2021 Keep the Door Open Update
School Behavioral Health
Last year MHAMD and the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition supported legislation implementing a range of public education reforms recommended by the Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education. Those reforms included a comprehensive set of strategies for enhancing school-based behavioral health services, which have been shown to improve student health and education outcomes.
As passed by the Maryland General Assembly, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (HB 1300) included provisions dedicating staff at the Maryland State Department of Education to coordinate with school behavioral health services coordinators, requiring training of school personnel to recognize student behavioral health concerns and development of protocols to support students in need of behavioral health services, and requiring each local school system to develop and implement screening procedures to identify students with behavioral health needs.
The bill also established a Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports to develop and fund community-partnered school behavioral health programs across the state, determine reimbursement options for uninsured students and for services not covered by commercial insurance, and develop a list of evidence-based programs for addressing students’ behavioral health needs in the classroom. The bill funds these services at $25 million in FY22, increasing to $125 million in FY26 and each year thereafter.
HB 1300 was vetoed by the Governor and these school behavioral health provisions were never enacted. However, the House of Delegates will vote today on whether to override that veto.
MHAMD 2021 Legislative Briefing
Join MHAMD on February 22 for our 2021 Legislative Briefing! The event is entirely virtual and free to all.
Attendees will hear directly from legislators about important behavioral health bills they are working to advance this year. The event will also feature our annual Champions of Today award ceremony, honoring individuals whose leadership has had a lasting and profound impact on Maryland’s behavioral health system and the people it serves.
Register now and join us on February 22 for what is sure to be an exciting event!
Hearings This Week
Here are some of the bill hearings MHAMD is focused on this week. Our complete bill list is attached.
HB 548 | SB 299 MHAMD supports this bill establishing a commission charged with developing strategies to ensure a trauma-responsive state government.
HB 560 MHAMD supports this bill prohibiting housing discrimination based on a prior criminal record.
HB 824 MHAMD supports this bill requiring development of a cyber safety guide for public schools to prevent and reduce instances of cyber bullying and harassment.
Further information about the material above is available on the
Maryland General Assembly website.