hereformamas.com

A Wellness
Companion
for Mamas.

Here for Mamas was built to be with you — through pregnancy, postpartum, and every moment in between.

Black pregnant woman, warm and at ease, on her phone

Mental health support that was built for the mamas most likely to be overlooked.

Black and underserved mothers experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders at disproportionate rates — and are significantly less likely to be screened, supported, or connected to care.

Here for Mamas was built by a clinician who has sat with these mamas, heard their stories, and talked with the families most impacted by maternal loss. This app exists because that experience demanded a response.

For Mamas

Here for Mamas offers a space to check in with your mental health — on your own time, with no judgment and no data leaving your phone. And when you're ready, it helps you find the words to reach out to your provider or a trusted loved one.

Learn more →

For Partners & Funders

A clinically rigorous, IRB-ready initiative seeking research collaborators, clinical integration partners, and funding support. The intervention is built. The study is coming.

Learn more →
Meet LeJeune
LeJeune Johnson, LCSW, PMH-C — Founder, Here for Mamas
Built by a clinician. Built for mamas.

Too many mamas are going through the hardest seasons of their lives without the support they deserve. Here for Mamas seeks to change that.

Mental health conditions are now the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States. Yet 40 states report low prenatal depression screening rates. 34 states report low postpartum screening rates.

The existing tools were not designed with Black mothers in mind. The PHQ-9 is validated — and incomplete. It does not measure dismissal in care, birth trauma, or maternal risk factors. A mama can score "low" and still carry enormous risk.

Here for Mamas was created to fill that gap — not as a replacement for clinical care, but as a companion that meets mamas where the system has struggled to reach them.

LeJeune Johnson, LCSW, PMH-C

Licensed Clinical Social Worker · Perinatal Mental Health Certified

Founder, Therapy Plus

Created with purpose — for every mama who deserves to be seen and supported.

This was made for you.

Check in with yourself.
At your pace.
On your terms.

Here for Mamas offers a space to check in with your mental health — on your own time, with no judgment and no data leaving your phone. And when you're ready to reach out, it helps you find the words — whether you're talking to your provider or a trusted loved one.

Black pregnant woman, reclining, quiet and calm
Here for Mamas app

Mental Health Screening

A validated PHQ-9 screening — plus a supplemental section that asks about what the standard tool misses. Done in under 10 minutes, at home, on your phone.

Daily Check-In

A simple daily mood and symptom log. Nothing to fill out if you're not up to it. Everything stays on your device.

Your Last Two Weeks

A rolling 14-day view of how you've been feeling — in plain language, not clinical scores. Something you can actually show your provider.

Start the Conversation

A provider script, ready to copy, email, or print. So you never have to find the words from scratch in a 10-minute appointment.

Your Privacy, Protected

All data stays on your device. Nothing is transmitted externally. No exact dates stored. No account required. No labels.

The app is coming soon.

Launching through Therapy Plus — fall 2026. Sign up to be notified when it's ready.

Get Notified at Launch Need to talk now? National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746
For the postpartum mamas, too.

The hardest months don't get enough space. This app follows you through them.

From early postpartum through the first year and beyond. Gentle reminders. No streak counters. No pressure. Just a check-in, whenever you're ready.

Black postpartum mother holding sleeping newborn, quiet and tender
App screen shown in mama's hand

A simple app that does something meaningful.

Check in with yourself. Track how you've been feeling. Find the words to talk to your provider. All in your pocket, all on your terms.

Get Notified at Launch

Screening Framework

PHQ-9 (validated 9-item depression scale) PLUS a Part II supplemental questionnaire section addressing maternal risk factors, dismissal in care, birth trauma, cultural context, social support, and generational mental health history — capturing what the PHQ-9 alone often misses.

HIPAA-Safe Architecture

All data is stored on-device only. Nothing is transmitted externally. The app stores stage label only — never an exact due date. No user accounts. No external data sharing. Designed for the highest-risk, most privacy-sensitive population.

Crisis Routing — Two-Path

Q9 escalation uses a two-path protocol based on suicidal plan presence: with plan → 911 + Find nearest ER; without plan → National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-943-5746) + 911 + ER. Clinically appropriate at every branch.

Adaptive Reminders

Risk-stratified scheduling: high-risk result → monthly reminder; low-risk → every 3 months. Third Trimester prompt for baby arrival transition.

Rolling 14-Day Monitoring

Daily check-in builds a 14-day symptom timeline visible to the mama and shareable with providers. Plain-language interpretation on each row. No clinical jargon. No scores that require decoding.

Provider Script

After elevated screening, the app generates a copyable, emailable, printable provider communication script. Removes the burden of self-advocacy in a clinical setting that has historically dismissed Black mothers' self-reports.

Here for Mamas is a screening and support companion — not a diagnostic tool and not a replacement for clinical care. It is designed to increase the rate at which mamas who need support find their way to it.

#1
"Mental health conditions are the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States — across every racial and ethnic group."

— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022

The disparity

16.9%

Of pregnancy-related deaths among non-Hispanic Black women in 2022 were caused by mental health conditions — up from 7–9% in prior years.

#1

Mental health conditions became the leading cause of pregnancy-related death among American Indian and Alaska Native women in 2022.

21%

More likely — women in rural areas experience maternal depression at higher rates than their urban peers, and face greater barriers to screening and care.

Source: CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, 2022

The PHQ-9 is validated. It's also incomplete.

ACOG recommends screening for perinatal depression and anxiety across the perinatal continuum. The PHQ-9 is the standard instrument — and it captures only part of what makes a mama high-risk. Here for Mamas fills the rest.

What the PHQ-9 measures

  • Sadness
  • Sleep changes
  • Energy
  • Appetite
  • Concentration
  • Suicidal thoughts
vs.

What it misses

  • Dismissal in care
  • Discrimination
  • Birth trauma
  • Cultural considerations
  • Social support gaps
  • Generational MH history
App Availability

Soft launch coming soon.

Here for Mamas is currently in development through Therapy Plus. The app will be available for download soon. Sign up below to be notified when it launches.

Get Notified at Launch Partner With Us

The intervention is ready. Let's talk about what comes next.

Here for Mamas is a clinically authored, trauma-informed maternal mental health app — built for the mamas most likely to be missed by standard-of-care screening. The app is moving toward a soft launch paired with a pilot study to establish early evidence of feasibility and acceptability.

We are actively seeking research collaborators, clinical integration partners, and funding support. No commitment required to start a conversation — just a shared belief that the standard of care isn't reaching the mamas who need it most.

The app captures aggregate metrics from day one: screening completion rates, provider follow-up rates, PHQ-9 score distribution, stage-by-stage engagement, and crisis escalation counts. That infrastructure was built with research in mind — to generate the evidence needed to show that meeting underserved mamas where they are, on their terms, changes outcomes.

Ready to explore what a partnership looks like?

Schedule a Conversation

Research Collaboration

Here for Mamas is being designed from the ground up as a research-ready intervention. A formal Feasibility & Acceptability Study is in development, with IRB submission planned for 2027.

If your work sits at the intersection of maternal health and underserved populations — we want to be in conversation with you.

Clinical Integration

OB practices, FQHCs, community health centers, and maternal health programs interested in piloting Here for Mamas as a supplement to standard-of-care screening are invited to explore what integration looks like.

Funding & Grant Co-Sponsorship

Here for Mamas is in its early stages, and we are grateful for support that helps bring this resource to the mamas who need it most. We are seeking funding to support the operational costs of app development, launch logistics, and the groundwork for a formal research study.

If your foundation or organization is aligned with maternal health equity, digital health access, or community-centered research — we would be honored to be considered.

A note on data: No research data has been collected at this time.

Let's be in touch.

Whether you're a mama, a provider, a researcher, or a funder — you're welcome here. Fill out the form below, or schedule a time directly if you'd like to talk.

We respond within 2 business days.
or schedule directly
Book a 30-Minute Conversation →