Baltimore County leaders outline next steps to expand crisis response and youth services after statewide summit

At a Baltimore County public meeting, county judges, behavioral health staff and other officials described next steps stemming from a statewide behavioral health summit they attended, reviewed a new youth resource map and presented a finalized report on a proposed crisis stabilization center that county leaders say would offer an alternative to hospital emergency departments and jails for people in behavioral health crisis.

Judge Wilson, who led a Baltimore County delegation to the statewide summit, said the event at Turf Valley Country Club in Howard County brought “lots of different stakeholders and different partners” together and used the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) to identify service gaps across the phases where people with mental health or substance-use disorders encounter the justice system. “The summit in large measure had us listen to different experts and presenters talking about resources and services that they have in their communities,” Judge Wilson said, adding that Baltimore County assembled a multisector team and would continue the work locally.

The county’s workforce and service-mapping work will include dedicated meetings this summer to chart county resources and gaps, officials said. Judge Wilson said the county team will invite the school system to future meetings and that participants who attended both the summit and a Miami-Dade site visit will continue to coordinate with outside consultants over the next year.

Joy (presenter) and Ally (presenter) reviewed a new youth resource map based on a typical case scenario, walking the group through entry points…