Gov. Wes Moore on Friday announced $13.5 million in grants to expand mobile mental health crisis teams and create stabilization centers for the first time in state history.
The state Department of Health grants will go to 19 jurisdictions, including Baltimore City, to fund pilot programs providing the services. They aim to help prevent “inappropriate visits to the emergency department and unnecessary contact with the criminal legal system,” Moore said in a news release.
“When a Marylander is in crisis, they deserve our full and undivided support. And to truly meet people where they are, we can't just think about acting quickly — we also need to think about acting effectively," Moore said. "This funding will help ensure that we support Marylanders contending with a mental health or substance use crisis with speed, strategy, expertise, and compassion. Today, we take an important step forward in our work to build stronger, healthier communities for all."
The mobile crisis teams will be available 24/7, 365 days a year, and have clinicians on staff, Moore said.
The new crisis stabilization centers will provide support for up to 24 hours to children and adults as an alternative to emergency departments.
The centers will also include services such as screenings, assessments and medication prescriptions to help those experiencing mental health- or substance abuse-related emergencies.
The funding comes at the tail end of the winter, when colder temperatures have been shown to increase the likelihood of fatal overdoses.
A 2019 study by Brown University found that cold weather increases the risk of fatal overdoses by 25%.
While the warmer weather in the spring could provide some respite, homeless individuals may be more willing to stay on the streets and continue to use drugs rather than seek housing at a treatment facility.
Moore has made funding for mental health and addiction initiatives a priority leading into the new fiscal year, which has coincided with the continuation of high overdose death rates statewide.
The governor unveiled a proposed budget in January with a record-high $1.4 billion in state aid for mental health and substance abuse services.
If passed, the $1.4 billion in funding would include $482.8 million for substance use disorder services alone. That marks an increase of $57 million, or 14%, over the current fiscal year.
The budget would also allocate $478 million to bridge the gap between the state’s uninsured population and services, and $5 million to provide grants to local behavioral health authorities.
There were 2,600 fatal overdoses in Maryland in the 12-month period ending October 2023, a 3.2% increase over the year prior, according to the most recent data made available by the state Office of Overdose Response.
More than 41% of those deaths occurred in Baltimore, which has the highest overdose death rate of all cities in the nation.
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