Transforming Behavioral Health Crisis Response Services
The Central Maryland Regional Crisis System (formerly called the GBRICS Partnership) is a network of behavioral health crisis response services supported by the Greater Baltimore Regional Integrated Crisis System (GBRICS) Partnership project.
Launched in 2020, the GBRICS Partnership is a five-year project that will invest $45 million of catalyst funding to transform crisis response services in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County and Howard County. The GBRICS Partnership project will expand the capacity of mobile crisis teams and community-based providers to reduce police interaction and overreliance on emergency departments.
Overall Goal: Reduce unnecessary Emergency Department use and police interaction for people in behavioral health crisis.
Create one regional hotline connected to a comprehensive call center that will use specialized technology to quickly and effectively help callers access the immediate support they need.
Expand capacity of mobile crisis teams (non-law enforcement) so they are available 24/7 across the region.
Expand same day virtual and walk in services to immediately address the needs of people in crisis.
Work with communities to increase awareness and utilization of the hotline and new services.
GBRICS Partnership Project
Who developed GBRICS?
The GBRICS Partnership project was developed by a broad coalition of 17 hospitals, four local behavioral health authorities, and many behavioral health experts and community leaders across the four local jurisdictions. Together they form the Central Maryland Crisis Response System. Here is the full list of project partners.
Initial investment of funding for the project was made available by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission Regional Partnership Catalyst Grant Program. For the full list of collaborators, see the full GBRICS Partnership Project Proposal.
Community Engagement
The project committed early on to meaningful community engagement to help inform system change and the design of project-funded services. As a part of this commitment, the Community Engagement Committee (CEC) and Local Community Engagement (CE) Subcommittee conducted an online survey and roundtable discussions between July 2021 and March 2022.
Results, themes and next steps influenced by more than 500 residents of the Central Maryland Region (Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County and Howard County) have been compiled into the 2021-22 Community Engagement Report.
GBRICS Council
The GBRICS Council guides the overall strategy, implementation and sustainability of GBRICS Partnership project initiatives. The Council has 21 seats, intentionally structured to include key partners.
GBRICS Project in the News
- Baltimore Region Changing How to Intervene in Behavioral Health Crises (Baltimore Sun)
- The Health Philanthropy That Set About to Change Behavioral Health Crisis Care in Maryland (Crisis Talk)
- County Leaders Hail $45 Million Behavioral Health Grant as ‘a Game-Changer’ (Maryland Matters)
- Baltimore metro region receives $45 million in funding to improve crisis response services (Baltimore Sun)
- GBRICS Partnership Announcement Press Release
Resources
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- Central Maryland 988 Helpline: Behavioral Health Crisis Response Triage Matrix
- GBRICS One Pager
- GBRICS Vision and Guiding Principles (Click to open PDF document)
- GBRICS Community Engagement Principles (Click to open PDF document)
- GBRICS Region Crisis System Scan (Click to open PDF document)
- GBRICS Orientation Meeting (Recorded)
- GBRICS Community Engagement: Interim Report On Insights from Community Roundtables
- 2021-22 Community Engagement Report
- GBRICS Crisis Systems Standard
- Promoting 988 in Greater Baltimore – Resident Interview Findings
- Roadmap to the Ideal Crisis System – National Council for Behavioral Health
- Crisis Now Model
- Crisis System Infographic
- SAMHSA National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit (Click to open PDF document)
- Crisis Talk Blog (Click to open PDF document)