Maryland youth behavioral plan stresses need for reform

State officials in Maryland last month released a five‐step plan to strengthen the state's behavioral health system for youth, CBS Baltimore reported. Among the high‐priority areas defined in the state Department of Health's plan are expanding crisis services for children, addressing mental health staffing shortages and offering more support for families. In an effort to determine whether more pre‐diagnosis services should be made available to at‐risk young people, state officials say they will examine data that has been collected in other states. “The roadmap is a vital next step in our response to the urgent needs of Maryland youth,” said Alyssa Lord, the state's deputy secretary for behavioral health. Department data show that nearly 80% of Maryland's youth behavioral health programs have staffing vacancies. The state wants to enhance its professional training efforts to combat the shortage. The state's plan also seeks to expand in‐home care targeting children with disabilities, those in foster care or in military families and those in the LGBTQ community.