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County agrees to FY25 Core Service Agency letter of agreement with Mid Shore Behavioral Health
Summary
Dorchester County approved an FY25 Core Service Agency Letter of Agreement naming Mid Shore Behavioral Health as the county's agent for oversight, planning and development of the public behavioral health system; MSBH highlighted harm-reduction work, school-based service goals and requested advocacy from the Council.
The Dorchester County Council voted July 2 to enter into the FY25 Core Service Agency Letter of Agreement with Mid Shore Behavioral Health, naming MSBH as the county's agent for oversight, planning and development of local public behavioral health services.
Kathryn Dilley, MSBH CEO, and J. Nicole Howard, behavioral health coordinator, presented an annual update describing current programs and future priorities. Dilley told the Council the county could support MSBH through advocacy, and she asked to schedule a detailed follow-up on safe station criteria, which require identifying partners and locations. She said Narcan vending machine locations were selected by priority of need and that the State designated 10 jurisdictions as hubs for distribution. Dilley also described a long-term aspiration to expand behavioral health services into schools over a roughly 10-year timeline; that plan would rely on external grant funding and the implementation of The Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
Dilley described a harm-reduction partnership with Wicomico County Health Department: a mobile unit visits Dorchester a few days per month for a needle-exchange arrangement intended to reduce overdose and infection risk. After the presentation the Council unanimously agreed to enter the FY25 letter of agreement.
Council President George L. Pfeffer, Jr. thanked the presenters; officials indicated MSBH will continue coordination with county staff and board members on implementation details and potential advocacy actions.
The agreement formalizes MSBH's role in county behavioral-health planning for FY25; the Council did not vote on funding changes at the July 2 meeting.
