General Information

Director’s Greeting

Welcome to the Mental Hygiene Administration!

The Mental Hygiene Administration (MHA) is a part of the Behavioral Health and Disabilities portion of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH.)  Partner agencies within DHMH that provide behavioral health and/or disability services are the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration and the Developmental Disabilities Administration.

MHA is responsible for the delivery of public mental health services that are provided and funded through a fee-for-services system.  These services are provided either through facilities operated by MHA or through community service agencies.

MHA operates five inpatient psychiatric hospitals and two residential treatment centers for children and adolescents.  The inpatient hospitals are the Eastern Shore Hospital Center in Cambridge (Dorchester County), the Thomas B. Finan Center in Cumberland (Allegany County), the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup (Howard County), the Spring Grove Hospital Center in Catonsville (Baltimore County) and the Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville (Carroll County.)  The treatment centers for adolescents and children – known as RICA (Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents) are located in near Baltimore Cityand in Rockville,Montgomery County. 

In the community setting, MHA funds community mental health services for individuals who are eligible for Medicaid.  Services are also provided to those, who because of the severity of their illness and their financial need, qualify to receive state-subsidized services.

These services are provided by 19 Core Service Agencies (CSA) located across Maryland.  The CSAs contract for services that include peer support programs, training and others not reimbursed through the fee-for-service system.  Click here for more information about the CSAs and where they are located.

Many benefit packages are available through the Public Mental Health System.  These include:

• Psychiatric Inpatient Care.
• Psychiatric Day Treatment (partial hospitalization).
• Residential Treatment.
• Respite services.
• Outpatient Mental Health Clinic services.
• Individual mental health practitioner services.
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program services.
• Residential Rehabilitation Program services.
• Assertive Community Treatment services.
• Mobile Treatment services.
• Case Management services.
• Supported Employment and Vocational services.
• Residential Crisis services.
• Mental Health-related Laboratory services.
• PRTF (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility) Waiver services.

Our Mission

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Behavioral Health and Disabilities will develop an integrated process for planning, policy, and services to ensure a coordinated quality system of care is available to individuals with behavioral health conditions and developmental disabilities.  The Mental Hygiene Administration will, through publicly-funded services and supports, promote recovery, resiliency, and health for individuals who have emotional or psychiatric disorders.

Our Vision

The Vision of our public mental health system is drawn from fundamental core commitments:

• Coordinated, quality system of care.
• A full range of services available.
• Seamless linkages to services for the consumer delivered through a system of integrated care.
• Recognition that co-occurring and co-morbid conditions are the norm.
• Focus on treatment, behavioral health, support, recovery, and resilience.
• Services developed in collaboration with culturally competent stakeholders in an environment that is culturally sensitive.
• Improved health, wellness, and quality of life for consumers.

CRISIS CARE

Crisis Response Systems are critical to addressing crisis in the community in a coherent and coordinated manner. Crisis Response systems often collaborate and partner with local law enforcement agencies to assure that those with mental illness receive appropriate levels of treatment rather than incarceration in local jails and/or prevent other negative and traumatic outcomes.

The key elements of a Crisis Response System include:

• Call Centers screen and evaluate calls related to psychiatric emergencies. Determines level of response needed, including dispatch of mobile crisis teams to community settings or hospital emergency departments.
• Mobile Crisis Teams include licensed mental health professionals available for evaluation, triage, and referral to alternative levels of care for persons in psychiatric crisis in the community or in local emergency departments, or if warranted, to facilitate inpatient admission.
• Residential Crisis Services is a residential alternative that provides support and assistance to ameliorate a psychiatric crisis in the least restrictive environment
• Urgent Care provides access within 24 hours to psychiatric evaluation and treatment services.
• Community based alternatives provide the most appropriate type and level of care for those with co-occurring illnesses (substance abuse and serious mental illness).
• Transportation provides access for individuals in psychiatric crisis to appropriate levels of care.
• Disaster response (Critical Incidence Stress Management) is linked to the county’s emergency response system for psychiatric and mental health needs of the community.

Maryland’s crisis systems consist of national and local hotline systems, crisis beds and other support systems. These systems save lives.

Crisis Response Statistics for 2007

Crisis Response Chart for 2007

Core Service Agencies

Overview

The CSAs are the local mental health authorities responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring public mental health services at the local level. CSA exist under the authority of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and also are agents of the county government, which approve their organizational structure. 
The functions of core service agencies are to plan, develop, and manage a full range of treatment and rehabilitation services for persons with serious mental illness in their jurisdiction as stipulated by the Health General Article, 10-10-1203, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Organizationally, the CSA can exist in a number of forms: as a unit of county government (e.g. health department), as a quasi-public authority, or as a private, non-profit corporation. Whatever the structure selected, the CSA is an agent of county government, and as such the County is the appropriate body to decide on the organizational structure. The model selected should emerge from a local process which involves citizens, consumers, providers, policy makers, and advocates. Those jurisdictions applying for core service agency designation must ensure that. The CSA must be governmental or not-for-profit in nature. The CSA must be able to link with other human service agencies to promote comprehensive services for individuals in MHA's priority population who have multiple human needs.

For more information about Maryland's Core Service Agencies, click HERE

Maryland Association of Core Service Agencies, Inc (MACSA) Directory​