Maryland Gov. Wes Moore puts $13.5 million toward mental health crisis services

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (DC News Now) — The Maryland Department of Health announced $13.5 million towards the creation of pilot programs aimed at improving access to behavioral health services.

“This funding will help ensure that we support Marylanders contending with a mental health or substance use crisis with speed, strategy, expertise, and compassion,” Gov. Wes Moore said. “Today, we take an important step forward in our work to build stronger, healthier communities for all.”

The money was awarded to the 19 jurisdictions that applied for the funding and will result in the creation of new Behavioral Health Crisis Stabilization Centers across Maryland, including Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.

“These centers, which will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will provide immediate and equitable care to anyone in need, as well as link them to ongoing, community-based solutions,” Alyssa Lord, Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health, said.

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These centers are the first of their kind in Maryland and are built to provide short-term intensive crisis prevention and support, encompassing screening, assessment, brief intervention and prescribing capabilities, and navigation of mental health care or substance abuse treatment.

Another aspect of the funding is the expansion of mobile crisis teams. These initiatives are built to direct better use of resources, decreasing visits to the emergency room and from law enforcement.

“Maryland’s Mobile Crisis Teams provide immediate support to any youth or adult who is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis,” Secretary of Health Dr. Laura Herrera Scott said. “The face-to-face intervention deployed in real-time is key in de-escalating the crisis and assisting the person by connecting them to the proper long-term support.”

The $12 million is only part of Moore’s plan for 2024 which aims to tackle mental health by funneling a record $1.4 billion to mental health and substance abuse programs overall.

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This funding announcement comes amidst increasing bipartisan support to address the mental health crisis in America.

In 2023, 27.3% of adults in Maryland reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, and a preliminary report from the Maryland Department of Health found that over 2,500 people died from overdoses in the past two years.

Congress passed a bill in 2022 that designated 9-8-8 as the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number, shortening it to three digits from ten.

Maryland was quick to establish a special trust fund to provide reimbursement for costs that came with designating and maintaining 9-8-8 as the number for the hotline, according to the Maryland General Assembly. Former Gov. Larry Hogan approved Senate Bill 241/House Bill 293 in April 2022 which established the fund, and last year Moore approved a bill that allocated $12 million for the 988 fund in the 2025 budget.

This announcement was released less than a month after the state replaced health contractor Optum Inc. after a 2022 audit uncovered flaws with the system that weren’t reviewed before the system’s 2020 launch and which cost the state more than $220 million.

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