About the Fund MD988 Campaign

 

The Fund MD988 Campaign was established in 2021 to expand and strengthen the Maryland 988 network and behavioral health crisis response continuum.

 

  • The Campaign is grateful for the leadership shown by the Administration and the General Assembly over the last two years to support the launch of 988.

    • In 2022, the state appropriated $5 million for its 988 network, the first time Maryland invested general revenue funds for 988

    • The General Assembly passed legislation establishing the Maryland 988 Trust Fund to invest in the 988 network and broader crisis response continuum

    • Maryland allocated $17.5 million to the 988 Trust Fund over two years to invest in behavioral health crisis response services

  • Maryland has taken strides to build a strong 988 and crisis response system but has more work to do. The Campaign looks forward to partnering with our public officials to build a strong behavioral health crisis response system that will save lives and help Marylanders thrive.

People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement.

A Robust 988 Network and Crisis Response System is Needed Because …

  • All Marylanders deserve equitable, timely, and effective mental health and substance use care, including behavioral health crisis care;

  • The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched in July 2022, establishing for the first time a national three-digit number for mental health and substance use crisis response;

  • People who go to hospital emergency rooms for mental health and substance use crises may have to wait many hours to receive care;

  • Over-reliance on law enforcement for responding to behavioral health crises has led to inequitable access to care, poor health outcomes, and disproportionate arrest and incarceration for people of color;

  • People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement;

  • Marylanders have been forced to rely on hospital emergency rooms and law enforcement to provide mental health and substance use crisis response even though these are not the best settings for care;

The new National 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is an important step, but the new number is just the beginning of building out a high-quality and robust crisis response system.

  • The COVID pandemic has made mental health and substance use worse for Marylanders, greatly increasing the number of people who are seeking help for mental health and substance use services;

  • Mental health and substance use crisis services are for anyone, anywhere, and anytime;

  • The current system to treat mental health and substance use crises does not have the capacity to serve all those in need 24/7, 365 days a year across Maryland;

  • Marylanders deserve a well-operated and fully funded mental health and substance use crisis response system that they can depend on to deliver equitable, timely, and effective care in times of emergency.

 

Overreliance on law enforcement has led to inequitable access to care, poor health outcomes, and disproportionate arrest and incarceration for people of color.

If your organization would like to join the campaign, please download, fill out, save and email the resolution below to: Daniel Rabbitt at MD988@bhsbaltimore.org.