MHAMD Friends and Supporters –
The 442nd legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly drew to a close last night. In an effort to mitigate spread of COVID-19, the 90-day session was conducted almost entirely virtually.
Logistical challenges notwithstanding, MHAMD and the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition rallied around a successful campaign to expand access to mental health and substance use services amid increasing demand. The effort secured additional investments in community services, greater accountability in the management of Maryland’s public behavioral health system, new policies to improve health equity, greater flexibility in the delivery of telehealth, enhanced school behavioral health supports, and more resources for individuals in crisis.
Please refer to the MHAMD 2021 Session Summary for an in-depth review of key legislative and budgetary outcomes. Our final bill list is also available for download.
Thank you so much to everyone who joined in our advocacy efforts over the past few months. When called into action, hundreds of you emailed and called your representatives, testified at bill hearings, and helped to spread the word on social media. Our successes this year are proof of what we can accomplish when we speak with a unified and sustained voice.
Again, thank you. We could not have done it without you. There will be a great deal of work required to properly implement the initiatives enacted this session, so keep watching the MHAMD policy pages for information and updates on high priority items.
Download the full 2021 Session Summary