Since its launch in November 2023, Grassroots Crisis Intervention’ Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC) in Columbia has provided open access to free, in-person therapy and medication management appointments within 24 to 48 hours to consumers who come to Grassroots with a mental health or substance use disorder concern and who face a barrier to mental health treatment.
A barrier can be lack of insurance or access to affordable mental health care, extended wait times for an appointment, trouble finding an available provider, or technological restrictions associated with telehealth.
Therapy and Stabilization
The OMHC supports consumers by providing them with high-quality and accessible mental health care, including therapy and stabilization using psychiatric medications, withdrawal management, and if needed, while bridging connections to longer-term treatment in the community.
Mental Healthcare for Everyone
Grassroots’ OMHC program helps to advance health equity among low income, uninsured and underserved individuals seeking mental health treatment by providing access to free, in-person therapy and medication management within 48 hours. This open access to mental/behavioral health care allows individuals to get help before a more serious crisis or decompensation of symptoms can occur.
For example, if someone experiences a lapse in their psychiatric medication due to homelessness, the sooner they resume their medication, the less likely they are to experience mental health decompensation or crisis.
Waiting 30-90 days for an appointment when help is needed today could contribute to a worsening of symptoms, acute crisis or disengagement from help-seeking altogether. Grassroots’ services are also designed to keep individuals out of the emergency department, hospitals and detention centers.
A Crisis Situation
“While anyone experiencing a crisis situation can use Grassroots’ services, the majority of our clients are individuals who have low income, are experiencing homelessness, are seeking assistance for a financial crisis, are food insecure, or are experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis,” said Dr. Mariana Izraelson, Psy.D, LCADC, Executive Director at Grassroots. “This population is most likely to experience barriers to accessing necessary mental health or substance use disorder care services.
The OMHC is unique among programs offered by Grassroots. While most of our programs are intervention that occur during an existing crisis, the OMHC is the only Grassroots service for preventing a crisis.”
“The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission is pleased to support Grassroots Crisis Intervention Services as it expands its Outpatient Mental Health Clinic services,” said CHRC Executive Director Mark Luckner. “The funds awarded will provide access to much needed mental health services.”
24-Hour Services
Grassroots provides free 24-hour crisis intervention, mental health, substance use disorder, housing support and suicide prevention services. All services are free of charge. This includes a crisis line, responses to 988 calls/chats/texts (throughout Maryland and as a national back-up provider for chat and text), 24-hour walk-in crisis counseling, a 24-hour substance use disorder crisis stabilization program, a family and individual emergency shelter and Howard County’s Mobile Crisis Response.
The agency also supports unsheltered, homeless and low-income individuals with hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, a food and clothing pantry and other resources at its Day Resource Center. Grassroots has been an integral part of the human service system in Central Maryland for 55 years, providing some services otherwise unavailable and serving as a resource after traditional agencies close for the day.
Recently, Grassroots was awarded $430,000 in grant funding from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) to expand its Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC) services, providing free mental health care to individuals throughout Central Maryland.
Public Donations
Despite the gift from CHRC, Grassroots still needs regular donations to support its food pantry service. Clothing and toiletries are also required for people in need. While Howard County is considered one of the wealthiest counties in the region, there are large numbers of individuals and families that are struggling financially who need help.
About Grassroots
Grassroots is a private, non-profit serving Howard County and Central Maryland. Founded in 1969, Grassroots evolved from an all-volunteer organization to a professionally staffed multi-service crisis intervention agency. In FY23, Grassroots’ 24-hour crisis services included over 72,000 calls to the Grassroots Crisis Line, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and 211 Maryland, as well as over 24,000 chats and texts.
There were 3,165 face-to-face contacts, including 1,278 community responses by the Mobile Crisis Team, and 62 clients enrolled in the Substance Use Disorder Crisis Stabilization Program. A total of 586 people were served in the emergency shelter programs, and 1,159 were assisted at the Day Resource Center.
To donate, visit www.grassrootscrisis.org. Follow Grassroots on social media at: https://www.instagram.com/grassrootscrisis/, https://www.facebook.com/GrassrootsCrisis and https://www.linkedin.com/company/grassroots-crisis/.
About the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission
The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) was created by the Maryland General Assembly in 2005 to expand access to health care services in underserved communities, support programs that serve low-income and vulnerable populations, and strengthen the capacity of Maryland’s network of safety net providers across the state through its grant making authority.
Since its inception, the CHRC has awarded 866 grants, totaling $291.7 million, supporting programs in every jurisdiction of the State. These programs have collectively served more than 628,000 Marylanders and the grants awarded by the CHRC have enabled grantees to leverage $44.7 million in additional federal, and private/non-profit resources.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Several small changes were made to the original press release, which was originally published by the Guilford Gazette on July 24, 2024, with the title “Offering Free Mental Health Care, Grassroots is Awarded $430,00.”
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