LEONARDTOWN, MD (June 26, 2023) - The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) is collaborating with iMind Behavioral Health, Inc. to provide mobile crisis stabilization services in St. Mary’s and Charles counties. This FREE service is available for community members who are experiencing severe situational, emotional, or behavioral crisis to provide immediate, onsite crisis intervention and debriefing services. This service is launching with limited hours of operation Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - midnight. Additional hours will be phased in over the next several months to increase availability to twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a behavioral health crisis and needs to be connected to these services, call 911; call, text, or chat 988, or call the Warmline at 410-768-5522. To contact the Mobile Response Team direct dispatch number call 301-900-HELP.
Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) are intended to provide early intervention to adults and children who are experiencing behavioral crises. MRSS seeks to identify and respond at early interruption points as soon as caregivers and youth identify changes in behavior or needs that place stress on the family.
“Mobile crisis services are face-to-face, home and community-based interventions that serve individuals experiencing a mental health or substance-use related crisis,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer. “A mobile crisis response team can help divert individuals in crisis away from hospitals, emergency departments, and jails as well as to stabilize children in their current living arrangements so they can return to routine functioning.”
"iMind’s Mobile Response Team (MRT) works tirelessly 24/7/365 to provide safe and effective interventions to those experiencing a mental health or substance-use related crisis. With depressive disorders being one of the leading causes of hospitalizations in the U.S., and 70% of youth in juvenile systems with a mental health condition, our services have never been more vital to the community and we are immensely proud and humbled by the important role we play in reducing unnecessary hospitalization and incarceration - saving countless lives in the process," said Steven Flynn, Executive Director with iMind Behavioral Health.
“The Charles County Department of Health is excited to partner with the St. Mary’s County Health Department and iMind Behavioral Health, Inc. to help meet the behavioral health needs of our community.” said Dr. Dianna Abney, Charles County Health Officer. “This new mobile crisis service will provide response, stabilization, and intervention for adults and children experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. It will also remove the barrier of transportation by meeting people where their crisis arises in Charles or St. Mary’s County.”
For more information about behavioral health services provided through the St. Mary’s County Health Department, visit smchd.org/behavioralhealth/.
