Commissioners approve application to become hub for state behavioral-health capacity-building grant

The Carroll County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 30 approved submitting an application and accepting an award, if offered, from the Maryland Community Health Resource Commission to establish a local hub for coordinated community supports.

Celine Steichel, director of Citizen Services, introduced the proposal and said the state’s Community Health Resource Commission is funding capacity-building grants to jurisdictions not previously served by hubs. Ed Singer, manager for the Local Management Board, said the grant would fund a hub program manager and expanded local staff hours to coordinate behavioral health and wraparound services for students and families and to oversee subgrantee “spoke” providers. He said the first year would be primarily a learning and capacity-building period; in subsequent years the hub would competitively select and oversee spokes in cooperation with the local behavioral health authority and Carroll County Public Schools.

Commissioners questioned funding risks and process details. Staff said the capacity-building award would be state-funded and that future program monitoring and fiscal support would be included in later proposals if the hub moves from capacity building to full program oversight. Staff also said some spoke providers already operate in Carroll County under state oversight and that locally managed hub status would allow the county and its partners to vet and select grantees directly.

A motion to approve submitting the hub application and to accept the award, including hiring recommended staff contingent on funding, passed without recorded opposition.

Staff said the application aligns with the Local Management Board’s mission to coordinate services aimed at helping young people succeed, and noted the county will continue to collaborate with the school system and the local behavioral health authority on program development.