Report says Balto. Co. needs better mental health responses
Baltimore County could make significant improvements to how it responds to emergency situations involving people with mental health issues, including hiring more crisis counselors and expanding training for police officers and 911 call-takers, an outside group says in a new report.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz
In a report made public on Wednesday, the Council of State Governments said there are several areas where the county needs to improve how it handles people with mental illness.
The report paints a picture of a crisis response system that has a good foundation but suffers from a lack of coordination, a lack of oversight and insufficient staffing.
“In the scheme of things, what they have in place is fairly effective, said Richard Cho, director of the behavioral health division of the Council of State Governments. “What they need to do is plug in the holes.”
Cho’s group spent a year touring county facilities, interviewing employees and collecting data. Cho said the report identifies ways to turn a “really good” mental health crisis program into one that is “great.”
County officials were reviewing the recommendations in the report. They agreed there’s room for improvement.
“It’s important that Baltimore County continue to be a leader in providing solutions before we have a terrible problem,” Kamenetz said. He said mental illness is “a growing issue of concern.”
The Council of State Governments found that the crisis response programs in the county are “stretched thin.”
For example, the county has mobile crisis teams composed of one counselor and one police officer who can respond to emergency calls that might involve a subject with mental health needs. But just two teams work during the daytime and two teams work in the evenings. None work the midnight shift.
The council suggests hiring three additional crisis teams — one for daytime, one for evening and one for midnight.
County Police Chief Terry Sheridan said access to crisis counselors helps ensure “we don’t have to take any kind of drastic action and everyone walks away safe.”
Even with mobile crisis teams, the county has had police situations with ill subjects that ended in death.
County officials have said the review was not spurred by any specific incident.
The council suggests establishing mobile crisis teams that involve only counselors to respond to emergency calls that don’t require the assistance of a police officer.
Kamenetz, a Democratic candidate for governor now in his final months as county executive, said he’ll review which of the recommendations are worthwhile and can be implemented before he leaves office.
“My goal is to start this process now,” he said. “I have until the first week of December.”
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