Mental Health

• Grassroots Crisis and Intervention Center has crisis services available. Visit or call their 24-Hour Hotline at 410.531.6677 or dial 2-1-1 for assistance.
• Howard County Department of Health has additional crisis services available. Visit https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Health/Behavioral-Health/Crisis-Services for a full listing of available services.
• Sheppard Pratt offers both walk-in and virtual Crisis Walk-in Center. Visit https://www.sheppardpratt.org/care-services/crisis-admission/ or call 410-938-5302 for assistance.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Disaster Distress Helpline:
• The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1.800.985.5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Call 1.800.985.5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
• Unsafe at home or worried that someone you know might be? HopeWorks provides services to women, men, and children impacted by sexual assault and domestic violence in Howard County, Maryland. All services are confidential and fees are based on income. No one is ever turned away because of an inability to pay. HopeWorks has a 24-hour hotline: 410-997-2272. They are currently offering virtual workshops, presentations, and support groups.

The Howard County Bureau of Behavioral Health has many resources available.

• For resources and referrals, call 410.313.6240 or 410.313.6202, or complete this online form. 
• For a listing of Howard County Behavioral Health Providers, follow the link below: Howard County Behavioral Health Providers Telehealth Services – COVID-19
• The Bureau of Behavioral Health also maintains directories of providers to help you find care:
  • HCHD Behavioral Health Community Services Directories
  • Network of Care Directory of Services (searchable)
• The Foreign-Born Outreach Behavioral Health Services Program helps those who were born outside of the United States, who live in Howard County, are low income, and do not qualify for public health services. For more information, contact Heidi Weiss-Beedie at 410.313.5711 or [email protected]. 

• Grassroots is offering a 4-part series “Teen Support After A Suicide Loss” that will meet every Tuesday in December from 7 – 8 pm. This series is for youth aged 13-17 who’ve been affected by suicide loss and need additional support and a safe space to process. For more information and to register, go to https://www.grassrootscrisis.org/events/.
• The Howard County Behavioral Health Summit Series Aetna is a 5-part series of free webinars that will help you learn ways to stay healthy and take control in 2020 and beyond. The Howard County Health Department, the Howard County LHIC, and Aetna have partnered together to bring you these 1-hour sessions, featuring insightful and inspiring conversations with community experts about mental health and wellness. For more information and to register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/howard-county-behavioral-health-summit-series-tickets-126902794675.  
• MedlinePlus.gov is an authoritative online health information resources for patients and families. https://medlineplus.gov/mentalhealth.html
• MentalHealth.gov provides one-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental health problems information. https://www.mentalhealth.gov/
• Howard County Health Department’s Behavioral Health Department provides information about county specific resources.  https://www.howardcountymd.gov/gethelp
• Maryland Department of Health Behavioral Health Administration provides information, resources, and government updates of the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak and how it relates to Mental Health. https://bha.health.maryland.gov/Pages/bha-covid-19.aspx
• Looking for help with coping with the Coronavirus outbreak? Visit the CDC’s “daily life and coping” webpage. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/index.html
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides education, support, and important information about mental health and the Coronavirus outbreak. https://www.nami.org/Home. Visit NAMI Howard County for local information and support. https://namihowardcounty.org/
• American Psychiatric Association provides information about symptoms, treatment, and prevention about various psychiatric illnesses. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families
• Emotional Support Human Etiquette is a community initiative of the Horizon Foundation that offers practical tips for reaching out and showing support to those living with emotional or mental health challenges. This campaign provides suggestions on ways to start conversations, create a safe space for having those discussions and offer practical help.
• Looking for specific information to support your school-age child’s mental health? Visit the Howard County Public School System’s mental health and wellness page.
• Mental Disorders Resources

The following organizations are available to support recovery with confirmed activity at this time. Consult the organizations’ links for available services, including online meetings.

• Alcoholics Anonymous (local information)
• The Serenity Center (self-help/12 step meeting hall)
• On Our Own of Howard County (open door wellness center)
• SMART Recovery (resources and meeting information)
• Narcotics Anonymous (national meeting locator)
• Free State Region NA (Howard County and other local area NA site)