The following are services now available in Howard County with a contact number that provides the most direct means to access the service:
Outpatient Treatment Services are the most frequently requested services from the public behavioral health system. Howard County currently has four agencies licensed as outpatient mental health clinics within Howard County. In addition private practitioners are authorized to provide outpatient services as members of the public behavioral health system. You can call Beacon Health Options at 1- for a referral randomly selected from the list of providers or you can contact a provider directly who will assist with obtaining an authorization for this service.
Case Management Services are available to all age groups within Howard County who are eligible for services from the public behavioral health system. Intensive case management services are targeted to individuals who are not connected to other services and who need assistance in obtaining community services. Contact the Howard County Mental Health Authority at for information regarding case management services.
Vocational Services are available to individuals with psychiatric disabilities who are receiving other services from the public behavioral health system. Supported Employment services assist an individual in obtaining employment and maintaining employment in the community by providing on-going support services to the individual once employed. Contact the Howard County Mental Health Authority at for further information.
Foreign-Born Outreach Grant HCMHA has grant funds to provide language interpreters for individuals who are eligible for publicly-funded outpatient treatment services. This grant also has identified private practitioners who speak another language and with whom HCMHA contracts to provide outpatient treatment services to foreign-born residents of Howard County who meet eligibility requirements.
Residential Rehabilitation Services is a limited resource that is targeted to individuals with the greatest need. The HCMHA authorizes all placements into the Residential Program at Humanim and WayStation that are funded through the public behavioral health system. Contact the Howard County Mental Health Authority at .
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services provide rehabilitation services on-site within an approved program or off-site in the individual’s home or other location within the community. These support services are targeted to facilitate the development of an individual’s independent living and social skills in order to promote integration into the community. Contact Beacon Health Options at 1- or HCMHA at . You can also contact a provider directly who will assist in obtaining an authorization.
Crisis Beds provide 24/7 intensive mental health and support services that are designed to provide clinical support to an individual in a psychiatric crisis. Crisis beds can be used as an alternative to in-patient hospitalization, when appropriate, or as a step-down from an in-patient psychiatric unit when the individual needs continued clinical support post-discharge. To access Crisis Beds, please call , or fax referral form to .
Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) is a partnership between Howard County, the Mental Health Authority, the Police Department, and Grassroots. The MCT is a two member team of mental health professionals whose primary objective is to assist community members in handling and managing emotional, traumatic, or psychiatric crises. MCT is able to carry out an Emergency Petition when imminent danger is present. The MCT operates seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 11 p.m. To access MCT, call Grassroots at and request MCT or call 911 and ask for Police and MCT. Grassroots also operates a 24/7 hotline at the same number.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) provides a mental health team that establishes and maintains a relationship with individuals who are unsuccessful in standard community treatment services. MTS is a highly individualized and comprehensive service that provides psychiatric services that include medication monitoring as well as case management. The goal of the team is to support the individual in the community. Contact WayStation Inc at x 7779.
Transitional-Age Youth Program (TAY) HCMHA, in collaboration with Humanim, have designed this program to serve young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 who have received services funded by the Maryland public behavioral health system. The program is designed to provide ongoing flexible supports to transition-age youth so that they can successfully transition to adulthood. Contact the Howard County Mental Health Authority at regarding the referral process.
The Healthy Transitions Grant will focus on youth between the ages of 16 to 25 who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Nationally, youth and young adults with mental health challenges experience poorer outcomes and quality of life than their peers without mental illness. The purpose of this 5 year grant is to:
- Raise awareness of the challenges faced by youth with a psychiatric disability as they age into adulthood.
- Increase the early identification of mental health conditions among this population (ages 16 to 25).
- Provide services and supports to meet the needs of youth as they transition into adulthood.
Click here for an application form.
Maryland Community Criminal Justice Treatment Program (MCCJTP) is a grant-funded program that provides a full-time mental health professional within the Howard County Department of Corrections at the Howard County Detention Center. Individuals in the Detention Center, who are diagnosed with a mental illness, are eligible for mental health treatment services while in the Detention Center and linkage to community services upon their release. Contact for further information.
Psychogeriatric Consultant Services is a grant-funded program that supports a part-time Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C). Consultation and training is available to providers in the mental health and aging communities who are serving older adults with mental health needs. Contact to make a referral.
Network of Care: is an online information site for individuals, families and agencies concerned with mental and emotional wellness. This online community provides critical information, communication and advocacy tools with a single point of entry for the following: service directory about local organizations, library on more than 4000 health topics, legislative issues, links to government programs and non-profit organizations, insurance, support and advocacy organizations and “My Folder” which provides a secure place to keep information about your health care community support services.
