2023 Children, Youth and Families Agenda
The Children’s Behavioral Health Coalition (CBHC) brings together state and local advocacy groups with a focus on policy issues specific to children, youth and families with mental health and substance use needs.
CBHC believes Maryland can prevent lengthy, unnecessary hospital stays for youth and reduce youth suicide by expanding access to community behavioral health care that supports mental wellbeing and keeps kids out of crisis.
Accordingly, CBHC calls on the Maryland General Assembly to take the following actions in 2023:
- Restore home and community-based High Fidelity Wraparound services for children and youth with high intensity needs
- Adopt youth-centered prevention and early intervention programs
- Eliminate inequitable access to care for LGBTQ youth and young adults
- Expand access to comprehensive community-based treatment by expanding Maryland’s network of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)
- Improve the quality of behavioral health care delivered in pediatric care settings by expanding access to the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM)
Read more about the CBHC agenda here and keep an eye out over the coming weeks and months for action alerts and other ways you can get involved.
Equal Treatment Maryland
MHAMD has joined with its partners in the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition in support of an ambitious agenda for the 2023 session. As part of the Equal Treatment Maryland campaign, the Coalition is advocating for passage of its 2023 Behavioral Health Crisis Prevention Platform.
A key focus of the platform is improving the quality of behavioral health care delivered in primary care settings by expanding access to the proven Collaborative Care Model (SB 101 | HB 48)
Learn more about the Collaborative Care Model on the Equal Treatment Maryland website and help us garner support for this legislation by submitting a brief letter to the editor of your local newspaper. You can find draft letters and submission information for newspapers across the state here.
MHAMD 2023 Legislative Briefing and Reception
We are back in person this year for the 2023 Legislative Briefing and Reception on February 15 in Annapolis where we will:
- Hear from Governor-elect Wes Moore and other members of the new administration
- Hear from members of the Maryland General Assembly about legislation that will impact Marylanders’ behavioral health
- Celebrate our 2023 behavioral health awardees
- Hear from an expert panel about the positive outcomes being achieved by Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in Maryland and across the country.
Seating at this event is limited! Register today to reserve your spot.
This Week in Annapolis
MHAMD is busy preparing for upcoming bill hearings, which are being scheduled with greater frequency.
Additionally, we will join several of our partners this Wednesday to brief the House Health and Government Operations Committee on key issues facing Maryland’s behavioral health community.
Further information about the material above is available on the Maryland General Assembly website.