New City funds to expand Bmore Power outreach and 988 Helpline efforts

Behavioral Health System Baltimore applauds Baltimore City for investing significant new funding from opioid lawsuit settlements to expand the work of the Bmore POWER, a community outreach team working to prevent overdoses and save lives, and to increase awareness of the 988 Helpline, which provides around-the-clock mental health and substance use help to people in need.

As the local behavioral health authority for Baltimore City, BHSB partners with Baltimore City to ensure the city has a full range of mental health and substance use services, including overdose prevention resources and the 988 Helpline.

This new funding will allow Bmore POWER to expand its reach and connect with more people who use drugs and offer tools and information to ensure their safety and save lives in our communities. 

The 988 Helpline has proven its value in its first two years of operation, and we want to make sure every person in Baltimore knows about this free, 24/7 service. The new funding will expand our grassroots community education and marketing efforts to spread the word about 988 so that everyone knows what 988 can do to help them and their loved ones.

Bmore POWER is a BHSB team comprised of people with lived experience using drugs. The street outreach team works across Baltimore City to provide resources, including Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and overdose prevention education.

The 988 Helpline offers 24/7, free emergency emotional support to people throughout Baltimore City and Central Maryland. It is a part of a national network of local 988 helplines. Anyone who calls the 988 Helpline from this region will immediately be connected to local call centers for safe, supportive and confidential mental health and substance use services.