MD Discretionary Funding Fiscal Year 2021

Restore Strength to People and Programs’ goal is to restore access to and strengthen the quality of community behavioral health treatment services available through the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It targets individuals with serious emotional disturbance (SED), serious mental illness (SMI), and individuals with SMI or SED and substance use disorders (COD), who need public behavioral services with a specific focus on those in crisis. DHHS currently provides individuals with SMI or substance use disorders; children and adolescents with SED; and individuals with COD culturally appropriate, person and family-centered behavioral health care services 24/7 at its Crisis Clinic. Restore Strength will enhance the services provided by adding an interim stabilization center to provide better care for a lower cost to meet the tremendous need in the community. By adding at least one nurse and one behavioral therapist on site 24/7, the program will divert people in distress from emergency departments and jail by expanding the continuum of crisis care services that match people’s clinical needs and connect them to services that will prevent future crises. Restore Strength will provide safe, effective crisis care to address pandemic fueled increases in substance use and mental health challenges and to rebuild crisis intervention services interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic as children and adolescents return to school in September 2021. The proposed expansion will serve a total of 2,647 unduplicated individuals over the course of the two-year period, with 1,000 unduplicated children and adolescents being referred for treatment at the Crisis Center in Year One and 71 unduplicated individuals experiencing a crisis episode receiving treatment at the stabilization center. In Year Two, an additional 1,380 children and adolescents will be referred to receive crisis interventions services and 196 individuals will utilize the specialized crisis intervention and treatment services at the stabilization center. The goals and measurable objectives of the project are to: treat a minimum of 250 persons 18 years old and over who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis or substance use crisis at the Stabilization Center rather than at an emergency room or at a local jail; to intervene with over 2,300 children and youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis; maintain contact with, monitor and refer 50% of crisis clients to ensure they end up in a safe and appropriate service environment or recover from the crisis; train 500 staff members on Zero Suicide, trauma informed care and critical incident stress debriefing; and establish a baseline of telehealth sessions conducted across BHCS programs.

Crisis 2 Connection: Expanding the Care Continuum into the Community’s goal is to provide safe, effective crisis care that diverts people in distress from emergency departments and jail by expanding the continuum of crisis care services that match people’s clinical needs and connect them to services that will prevent future crises. It targets any person experiencing a mental illness or substance use crisis in Montgomery County, Maryland. The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services currently provides individuals with serious mental illness or substance use disorders; children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance; and individuals with co-occurring mental and substance disorders culturally appropriate, person and family-centered behavioral health care services 24/7 at its Crisis Clinic. It will expand the number of Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOTs) as the most efficient and effective way to reach the 25,416 individuals who need crisis services annually. The proposed expansion will serve a total of 8,638 unduplicated individuals over the course of the two-year period, with 566 unduplicated crisis interventions in year one and an additional 966 crisis interventions in year two. Critical incident response will serve a total of 112 individuals over the two-year period, and 6,964 Crisis Center walk-ins will be treated: 2,512 will receive services in year one and an additional 4,452 walk-ins will be treated at the Crisis Center in year two. The goals and measurable objectives of the project are to: increase the number of behavioral health or substance use crisis intervention requests responded to by the (MCOTs) by 80%; increase the number of clients who receive health assessments and infectious disease testing and vaccinations; maintain contact with, monitor and refer 50% more crisis clients to ensure they end up in a safe and appropriate service environment or recover from the crisis; and increase the number of crisis clients diverted from admission to emergency departments and correctional facilities by 10%. Peer support is a key component of the MCOT strategy as the lived experience of recovery from mental illness and/or addiction is powerful proof that there is hope for clients in crisis. Other evidence-based practices to be used by the MCOTs and the Crisis Center to address the complex needs of individuals during a mental health or substance use crisis include: Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Family Psychoeducation, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Mosaic Community Services (Mosaic) Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training Project will train at least 1,820 individuals over the five-year project from three key populations of focus: 1) Veterans, their families and caregivers and 2) Residents of selected low-income, highly distressed communities in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and 3) Service Provider personnel of private and public organizations who frequently or exclusively serve the first two populations, all in the greater Baltimore metropolitan area (primarily Baltimore City, Baltimore County but also parts of surrounding counties such as Harford, Carroll, Howard, Queen Anne’s and Anne Arundel). Mosaic utilizes the nationally recognized, evidenced-based Mental Health First Aid training curriculums approved by The National Council. The Project will conduct a minimum of 10-13 MHFA trainings per year and train 300 individuals total in the targeted populations during Year One, 360 in Years Two and Three, and 400 in Years Four and Five. Two new certified MHFA trainers by the end of Year Three to meet the demand for the increased number of MHFA trainings and trainees in Years Four and Five.

The Mosaic Baltimore City CCBHC Project will serve individuals with behavioral health needs in the metropolitan Baltimore area in Maryland including Baltimore City and Baltimore County. This includes individuals with mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders. The project goals include 1) serving at least 1,000 new individuals annually and 2,000 during the two year grant period and 2) addressing unmet needs and service gaps such as access to on-site primary care, improved access to prescribers, care coordination and addiction treatment services urgently needed in Baltimore County.