MOMS Partnership®
MOMS Partnership® Network
Since 2019, Elevate has expanded the MOMS Partnership beyond its original home in New Haven, Connecticut, partnering with communities and organizations across the country to implement and adapt MOMS programming in diverse settings.
These partnerships have grown into a vibrant national network of local teams committed to advancing maternal mental health and family wellbeing. Through regular opportunities for connection and shared learning, MOMS Network members exchange practical knowledge, address common implementation challenges, develop solutions together, and celebrate progress across sites. The experiences and insights of Network members also inform the continued evolution of the MOMS Partnership.
A Deeper Dive into MOMS Stress Management Course
A core intervention of the MOMS Partnership model is the MOMS Stress Management CourseSM. MOMS Stress Management is an evidence-based course that is grounded in principles and techniques of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT is a well-established and highly effective treatment for depression and anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
The MOMS Stress Management Course includes eight classes (90 minutes each), that are delivered to small groups of participants, either in person or virtually (through a live-online, video platform). Classes are typically co-delivered by a mental health professional (MOMS Partnership Clinician) and a community health worker (MOMS Partnership Community Mental Health Ambassador or CMHA). Classes are designed for adult learners: text is accessible, and discussion, exercises, and skills practice are interwoven with didactic content. The overarching goal of the course is to help participants acquire skills for mood management—skills that have been shown to decrease stress, depression and anxiety, and other mental health-related symptoms. Throughout the eight sessions, participants learn:
- Skills to recognize their mood; and
- Skills to change their mood through intentionally changing thoughts and behaviors
MOMS Stress Management is a manualized course that was originally adapted from the Mothers and Babies course by Muñoz and Le (2011) for the population of (English-speaking, New Haven) mothers served by the MOMS Partnership in its foundational years. Since then, the MOMS Stress Management Course has undergone multiple refinements, and new cultural-linguistic adaptations have been produced in Spanish and Chinese.
Active MOMS Sites
DC MOMS Partnership
The D.C. MOMS Partnership℠ supports the mental health and wellbeing of mothers and women raising children in Washington, D.C., with a focus on families living in Wards 7 and 8. Through its partnership with Elevate, the D.C. Department of Human Services offers evidence-based MOMS programming that strengthens stress-management skills, social connection, and pathways toward greater family and economic wellbeing.
Launched in 2019, D.C. MOMS was the first team to implement the MOMS Partnership model outside of New Haven. Since then, the partnership has continued to evolve in response to the priorities and experiences of D.C. families, while contributing important insights to the broader MOMS Partnership Network.
Learn More
An evaluation of the initial D.C. MOMS pilot, conducted from February 2019 through February 2021, examined the program’s implementation and early outcomes. Read the D.C. MOMS Evaluation ReportRead the D.C. MOMS Evaluation Report.
Contact Tiffany White, DC MOMS Program Manager: tiffany.white@dc.gov
D.C. MOMS is supported by the D.C. Department of Human Services.
VT MOMS Partnership
The Vermont MOMS Partnership℠ supports the mental health and wellbeing of mothers participating in Reach Up, Vermont’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. As a partnership between The Howard Center and the Vermont Department for Children and Families, Vermont MOMS offers the evidence-based MOMS Stress Management Course to help mothers strengthen stress-management skills, improve social connection, and advance family and economic wellbeing.
Vermont MOMS was established through a collaboration among Elevate, the Vermont Department for Children and Families, and the Howard Center in 2019. Initially serving mothers in Burlington and surrounding communities, Vermont MOMS has since expanded to offer virtual programming to Reach Up participants statewide.
Learn More
An evaluation conducted from March 2020 through November 2022 examined the implementation and outcomes of Vermont MOMS. Read the full Vermont MOMS Evaluation Report.
Contact Christine Dorer, Vermont MOMS Program Manager: Christine.Dorer@vermont.gov
Vermont MOMS is supported by the Vermont Department for Children and Families, Economic Services Division.
NYC MOMS Partnership
NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) MOMS Partnership℠ supports the mental health and wellbeing of mothers living in New York City shelters for families with children. Through its partnership with Elevate, NYC DHS MOMS offers the evidence-based MOMS Stress Management Course to help mothers strengthen stress-management skills, improve social connection, and support family wellbeing.
NYC DHS MOMS was established in 2021, with the first site launching at BronxWorks family shelters. Since then, the partnership has continued to expand and evolve, including the development and evaluation of a culturally adapted Spanish-language MOMS Stress Management Course, and in 2024, expansion to a second shelter provider, CAMBA.
Learn More
An initial pilot evaluation, conducted from August 2021 through November 2022, examined the implementation and outcomes of the MOMS Stress Management Course at BronxWorks. Read the full NYC DHS MOMS Evaluation Report.
Reports on the Spanish language adaptation and the pilot study conducted at CAMBA are coming soon.
Contact Megan Wendt, NYC DHS MOMS at BronxWorks Program Manager: mwendt@bronxworks.org mwendt@bronxworks.org
Contact Christine Moore, NYC DHS MOMS at CAMBA Program Manager: christine.moore@camba.org
NYC DHS MOMS is supported by the New York City Department of Homeless Services and the Robin Hood Foundation.
CBWCHC MOMS Partnership
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center (CBWCHC) MOMS Partnership℠ supports the mental health and wellbeing of Asian mothers and women raising children in the greater New York City area. Through its partnership with Elevate, CBWCHC offers culturally responsive versions of the evidence-based MOMS Stress Management Course that strengthen stress-management skills, social connection, and family wellbeing.
The partnership began with the translation and cultural adaptation of the course for Chinese-speaking immigrant mothers. Guided by a Cultural Adaptation Steering Committee, Elevate and CBWCHC conducted two pilot studies of the adapted curriculum between 2022 and 2024.
In 2024, the partners began developing a second cultural adaptation for Asian American mothers and women raising children who participate in classes in English. Together, these efforts are expanding access to MOMS programming while ensuring that the course reflects participants’ cultures, experiences, and strengths.
Learn More
Contact Yajie Zhu, CBWCHC MOMS Program Manager: yazhu@cbwchc.org
CBWCHC MOMS is supported by the Robin Hood Foundation.
Maine MOMS Partnership
Maine MOMS Partnership℠ supports the mental health and wellbeing of mothers living in the Bangor Housing Capehart community. Through its partnership with Elevate, Bangor Housing offers the evidence-based MOMS Stress Management Course to help mothers strengthen stress-management skills, improve social connection, and support family wellbeing.
Maine MOMS was established in 2023 through a collaboration among Elevate, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Office for Family Independence, and Bangor Housing . The partnership brings MOMS programming directly into the community, making support more accessible to mothers where they live.
Learn More
An evaluation examined the implementation and outcomes of the initial Maine MOMS program. Read the Maine MOMS Evaluation Report.
Contact Liz Marsh, Maine MOMS Program Manager: EMarsh@bangorhousing.org
Maine MOMS is supported in part by the John T. Gorman Foundation.
Baltimore MOMS Partnership
Baltimore MOMS Partnership℠ supports the mental health, employment goals, and overall wellbeing of mothers in Baltimore City and surrounding communities. Baltimore MOMS provides evidence-based MOMS programming designed to strengthen personal and professional skills, social connection, and pathways toward greater family and economic wellbeing.
Launched in September 2025, Baltimore MOMS is a collaboration among Elevate, the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Jeremiah Program Baltimore, Focus Point Behavioral Health, and The Adjacent Possible. The program serves mothers who receive FLEX services, participate in Jeremiah Program Baltimore, or both.
Learn More
Contact Peter Verity, Baltimore MOMS Program Manager: pverity@jeremiahprogram.org
Baltimore MOMS is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and the Abell Foundation.
Alumni MOMS Sites
KY MOMS Partnership
In 2019, Elevate partnered with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and the Kentucky Center for Statistics to establish the Kentucky MOMS PartnershipSM, bringing the MOMS Partnership model and MOMS Stress Management Course to justice-involved mothers and women raising children in the Louisville area. Pilot programming of Kentucky MOMS wrapped in 2021.
Bridgeport MOMS Partnership
To expand local offerings available to address maternal mental health and well-being in Bridgeport, Elevate collaborated with the Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program (GBAPP), the Alliance for Community Empowerment (Alliance), and Southwest Community Health Centers (Southwest CHC) to establish the Bridgeport MOMS PartnershipSM in 2021. Bridgeport MOMS brought the MOMS Partnership model, including the MOMS Stress Management Course, to mothers living in the greater Bridgeport area.
Elevate completed an evaluation of eight cohorts of participants in Bridgeport MOMS, in which the MOMS Stress Management Course was delivered virtually (through live-online classes) between May 2021 and April 2023. Read the Bridgeport MOMS Evaluation Report.
Programming for Bridgeport wrapped in 2024.
Bridgeport MOMS was supported by the Viking Foundation.
Western Massachusetts MOMS Partnership
In 2022, Elevate partnered with Mathematica, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and Viability to provide training and technical assistance on the MOMS Partnership model and MOMS Stress Management Course as part of the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project, funded by the Office of Planning Research and Evaluation as part of a series of studies designed to further build evidence around effective strategies for helping low- income individuals find and sustain employment.
The NextGen project aimed to identify and test innovative, promising employment interventions that are designed to help individuals facing complex challenges secure a pathway toward economic independence. The MOMS Partnership model was selected as one such promising intervention; the study launched in Spring 2022, enrolling more than 850 mothers; half that number was randomized to receive the MOMS Stress Management Course. This study completed recruitment and service delivery phases in 2024. A report of findings is anticipated in Fall 2026. Western Mass MOMS wrapped programming in 2025.
The NextGen Study was funded by the Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.