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MHAMD Perspectives

3/6/23 Weekly Legislative Update

ACTION ALERTS!

Time is winding down for the 2023 Maryland legislative session. With just five weeks left, we need your help to get some of our priority issues over the finish line.

Visit our Action Center to make your voice heard on any or all of the following issues.


Collaborative Care Model

SB 101/HB 48 will expand access to the Collaborative Care Model and improve the quality of behavioral health care delivered in primary care settings.

The Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously Friday in support of SB 101, but the House of Delegates has yet to act on it.

Action Needed: Please contact members of the House Health and Government Operations Committee and urge them to pass SB 101/HB 48! Click here to complete the Action Alert.


CCBHCs

SB 362 will improve access to community-based mental health and substance use care by expanding Maryland’s network of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs).

Action Needed: Please contact members of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee and urge them to pass SB 362! Click here to complete the Action Alert.


Wraparound Services for Youth

SB 255/HB 322 will expand High Fidelity Wraparound services for children and youth with high intensity behavioral health needs.

Action Needed: Please contact members of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee and urge them to pass SB 255/HB 322! Click here to complete the Action Alert.


Maryland 988

SB 3/HB 271 will ensure our 988 call centers have the resources they need to effectively serve Marylanders experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

The Maryland Senate passed SB 3 earlier this session, but the House of Delegates has not acted on it yet.

Action Needed: Please contact members of the House Health and Government Operations Committee and urge them to pass SB 3/HB 271! Click here to complete the Action Alert.


Bill Hearings This Week

The bills above aren’t the only important policy issues being discussed in Annapolis. Here are some of the other hearings MHAMD is focused on this week. Our full updated bill list is attached.

SB 581 MHAMD supports this bill establishing a value-based purchasing pilot program to deliver intensive care coordination to individuals with complex behavioral health needs.

HB 953 MHAMD supports this bill providing for the establishment of up to six overdose prevention sites throughout Maryland.

SB 546 MHAMD supports this bill expanding Good Samaritan legal protections for individuals who call for help at the scene of an overdose or medical emergency.


Further information about the material above is available on the Maryland General Assembly website.

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