Leveraging GAD-7 Insights to Enhance Emotional Resilience in Mental Health Programs

Mental health programs must respond quickly and effectively to the needs of participants. Early data from The BLACK BERRY: Building Emotional Resilience & Restoring You program highlights how structured screening tools like the GAD-7 anxiety scale can guide immediate and appropriate care. This approach ensures participants receive the right level of support from the start, improving outcomes and reinforcing the importance of a clear referral system.

GAD-7 anxiety screening form used in mental health programs

Launch Data Update: The BLACK BERRY Program in Action

We are excited to share the initial insights from the pilot launch of The BLACK BERRY: Building Emotional Resilience & Restoring You program. Though early in its implementation, the results are already validating what research and community voice have long affirmed: Black and BIPOC birthing people need culturally grounded, clinically supported, and emotionally safe spaces to heal, connect, and thrive.

Our inaugural cohort (N=3) highlights both the urgent mental-health needs in our community and the effectiveness of our integrated, PSI-aligned model.

Clinical Insight: GAD-7 Scores Confirm Need for Tiered Support

The BLACK BERRY program administers the GAD-7 at enrollment to quickly identify participants’ anxiety levels and guide their care pathway. This ensures each parent is aligned with the correct level of support—from supportive mental-wellness tools to clinically supervised referrals. Early data from our first three participants shows the following:

• 1 participant presented with Moderate Anxiety (10–14). This triggered our clinical protocol:

  • Licensed NP/LSW reviewed results immediately

  • Warm hand-off referral initiated

  • Referral facilitated through our partnership with KuDOSE Mental Health

• 1 participant presented with Mild Anxiety (5–9)

  • Monitoring and reassessment scheduled

  • Coping strategies, grounding exercises, and weekly check-ins implemented

• 1 participant presented with Minimal Anxiety (0–4)

  • Continued participation in weekly support sessions

  • Routine emotional wellness tools and scheduled follow-up

These findings confirm the necessity of a tiered care pipeline, where culturally responsive peer support is supplemented by clinical oversight, ensuring safety, continuity, and early intervention.

GAD-7 Anxiety Severity at Enrollment (N=3): GAD-7 Severity Distribution — 1 Minimal, 1 Mild, 1 Moderate

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Demographic Insight: Reaching the Target Community

The BLACK BERRY program is intentionally designed for Black, African American, and BIPOC birthing people—populations who disproportionately face barriers to mental-health care, trauma-informed perinatal support, and culturally representative providers. Our early participants reflect these priority groups.

Age & Postpartum Status

• 67% (2 participants) are between the ages of 21–30

• 33% (1 participant) is within the 31–40 age range

• 100% are postpartum within 24 months, a period of heightened vulnerability for mood and anxiety disorders

Insurance & Access to Care

All participants (100%) are enrolled in Medicaid/Medicare, reinforcing the program’s role in eliminating cost as a barrier while offering access to PSI-trained and certified mental-health and lactation professionals.

Participant Age Distribution at Enrollment (N=3): Age Ranges — 2 participants age 21–30, 1 participant age 31–40

Addressing Community Need: Why BLACK BERRY Works

Black and Hispanic birthing people in Hamilton County—particularly in Cincinnati and historically marginalized neighborhoods like Over-the-Rhine—face elevated risks for:

• Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders

• Pregnancy-related complications

• Structural racism in clinical settings

• Lack of culturally representative mental-health providers

• Increased social and economic stressors

BLACK BERRY directly meets this need by providing:

1. PSI-Trained & Certified Clinical Oversight

2. Culturally Representative Providers

3. A Cozy, Safe, In-Community Setting

4. Hybrid Model to Reduce Drop-Off

5. Structured Clinical Workflow

Moving Forward: Building on Early Success

The early results from The BLACK BERRY program demonstrate that structured screening and referral systems are vital for effective mental health support. As the program grows, collecting more data will help refine care pathways and improve outcomes further.

Programs should focus on:

• Expanding participant numbers to validate findings.

• Enhancing partnerships with mental health providers.

• Continuing cultural competence training.

• Using participant feedback to improve support tools.

These first insights affirm that BLACK BERRY is filling a critical gap in perinatal mental-health equity—and we remain committed to expanding access, strengthening referral pipelines, and centering the voices and experiences of Black and BIPOC birthing people.