County data show high self‑reported depression, rising local care‑team referrals

Committee members reviewed multiple indicators of student mental health during the Family Network presentation. Moschino noted Youth Risk Behavior Survey results showing about 34% of middle‑school respondents and 33% of high‑school respondents reported a depressive episode; among high‑school respondents, 349 students said they had seriously considered suicide in the prior 12 months (survey data collected fall 2023, published June 2024).

"This is Calvert County," Moschino said when asked to confirm the locale of the YRBS figures. She also cited hospitalization trends from a regional hospital dashboard (sourced to the Maryland Health Service Cost Review Commission), which showed Calvert County on the higher side compared with state values for pediatric mental‑health hospital admissions—females were more likely than males to be hospitalized.

Moschino described the Family Network's local care team, a cross‑agency case review that seeks to prevent crises by coordinating referrals. Referrals reviewed by the local care team rose from 64 cases in 2022 to 89 in 2024, with the largest referral age band at roughly 12–16 years. Moschino emphasized the team's parent‑centered approach: parents must sign off on referrals and are part of the planning process.

Committee members asked whether hospitalization numbers include partial‑hospitalization or only inpatient admissions; Moschino said the dashboard indicates "admission" but did not specify the inclusion rules and offered to follow up with more precise methodology.