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Council interviews Monica Martin for chief of behavioral health and crisis services; members voice strong support
Summary
Monica Martin, the County Executive's nominee for Division Chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services, described priorities including expanding mobile crisis teams (MCOT), implementing sequential intercept and SMI-oriented reforms, boosting peer workforce and disaggregating data for racial-equity outcomes; multiple council members commended her experience and signaled support during the interview.
The County Council interviewed Monica Martin Sept. 24 as the County Executive's nominee for Division Chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services. Martin detailed her 28 years in human and behavioral health services, 17 years in county government and a focus on implementing crisis-response best practices, building the peer workforce and improving data to address racial disparities.
Introduced by Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Stoddard and Dr. Bridgers, Martin said she has convened new work groups to align crisis call centers, outreach teams and stabilization centers with SAMHSA best practices and the county's sequential-intercept recommendations. She said she had organized "a reboot meeting" of work groups to identify missing partners and plan a one- to two-year set of priorities, and said the county had just received the sequential-intercept final report.
On adolescent mental health and overdose prevention, Martin said the county must expand the behavioral workforce and peer specialists, invest in retention incentives and build career pipelines with Montgomery College and MCPS while partnering with culturally specific organizations to reach communities with disparities. She pointed to Maryland's updated overdose dashboard (released in late July) as a timely data tool and discussed efforts to collect additional non-EMS Narcan administration data.
Members pressed on MCOT capacity, safety protocols for clinicians and regional coordination. Martin said the county will have up to five MCOT teams operational on Oct. 1 (with funding to reach a larger number), noted protocols that require police presence when weapons are reported, and described efforts to expand civilian responses where safe and appropriate. She also emphasized the need for clearer outcome data by race and called that a top priority for pursuing racial equity in behavioral-health outcomes.
Several council members publicly praised Martin's record and said they intended to support her nomination. The transcript records multiple supportive statements but does not show a final confirmation roll call in the excerpt provided.
