Five ways you can get involved during Mental Health Awareness Month
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Mental Health America declared May as Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949 to spread awareness about mental health and reduce stigma around mental illness and substance use so that individuals feel more comfortable reaching out for help, finding information about mental illness and finding the right treatment. Fighting stigma can seem like a hefty task, …
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The Hummingbird Study investigates treatment for postpartum depression
All Categories, Postpartum Depression
About The Hummingbird Study The Johns Hopkins Women’s Mood Disorders Center is one of the several sites participating in The Hummingbird Study, a new clinical research trial with Sage Therapeutics to study postpartum depression. The Hummingbird Study’s purpose is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication in women with moderate to severe …
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School Nurses Certify in Youth Mental Health First Aid
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Howard County Public Schools trained 120 nurses and other health staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid ® in the last few months.
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Maryland General Assembly passes HOPE Act improving behavioral health services
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The Maryland General Assembly passed the Heroin and Opioid Prevention Effort (HOPE) Act of 2017 (SB967/HB1329)
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Consumer Quality Team Interviews Mental Health Consumers at Clifton Perkins Hospital
All Categories, Consumer Quality Team
For the first time, the Consumer Quality Team of Maryland (CQT) interviewed mental health consumers about their experiences at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup, Maryland. With the addition of this hospital in January, CQT now visits all five state inpatient facilities. Demand among patients for interviews with CQT was high, and during the …
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Maryland Maternal Mental Health Task Force sends findings to Governor Larry Hogan
Healthy New Mom, Healthy New Moms
The Task Force to Study Maternal Mental Health has submitted its recommendations for improving prevention and care for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) in Maryland to Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly. The Assembly passed legislation in 2015 to establish the Task Force, assigning the group with identifying vulnerable populations and risk …
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Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force final report released
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In October, the President’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force released its final report on the state of mental health and substance use parity following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The task force recognized that there is “more work …
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Maryland Behavioral Health Advisory Council develops plan to expand crisis services
All Categories, Behavioral Health, crisis services
Expanding crisis services in Maryland Earlier this year, Governor Hogan signed SB 551 / HB 682 into law. The bill requires the Maryland Behavioral Health Advisory Council (BHAC) to develop a strategic plan for ensuring that all Marylanders have access to 24/7 clinical crisis walk-in services and mobile crisis teams. The Crisis Response System was …
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US District Court Certifies Class Action Mental Health Lawsuit
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Last month, the US District Court for the Northern District of California certified a nationwide ERISA class action suit against United Behavioral Health (UBH). The lawsuit alleges that UBH is in violation of ERISA because they systemically deny coverage for mental health treatment. ERISA requires that medical necessity be evaluated according to generally accepted standards …
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TRICARE Will Comply with Federal Parity Act
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Recently release federal regulations will bring TRICARE, the insurance plan for active and retired service members and their families, into compliance with the federal parity act. TRICARE has always had a comprehensive benefit package for mental health services, but was previously exempt from parity compliance. Until recently, there were higher copayments for outpatient behavioral health …
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5 ways you can raise awareness during National Suicide Prevention Week
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, National Suicide Prevention Week, Suicide
This week, September 5-11, individuals and organizations are sharing personal stories, information and resources on social media for National Suicide Prevention Week. Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in Maryland and the numbers have increased in recent years. What can you do to raise awareness during National Suicide Prevention Week? Here are five …
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Network Adequacy Series, Part IV: We need your help to ensure strong insurance networks
All Categories, insurance, Maryland, Maryland Insurance Administration, Maryland Mental Health, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, Network Adequacy, parity
On April 26, 2016, Governor Hogan signed HB1318-Health Benefit Plans-Network Access Standards and Provider Network Directories into law. This landmark legislation based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Network Adequacy Model Act will dramatically improve insured Marylanders’ ability to use their health insurance to access care. The legislation enables the Maryland Insurance Administration …
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New consumer advocate finds her voice
Adults, Behavioral Health, grassroots organizing, health insurance, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Maryland Parity, Mental Health, Network Adequacy, parity
A guest post from consumer advocate Jessica S.: As a consumer of behavioral health services for many years, it was not until I pursued specialty treatment for PTSD that I learned the depth of the injustice to behavioral health consumers done by insurance companies. It was an accepted norm that the therapy I needed would …
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Maryland breaks the ice about stigma
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, grassroots organizing, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, stigma, substance use, volunteer
Last month, six individuals left California on a 5 million-step cross-country marathon called The IceBreaker Run to start a dialogue about the barriers that exist between mental illness and mental health.
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Join MHAMD’s volunteer Citizen Action Team
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, grassroots organizing, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, volunteer
Want to learn more about behavioral health topics? Interested in volunteering with the Mental Health Association of Maryland? Join the Citizen Action Team! The Citizen Action Team brings together consumers, providers, advocates, and passionate individuals to help those living with mental illness and addiction pursue fulfilling lives. With the Citizen Action Team, you will have …
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Breaking the ice and starting the conversation about mental health
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, children's mental health, children's mental health matters, health insurance, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, stigma, volunteer
Earlier this week, six runners left California on the IceBreaker Run. These six runners will run a marathon each day as they travel from California to Virginia, stopping along the way to start community conversations about mental health. The six runners have diverse backgrounds and experiences, but each one has had their life touched …
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Guest Post: “Celebrating through Art!” – Carrie McGraw, Maryland Department of Disabilities
All Categories, children's mental health, children's mental health matters, Mental Health
The Children’s Mental Health Matters Campaign, coordinated by the Mental Health Association of Maryland and the Maryland Coalition of families, helped to plan this event to kick off Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Maryland. — “Governor Hogan declared May 1st through 7th Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Maryland. To bring recognition to this …
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Network Adequacy Series, Part II: What are state and federal regulators doing about it?
All Categories, health insurance, Maryland Parity, Network Adequacy, parity
In the first part of this series, we defined network adequacy and explained why it was critically important to ensure access to care for insured individuals. While most people agree that this issue is a top priority, there has been very little movement in some states to provide more consumer protections. In Maryland Maryland …
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Network Adequacy Series, Part I: What is all the fuss?
All Categories, health insurance, Maryland Parity, Network Adequacy, parity
A network adequacy report MHAMD released in January 2015 sparked a firestorm of debate early in the legislative session. The finding that only 14% of the 1,154 psychiatrists listed on the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE) Qualified Health Plan networks were accepting new patients within 45 days was widely quoted by advocates, the press …
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Hundreds Rally on Lawyer’s Mall to “Keep the Door Open!”
Advocacy & Public Policy, All Categories, Behavioral Health, community behavioral health providers, grassroots organizing, Maryland, Maryland Mental Health, Mental Health, rally, substance use
More than 500 consumers, family members and advocates gathered in Annapolis February 25 at the Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition’s Keep the Door Open Rally to appeal for increased access to behavioral health services for those living with mental health and substance use disorders. Resolute voices echoed from Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis, repeating the mantra …
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2016 Open Enrollment
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As you may know, it is currently Open Enrollment for state health insurance exchanges. The state of Maryland’s marketplace (Maryland Health Connection) is the only place where qualified Maryland residents can receive federal tax subsidies to alleviate the burden of monthly premium costs (Advanced Premium Tax Credit) and the Cost-Sharing Reduction (CSR). In order to …
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Crisis Intervention Training
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Since 2005, the Mental Health Association of Maryland (MHAMD) has chaired the Maryland Mental Health and Criminal Justice Partnership (MHCJP). The MHCJP – which includes representatives from state agencies, local correctional facilities, the judiciary, advocacy organizations, providers and more – has worked over the past decade to improve services and break the cycle of rearrest …
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Learning Life Lessons from Our Veterans
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In 2014, a group from the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training (MCVET) in Baltimore City attended a mental health presentation provided by MHAMD at an annual conference entitled “Why Women Cry.” The rookie MCVET case manager took note that many in the group were uneducated about the very mental illnesses from which they …
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MHAMD works to address the mental health needs of pregnant women and new moms
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Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting 15 – 20% of pregnant women and new moms within the first year.
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