38-2064.

Perinatal mental health disorders; referral network; questionnaire.

The board may work with accredited hospitals and licensed health care professionals and may create a referral network in Nebraska to develop policies, procedures, information, and educational materials to meet each of the following requirements concerning perinatal mental health disorders:

(1) A licensed health care professional providing prenatal care may:

(a) Provide education to a pregnant patient and, if possible and with permission, to the patient's family about perinatal mental health disorders in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and

(b) Invite each pregnant patient to complete a questionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Screening for perinatal mental health disorders may be repeated when, in the professional judgment of the licensed health care professional, the patient is at increased risk for developing a perinatal mental health disorder;

(2) A licensed health care professional providing postnatal care may invite each postpartum patient to complete a questionnaire and, if completed, shall review the questionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and

(3) A licensed health care professional providing pediatric care to an infant may invite the infant's mother to complete a questionnaire at any well-child checkup occurring during the first year of life at which the mother is present and, if completed, shall review the questionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in order to ensure that the health and well-being of the infant are not compromised by an undiagnosed perinatal mental health disorder in the mother.