For many families with behavioral health needs, navigating the system of care can be half the battle.

To commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month, BHSB recently hosted a conversation with advocates and practitioners working to ensure that more Baltimore youth and families can access the resources they need to thrive.

Several of the panelists have navigated the challenges firsthand and now work to help others.

Crystal Simpson, now a family partner supervisor at The Parents’ Place of Maryland, said she wished she had more support when she was trying to get her children the behavioral health care they needed more than a decade ago. Monica Ragin, who has a son with autism and ADHD, works as a family peer support specialist at the Maryland Coalition of Families. For both, help began at their children’s schools and that’s where they encourage young people and families to start.

As a Transitional Age Youth (TAY) peer specialist at Sarah’s House, Trinaé Payton works with young people aging out of child welfare and juvenile justice systems. She noted that young people do not always receive the support they need at home. Echoing this concern, Renee Myrie, Juvenile Court Services Coordinator at the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, pointed to community support as a critical part of the system of care.

Adam Johnson, an early childhood specialist at the Maryland Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Administration, stressed the importance of normalizing support for mental health at an earlier age. He also encouraged families looking for therapists to focus on finding the right fit instead of choosing the person that’s most readily available.

In Baltimore City, there are several school- and community-based services that can help families on their behavioral health journeys, such as:

• The Expanded School Behavioral Health (ESBH) Services Directory, which lists behavioral health specialists at Baltimore City Schools.
• Care Coordination, or targeted case management, that provides wraparound services to youth and families with intensive mental health needs.
• The LINKS program, which assists at risk children and their families in accessing or “linking” to entitlements and community-based resources. It is available through the Juvenile Court Services Office.
• The Juvenile Court Early Intervention Program, which provides substance use assessments for youth and caregivers involved in the juvenile justice system to determine the recommended level of care.

More information on programs for youth and families is available on BHSB’s website.