Board approves $10 million opioid-restitution grant for 988 Lifeline awareness campaign

The Board of Estimates on July 16 approved a $10 million grant agreement from the city's Opioid Restitution Fund to Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB) to fund a five-year public awareness and community-engagement campaign for the 988 Lifeline.

The award funds outreach and marketing only; BHSB and city staff told the board the dollars are not intended to underwrite 988's call-center operations. The campaign will pay for a full-time community engagement specialist, an expanded ambassador program, targeted outreach to priority populations and a competitively-bid communications contract.

Elizabeth Tatum, acting director of the Mayor's Office of Recovery Programs, told the board the grant is focused on "outreach and marketing" and is meant to increase public awareness of the range of services available through 988. She said Baltimore City received 15,712 calls to 988 in calendar year 2024, which the presentation described as about 52% of Central Maryland's call volume. Tatum said the five-year budget includes personnel, modest travel and supplies, contracts and an indirect cost line set at 15 percent.

Adrienne Bridal, vice president of policy and communications for Behavioral Health System Baltimore, said BHSB is the local behavioral health authority and does not operate the 988 call centers directly but funds three providers that do. She described routine coordination with the Baltimore Police Department on training and community engagement and said BHSB "coordinate[s] training for all of the BPD officers on mental health awareness which includes training them on when and how to use 988." Bridal also said BHSB provides police with materials and participates in confidential case review processes that generate system recommendations.

Board members asked about whether increased outreach might overwhelm 988 operations. Tatum and Bridal said 988 operations are funded by a 2024 state telecommunications fee, with revenues held in a trust managed by the state comptroller and distributed to BHSB annually. Tatum said there is an opportunity to request midyear budget adjustments if call-volume projections require more operations funding.

Board members also asked about coordination between 911 and 988. Board members were told the city has a 911-diversion program that began in 2021 and that mobile crisis teams and Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for police are part of the broader response ecosystem. City Administrator Faith Leach said the administration would provide additional data requested by board members and reported an internal figure that 1,778 calls had been diverted from 911 to 988 (the administration said it would confirm and share details after the meeting).

After the presentation and questions, a board member moved to approve the grant agreement, the motion was seconded, and the item was approved.