Grant funds a second year of multi-agency collaboration on a coordinated system of care
Annapolis, MD – The Maryland Community Health Resource Commission (CHRC) and Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports recently approved $9,000,000 in grant funding to support coordinated access to youth behavioral health and wellness services in Anne Arundel County for the 2025-2026 school year. Funding was provided by the Maryland General Assembly through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Services will be delivered by community providers and coordinated by the Anne Arundel County Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA), in partnership with Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
"This is great news for the thousands of students and families who rely on these services to help navigate the challenges they face in and out of the classroom," said Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman. "Thank you to all of our partners in this work for investing in the needs of our students and families."
Recognizing the critical role that mental health and wellness play in student achievement and engagement in school, this initiative supports a “Hub and Spoke” model that partners school communities, behavioral health providers, and community-based services to increase support for children and families in Anne Arundel County. The LBHA will act as a “Hub” for coordination while engaging and supporting “Spoke” organizations to provide essential services in schools and in the community. Together, the Hub and local Spokes form a Community Supports Partnership.
“The Consortium is thrilled to deepen our collaboration with the LBHA and service providers in Anne Arundel County,” said Consortium Chair David Rudolph. “We look forward to supporting the launch of the Anne Arundel County Community Supports Partnership to support the behavioral health needs of students and families.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Consortium and to all of our local partners as we work to fill this critical need for our children and families,” said Adrienne Mickler, Executive Director of the Mental Health Agency. “We are confident that serving as a full Community Support Partner will provide even greater support for our system of behavioral health care in Anne Arundel County.”
The second year of the grant initiative provides for enhanced cross-agency collaboration aimed at addressing the student mental health crisis, concerns around school attendance, and enhancing community and school engagement.
Services include:
- Counseling/therapy, including telehealth, for students and families in school buildings and out-of-school settings
- Crisis intervention
- Family supports and navigation to behavioral health services
- Substance Use Disorder prevention, services, and referrals
- Prevention and mental health promotion
- Conflict resolution training
Anne Arundel County’s LBHA was one of seven pilot "Hub" organizations awarded last year that were selected to become full Community Supports Partnerships this year, through the most recent grant awards. Funding will support both the coordination activities of the Hub and direct services to students provided by 13 community-based “Spoke” agencies. The 13 “Spoke” agencies include Anne Arundel Community Action Agency, Anne Arundel County Department of Health, Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency, Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth and Families, Arundel Lodge, The Children’s Guild, EveryMind, Inc., Innovation Therapeutic Services, Maryland Coalition of Families, Playworks, Restoration Community Development, Thrive Behavioral Health, and Villa Maria.
The National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland provides evidence-based program training as well as program evaluation, to ensure the highest level of care and support for students, families, and school communities in Anne Arundel County.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support for mental health or substance use/addiction, call or text 988. The Crisis Response Warmline at 410-768-5522 or the Treatment Referral and Resource Information Line at 410-222-0117 are also available. Trained staff are available to help 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
