The Maryland Department of Health (the Department) was awarded funding from the Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) for two years (SFY 2021 and 2022) to provide resources and technical assistance to outpatient mental health clinic (OMHCs) providers interested in becoming Crisis Stabilization Facilities (CSFs).
As part of this multi-year initiative, the Department partnered with the Hilltop Institute at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) and the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) to conduct foundational research on crisis stabilization:
An environmental scan that identifies regulatory and licensing barriers to OMHC expansion, describes the development and implementation experiences of crisis providers in Maryland, and describes the development and implementation of wider crisis services systems in other states that have undertaken similar initiatives.
A descriptive data analysis that provides insight into where the greatest unmet behavioral health crisis needs exist within Maryland, as well as the capacity of OMHCs to provide additional crisis stabilization infrastructure to address those needs.
Additionally, the Department offered a Small Grant opportunity in fall 2021, which culminated in SFY 2022. The purpose of the Small Grant Program was to provide technical and financial support for OMHCs interested in expanding to provide CSF services. Four OMHCs were selected from the competitive application process for the Small Grant Program. Each selected OMHC worked with OOCC-funded staff to analyze assets, needs and create a business plan for how to increase their capacity to provide crisis services. Participating OMHCs received technical assistance to identify the costs associated with expanding to provide CSF services. In addition, the program offered incentives for participants to undergo DATA 2000 waiver training allowing them to prescribe buprenorphine.
