Women who use Denton County's WIC nutrition clinics could soon be asked a standard set of questions about their mental health during and after pregnancy, under a grant going to the county Commissioners Court on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Denton County WIC was chosen as a grantee by the WIC Maternal Health Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pilot perinatal mental health screening at all three of its clinic sites, according to a memo from public health director Matt Richardson.
How it would work
The project builds a validated screening tool into regular WIC visits. Participants who screen positive for a perinatal mental health condition would be referred through the county's existing Links Mental Health Navigation program, which connects residents with care.
The memo lists three goals: more maternal mental health screening, earlier identification of needs, and more people linked to care after a positive screen.
The money
The award totals $90,774 over two years, from Nov. 1 through Oct. 31, 2028. A budget office summary splits it into $59,875 for the first year and $30,899 for the second, with no county match required.
