​CRISIS CARE  

Crisis Response Systems are critical to addressing crisis in the community in a coherent and coordinated manner. Crisis Response systems often collaborate and partner with local law enforcement agencies to assure that those with mental illness receive appropriate levels of treatment rather than incarceration in local jails and/or prevent other negative and traumatic outcomes.  

The key elements of a Crisis Response System include:

• Call Centers screen and evaluate calls related to psychiatric emergencies. Determines level of response needed, including dispatch of mobile crisis teams to community settings or hospital emergency departments.
• Mobile Crisis Teams include licensed mental health professionals available for evaluation, triage, and referral to alternative levels of care for persons in psychiatric crisis in the community or in local emergency departments, or if warranted, to facilitate inpatient admission.
• Residential Crisis Services is a residential alternative that provides support and assistance to ameliorate a psychiatric crisis in the least restrictive environment
• Urgent Care provides access within 24 hours to psychiatric evaluation and treatment services.
• Community based alternatives provide the most appropriate type and level of care for those with co-occurring illnesses (substance abuse and serious mental illness).
• Transportation provides access for individuals in psychiatric crisis to appropriate levels of care.
• Disaster response (Critical Incidence Stress Management) is linked to the county’s emergency response system for psychiatric and mental health needs of the community.

Maryland’s crisis systems consist of national and local hotline systems, crisis beds and other support systems. These systems save lives.

Core Service Agencies

Overview

The CSAs are the local mental health authorities responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring public mental health services at the local level. CSA exist under the authority of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and also are agents of the county government, which approve their organizational structure.

The functions of core service agencies are to plan, develop, and manage a full range of treatment and rehabilitation services for persons with serious mental illness in their jurisdiction as stipulated by the Health General Article, 10-10-1203, Annotated Code of Maryland.

Organizationally, the CSA can exist in a number of forms: as a unit of county government (e.g. health department), as a quasi-public authority, or as a private, non-profit corporation. Whatever the structure selected, the CSA is an agent of county government, and as such the County is the appropriate body to decide on the organizational structure. The model selected should emerge from a local process which involves citizens, consumers, providers, policy makers, and advocates. Those jurisdictions applying for core service agency designation must ensure that. The CSA must be governmental or not-for-profit in nature. The CSA must be able to link with other human service agencies to promote comprehensive services for individuals in BHA's priority population who have multiple human needs.

For more information about Maryland's Core Service Agencies, click here

Maryland Association of Core Service Agencies, Inc (MACSA) Directory