, statewide resource guide connecting Montana families to mental health supports, parenting programs, and community resources. Explore local help, practical tools, and more at hmhb-lifts.org — because even small steps toward support can make a big difference.