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Calvert County proclaims Children's Mental Health Awareness Week; LBHA and schools highlight resources and events
Summary
The Board proclaimed May 4–10, 2025, as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Local behavioral health and school representatives described a resource fair, suicide‑prevention art contest, school‑based supports, and Chalk the Walk activities.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed the week of May 4–10, 2025, as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week during its May 6 meeting. Local behavioral health officials, school staff and health providers outlined community events and supports intended to reduce stigma and connect families to services.
Andrea McDonald Fingland, director of the Calvert County Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA), described a “spring into wellness” behavioral health fair at the Career Technology Academy scheduled the same day from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., a public resource event run in partnership with Calvert County Public Schools. She said the LBHA would display submissions from a 2025 suicide‑prevention art contest; the winners’ artwork will be adapted for posters and promotional materials. McDonald Fingland said there were eight submissions and named two student winners whose work will be used in outreach materials.
School and health system staff described coordinated supports. McDonald Fingland and Tiffany McFarland, mental health coordinator for Calvert County Public Schools, described a family peer support service contract administered by the LBHA and provided through the Maryland Coalition on coordinated community supports; the program pairs families with trained peers to help navigate services. McFarland noted schools are participating in Chalk the Walk activities, wearing green on May 9 for Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, and are staging mental health awareness activities across grade levels. LBHA staff said schools work with residential treatment placements and coordinate transition meetings to support students returning to school.
Other local partners—Calvert Health, the Family Network, Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse, and others—introduced staff and noted collaboration to expand community resources. The proclamation reads that the board “expresses gratitude to all mental health professionals, educators, families and advocates working to support the emotional and psychological well‑being of children and youth,” and was signed by all five commissioners.
Ending: Officials encouraged families to attend the resource fair and to use LBHA and school‑based supports; organizers emphasized reducing stigma and increasing access to services.
