Moore, health secretary talk youth mental health investments at panel
“If we’re talking about breaking generational sorts of stigma, then we got to make sure that people have a level of comfort in talking about their mental health.”
An uptick in calls and texts to the 988 crisis line and local efforts to support young people struggling with their mental health were the focus of a roundtable discussion Friday morning in Baltimore between Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and mental health service providers and advocates.
Since the summer launch of the suicide and crisis lifeline — simplifying the former 1-800-273-TALK phone number to an easier-to-remember three digits — the number of people reaching out to the line has risen substantially, said Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, HHS assistant secretary for mental health and substance use.
Comparing last month to December 2021, 172,000 more contacts were made to the crisis line nationwide, Delphin-Rittmon said. Chat and text rates also went up, with chats increasing by about 263% and texts increasing by 1,445%.
“It’s an existential moment, but one in which we’re meeting that moment by coming together and working together to address the needs of individuals that are struggling,” she said.
Mariana Izraelson, executive director at the Columbia-based Grassroots Crisis Intervention, also spoke to the surge in calls, texts and chats the crisis line has received since its launch in July.
The center is one of eight in Maryland that answers calls to 988, while also offering support on a national level. Though the first month was slow, calls, texts and chats picked up in August, and have continued at a high volume ever since, she said.
The option to call or chat the crisis line has been especially popular among young people, Izraelson said. The center responds to about 3,000 texts and chats per month, with many coming in between the hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.
“We have never seen the numbers that we’re seeing today, and we’re responding to the need in our community,” she said.
Becerra praised Maryland for being one of few states nationwide to create a permanent funding stream for the crisis line. Last year, the state set up a trust fund for 988, which state legislators stocked with $5 million for the program’s first year, and another $5.5 million for its second year.
He also sought to alleviate concerns he’s heard from young people — especially young men — that using the crisis line will lead them to be transferred to law enforcement.
“The way I describe it is, it’s 988,” he said. “It’s only 911 when you have signaled you’re about to end your life, or we need someone to rush to you, to provide you with the services to keep you with us.”
In Moore’s first proposed budget, which he released last week, the week-old governor is asking for $428 million for addressing substance use disorders — a 39% increase from the funding this issue received last year, he said.
He also highlighted the half-billion dollar boost proposed for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund included in his budget, as well as $8.8 billion for public education and $1.2 billion for school construction
Moore was joined by Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller at the discussion Friday.
“I can tell you, the governor and I are going to make this a priority in our administration,” Miller told the participants, who included youth advocates Sage Hughes and Sam Jesner. “That you are seen, you are heard, and we’re going to provide whatever it is that you need to be your authentic selves in this world.”
The discussion comes as Maryland, and the nation at large, weathers a youth mental health crisis that existed before the coronavirus pandemic, but has only gotten worse since.
According to findings from the 2022 Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book, about 13% of children ages 3 to 17 reported experiencing anxiety or depression in 2020 — up by about 3.5 percentage points from 2016.
Research has shown that the mental health of people of color has been harmed especially by the pandemic. And while there has long been a shortage of mental health workers, that shortage is particularly pronounced among Black and brown practitioners.
Andrea Brown, executive director of the Black Mental Health Association, who participated in Friday’s roundtable discussion, shared how the Baltimore-based nonprofit is working to diversify the mental health field through its Healing Youth Alliance program.
In the program, young Black people are trained to become ambassadors in mental health, allowing them to take lessons they learn about trauma, stigma and healing to their schools and peer groups. The program also encourages young people to consider pursuing a career in mental health.
“It is significant, when we are talking about having a conversation, and my therapist may not look like me,” she said. “If we’re talking about breaking generational sorts of stigma, then we got to make sure that people have a level of comfort in talking about their mental health.”
— Andrea Brown, executive director of the Black Mental Health Association