State forms forensic services workgroup to stem mental facilities’ census woes
Representatives from different points in the system will seek remedies to delays
Baltimore, MD (June 15, 2016) – The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has formed a workgroup on forensic services, as the State works to remedy capacity constraints of public mental hospitals to serve Marylanders.
“The formation of a workgroup that will find strategies to fix the difficulties our public hospitals have in treating Marylanders in a timely manner is a top priority for the department,” said Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Van T. Mitchell. “This workgroup represents opportunities for us to partner with parties familiar with the dynamics of the system, to hit reset and to find the best way forward quickly.”
The new workgroup will be charged with developing strategies to address the current hospital capacity issue. The workgroup will review the current admissions, treatment, discharge and after-care processes and will identify strategies to enhance the State’s capacity to meet the current demand for psychiatric in-patient care for both civil and forensically involved citizens.
The workgroup includes representatives of the department, including state, local and facility personnel; the judiciary; public safety; healthcare providers and consumers; and advocacy organizations. Behavioral Health Administration Executive Director Dr. Barbara J. Bazron will be chairwoman of the workgroup.
The workgroup will hold four public meetings at the Maryland Department of Transportation Building’s Richard Trainor or Harry R. Hughes conference rooms, at 7201 Corporate Center Drive, Hanover, Md. 21076. The meetings will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on June 23, June 30, July 7 and Aug. 4, 2016. The Department invites members of the public to attend the meetings. For information about the workgroup, visit http://goo.gl/Ub5c0d or contact Rachael Faulkner at 410-402-8402 or rachael.faulkner@maryland.gov.
Marylanders who need help finding substance abuse treatment resources should visit http://goo.gl/GUoCpT or call the 24/7 Maryland Crisis Hotline at 1-800-422-0009.
The Honorable Sheila R. Tillerson Adams
Administrative Judge
Circuit Court for Prince George's County
Laura Cain, Esq.
Senior Attorney
Maryland Disability Law Center
The Honorable Kathleen M. Dumais
Delegate
District 15, Montgomery County
Pat Goins-Johnson
Program Director
Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
Lauren Grimes
Director of Network and Peer Services
On Our Own of Maryland, Inc.
Roger Harrell
Health Officer
Dorchester County Health Department
Paula Langmead
CEO
Springfield Hospital Center
Helen Lann, M.D.
Medical Director
Beacon Health Options
Captain Michael R. Merican
Past President
Maryland Correctional Administrators Association
Dale Meyer
President and CEO
People Encouraging People
The Honorable John P. Morrissey
Chief Judge
District Court of Maryland
Clarissa Netter
Consumer
Mary Pizzo, Esq.
Supervising Attorney for Mental Health Litigation Support
Office of the Public Defender
Forensic Division
John G. Robison
CEO
Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center
Marshall (Rick) Rock
Adult Coordinator
Washington County Mental Health Authority
Crista Taylor
Vice President Programs
Behavioral Health System Baltimore
Kathleen A. Ellis
Principal Counsel
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Gayle Jordan-Randolph, M.D.
Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Barbara J. Bazron, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Behavioral Health Administration
Shauna Donahue
Chief of Staff, Office of Deputy Secretary, Behavioral Health
Director, Maryland's Commitment to Veterans
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
James Pyles
Director of Safety and Security
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Erik Roskes, M.D.
Director and Clinical Director, Forensic Services
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Behavioral Health Administration
Cathy Marshall
Regional Director
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Developmental Disabilities Administration
Western Regional Office at Potomac Center
Rachael Faulkner (Staff to the Work group)
Director of Government Affairs & Communications
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Behavioral Health Administration
