The Maryland Community Criminal Justice Treatment Program (MCCJTP)
Operating at $1.9 million in State funding, the program supports specific services that target individuals with serious mental illness. Many of recipients are homeless or in detention centers. In collaboration with the Core Service Agencies and local detention centers, the program delivers both clinical treatment and case management services reaching an average of 10,000 consumers annually.
Trauma, Addictions, Mental Health, and Recovery (T.A.M.A.R.)
Has been offered for more than 12 years to individuals 18 and older who are detained in participating detention centers and have a history of physical and/or sexual abuse with a recent treatment history for a mental health condition plus an alcohol or drug disorder. Funded at over $400,000, Maryland offers the TAMAR education program in nine detention centers and one state hospital reaching nearly 500 consumers annually. In addition to treatment in the detention center, four of the eight jurisdictions provide trauma treatment to inmates re-entering the community.
Chrysalis House Healthy Start Program:
Chrysalis House Healthy Start is a program developed for pregnant women who are incarcerated or at risk of incarceration in local detention centers and the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women (MCIW). The Chrysalis House Healthy Start Program is funded with State dollars and a small PATH grant. This holistic program aims to provide appropriate treatment and mother/child intervention to women with mental health, substance use, and trauma related disorders. The program provides services at a 16-bed residential/transitional facility during the pregnancy and for up to one year post delivery. The Office of Adults and Specialized Behavioral Health Services (formerly Office of Special Needs Populations) continues to provide oversight and technical assistance for this program.
Behavioral Health Disaster Services:
The office has the responsibility for coordinating the delivery of community behavioral health services in response to natural and man-made disasters in partnership with the local Core Service Agencies. The Mental Hygiene Administration (now the Behavioral Health Administration) has been the recipient of several grants from SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including:
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The KARE Project which provided short-term crisis counseling to assist survivors of Hurricane Katrina who evacuated to Maryland.
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Isabel Outreach Project which provided short-term crisis counseling to assist survivors of Hurricane Isabel with recovery;
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Terrorism-Related Disaster Relief which supports program planning, development, implementation, and training to improve the State’s disaster mental health response capacity and collaboration with local jurisdictions. Services include: technical assistance to and training for Maryland Professional Volunteer Corps, culturally competent trainings and presentations for service providers and general public, inter-agency collaboration, and the development of a data information surveillance network to collect data – HOTS;
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Emergency Response Capacity grant to assist Maryland’s Mental Hygiene Administration and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration to develop coordinated, All-Hazards Behavioral Health Disaster Plans;
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Deaf Services
The Office of Adult Services and Special Needs Populations oversee services and contracts that offer Public Behavioral Health Services to consumers who have a mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders, or substance use disorders. The office also provides technical assistance to CSAs, providers, consumers and advocates and participates on several committees and advisory boards related to enhancing services to consumers who are deaf and hard of hearing and deaf-blind.
Services to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing are provided either through the Public Behavioral Health System based on the consumer meeting medical necessity criteria for Public Behavioral Health Services or through specialized programs funded through state grants to local Core Service Agencies, health departments, or a designated provider. Limited funding is also available through the Core Service Agencies and health departments to pay the cost for an interpreter in order for PBHS eligible consumers to access outpatient behavioral health services. The Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) also operates a separate unit at Springfield Hospital Center which provides a full array of inpatient services to adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. The unit employs a complement of deaf behavioral health professionals who are fluent in American Sign Language or other visual communication services.
How to access services?
Medicaid funded services for individuals who have a mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorder may be accessed through the Administrative Service Organization at 1-800-888-1965 or www.maryland.valueoptions.com.
Specialized Deaf Programs through State grants may be accessed directly:
Arundel Lodge is a nonprofit agency that provides outpatient behavioral health services with licensed mental health professional proficient in American Sign Language, residential rehabilitation services, and psychiatric rehabilitation services in Anne Arundel County. This agency also provides outpatient mental health services for the Eastern Shore Counties through a telemental health project with Mid-Shore Mental Health Systems, Inc.
The Community Support Services for the Deaf is a nonprofit organization that provides services for deaf consumers who have a mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorders. This program provides support for consumers using signing staff in the psychiatric rehabilitation program, residential programs, a senior day program and onsite psychotherapeutic services.
People Encouraging People, Inc., is a nonprofit agency that provides that operates a specialized deaf program. Outpatient mental health treatment, psychiatric rehabilitation, residential rehabilitation, and supported employment services are provided by signing staff through this grant in Baltimore City.
Family Services Foundation is a nonprofit agency that provides outpatient mental health treatment services through a licensed mental health professional proficient in American Sign Language, psychiatric rehabilitation services, and residential rehabilitation services.
University of Maryland, Deaf Addiction Services at Maryland (DASAM) is a nonprofit agency that provides statewide addiction treatment services to adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Approval for interpreting services funding may be accessed through the Core Service Agency (mental health or co-occurring) or the local health department (substance use) prior to service delivery.
The Homeless ID Project
Beginning July 2012 funding in the amount of $500,000 was appropriated from the Alcohol Tax for this initiative. The project is available in Baltimore City and all counties throughout Maryland, and is administered through lead Core Service Agencies of Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Washington and Worcester Counties. The purpose of the project is to provide funds to pay the cost of a Maryland identification card and/or birth certificate in order for individuals who have a mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorders and are homeless or imminent risk of homelessness to access community resources. This project also provides funds for IDs for minor children in the care of a qualifying adult, that meets the homeless and disability criteria and unaccompanied homeless youth ages 14 and over. By having these two very important documents, access to housing, healthcare, entitlements and other resources in the community can be gained. In addition to IDs and birth certificates, five SOAR dedicated case management positions are funded. The SOAR case management positions are a very important asset to the Homeless ID Project because these positions also assist individuals with accessing financial benefits allowing them to gain stability in the community. |
