Maryland Takes a Step Towards Improving Public Behavioral Health System for Children, Youth, and Families through Collaboration and Partnership with the Maryland Coalition of Families and Manatt Health

The Maryland Department of Health has teamed up with the Maryland Coalition of Families and Manatt Health to develop recommendations and a roadmap to improve the state’s public behavioral health system. This partnership aims to identify steps that can be taken to enhance behavioral health services for children, youth, and families in Maryland.

Maryland Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott has stated that while investments have been made in crisis services for youth and new school-based initiatives, there are still significant gaps in the system. In response to this, the partners will conduct a current state assessment, generate an internal report with initial recommendations, and prepare a detailed roadmap with proposed policy changes by December 2024.

The roadmap developed by the partnership will cover all aspects of care, from prevention to high-intensity services. It will provide implementation steps to translate policy recommendations into action. The Maryland Coalition of Families is experienced in helping families navigate the behavioral health system, while Manatt Health is a renowned national policy and strategy firm that recently completed a national roadmap for addressing the behavioral health crisis among children and youth with complex conditions.

Individuals seeking information on the Department’s behavioral health resources and services for children can visit health.maryland.gov/youthbehavioralhealth.