ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WDVM) — The pandemic has left a profound impact on the lives of people all around the globe, particularly those who struggle with mental and behavioral health disorders.
Maryland’s Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford launched a commission to study mental and behavioral health. during which he realized that health and financial uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, combined with increased social isolation have escalated stressors on everyone’s mental health.
That’s why he’s proposing a series of bills that would increase access to critical counseling services for substance use disorder and mental health issues.
- Clear Statutory Definition of Harm to Self and Others
- Enact Permanent Telehealth Reform
- Continued Exploration of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) for Individuals in the Correctional System
- Expand Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT), Teams
- Extended Services for ACT Teams and Expand Geographical Areas of Need
- Obtain IMD Exclusion Waiver
- Explore Provider Reimbursement Rates as Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitations (NQTL)
- Formalize a Statewide Planning Body to address the needs of justice-involved persons with behavioral health disorders
- Develop a Mental Health-Criminal Justice Center of Excellence
- Broaden and Formalize County-level Criminal Justice/Behavioral Health Planning Committees
The commission looks forward to continuing its work throughout 2021 and 2022.
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