Answering the Call on Mental Health

Mental health has always been a huge challenge in our community, and it’s especially difficult in anxious times like these. This week, I partnered with Councilmembers Jawando and Albornoz on a $395,000 appropriation to support EveryMind’s mental health services for all residents. We expect this to pass next week so that EveryMind can ramp up services in the next few weeks.

When it comes to our crisis intervention hotline, missing a call or text is a matter of life and death. Montgomery County is too good a place to allow a cry for help in our community to go unanswered because we didn’t dedicate the resources to respond. Prior to Covid, EveryMind’s crisis intervention hotline was already overwhelmed and missed many calls due to the lack of resources. Now in this pandemic, the call volume has increased by 25 percent with increased pressure and uncertainty, social isolation, and financial insecurity.

This critical appropriation continues the effort that Councilmember Jawando and I worked on in last year’s budget, securing funding to expand access to the crisis intervention hotline into the late night hours from 9:00PM to 12:00 AM when our young people are most alone and isolated with the least access to services and support.

Thank you to all my Council colleagues who have wholeheartedly supported this effort and to EveryMind who is on the frontlines every day to care for our community. 

If you want to talk to someone, please call or text 301.738.2255 to reach EveryMind or you can chat online using this website.  These services are provided at no charge.  Additional resources and reading material can be found here.