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Calvert County proclaims Children's Mental Health Awareness Week; local agencies outline supports and events
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners proclaimed the week of May 10, 2025 as Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. Local behavioral health staff, school officials and health partners described a behavioral health fair, a student art contest with printed posters, a family-peer support grant and school-based coordination services.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners on May 6 proclaimed the week of May 10, 2025, as Children's Mental Health Awareness Week and heard from local behavioral health officials, school staff and health providers about resources, school partnerships and outreach events.
Andrea McDonald Fingland, director of the Calvert County Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA), told commissioners the LBHA is hosting a "spring into wellness" behavioral health fair at the Career Technology Academy from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting, in partnership with Calvert County Public Schools to connect families to local services and resources. McDonald Fingland also presented winners of a suicide-prevention art contest and said the LBHA will adapt a student logo for use on outreach materials.
She described the LBHA's role as connecting people to care and said the agency helps callers identify appropriate supports, from therapy to case management, medication management, or, when necessary, residential treatment placements. McDonald Fingland said the LBHA administers a family-peer support grant contracted to Maryland Coalition of Families to coordinate school-based service referrals.
Calvert County Public Schools staff said the school system collaborates with the LBHA on in-school behavioral health resources and with an interdisciplinary team approach to support students transitioning back from residential treatment placements. Tiffany McFarland, Calvert County Public Schools mental health coordinator, described school-based activities during the week including Chalk the Walk participation, banners reading "We Are Stronger Together," mini mental-health awareness events at high schools and family-friendly activities at the behavioral health fair.
Calvert Health representatives said the hospital is coordinating with schools and local agencies to provide adolescent and adult behavioral health care and to support community outreach.
The proclamation thanks mental-health professionals, families and advocates and encourages residents to participate in awareness activities. Commissioners and presenters emphasized reducing stigma and making services easier to find; no regulatory actions or funding decisions were made at the meeting.
