In Maryland, public mental health and substance use services are overseen by the Behavioral Health Administration at the Maryland Department of Health. The state promotes 988 as its front door for urgent help, and a 988 call in Maryland can connect you to in person mobile crisis help when that's appropriate. NAMI Maryland, based in Columbia, runs a HelpLine at 1-877-878-2371 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and works with local affiliates around the state.
Service members, veterans, and their families can call Maryland's Commitment to Veterans at 1-877-770-4801 at any hour for help getting behavioral health care, whatever their discharge status. For food, housing, or bill help alongside mental health needs, dial 211 at any time.
Every county in Maryland and Baltimore City has a local behavioral health authority, or a core service agency paired with a local addictions authority, that plans and oversees public services in that area. The Behavioral Health Administration funds these local authorities and providers to build crisis care so people have someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere safe to go. Much of the state's academic psychiatry is in Baltimore, where Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland School of Medicine both run outpatient clinics. For people farther away, the University of Maryland's Telemental Health Program uses video visits to reach rural and underserved areas, and the 988 Maryland services finder lists mental health and substance use services near your location.
Crisis lines
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 anywhere in the United States, including from Maryland. Free and confidential, 24 hours a day. For chat, visit 988lifeline.org.
- 988 in Maryland (Behavioral Health Administration). The state's 988 page for people facing mental health or substance use emergencies, with options for veterans (press 1), Spanish speakers (press 2), and a videophone line for Deaf and hard of hearing callers. It also links to a search tool for services near you.
- 211 Maryland. Dial 211 at any hour for free, confidential help finding local food, housing, utility, and mental health resources, with translation in more than 150 languages. You can also text MDMindHealth to 898211 for ongoing mental wellness messages, or MDYoungMinds for teen mental health support.
- Maryland's Commitment to Veterans. A Behavioral Health Administration program offering care coordination, peer support, and referrals for service members, veterans, and their families, regardless of discharge status. Calls are accepted 24 hours a day at 1-877-770-4801.
Crisis care and mobile crisis
- Urgent and acute behavioral health care (BHA). Explains how the state funds local authorities and providers to offer crisis services. If you need urgent help, call or text 988, which can connect you to in person mobile crisis help if appropriate.
- 988 Maryland services finder. A state 988 search tool, run with the Maryland Information Network, that lists crisis intervention, crisis walk in centers, mobile treatment, and outpatient care. Add your location to see what's nearby.
State mental health authority
- Behavioral Health Administration, Maryland Department of Health. BHA oversees publicly funded inpatient and community services for mental health, substance use, and problem gambling, and licenses programs in Maryland's Public Behavioral Health System. The department's main number is (410)767-6500 or 1-877-463-3464.
- Maryland Medicaid. Free or low cost health insurance for eligible Marylanders, also called Medical Assistance. The site explains eligibility and how to apply.
- Carelon Behavioral Health of Maryland. Carelon administers the Public Behavioral Health System for the Maryland Department of Health, managing specialty mental health and substance use services for Medicaid participants. Call 1-800-888-1965 for help finding a provider.
NAMI Maryland
- NAMI Maryland. The state NAMI organization, based in Columbia, offers education, support, and advocacy for people with mental health conditions and their families. Its HelpLine is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1-877-878-2371.
- NAMI Maryland programs. Free, peer led programs offered by local affiliates with training support from NAMI Maryland, including NAMI Connection and NAMI Family Support Groups and classes such as Family-to-Family, Peer-to-Peer, Basics, and Homefront. Check the programs calendar or contact your local affiliate for dates.
- NAMI Maryland local affiliates. Contact details for local NAMI affiliates, including Anne Arundel, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Metropolitan Baltimore, the Lower Shore, Kent and Queen Anne's, and Southern Maryland.
Community mental health centers
- Local Behavioral Health Authorities directory (Carelon). Lists the local behavioral health authority, core service agency, or local addictions authority for each county and Baltimore City, with phone numbers and addresses. Call yours to ask about public mental health services in your area.
Treatment locators
- 988 Maryland services finder. Search Maryland mental health and substance use services by topic, including outpatient care, support groups, services for families, and wellness and recovery centers.
- FindTreatment.gov. The federal SAMHSA locator for mental health and substance use treatment. Search by ZIP code and filter by payment type.
University and academic medical centers
- Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Specialty clinics and community psychiatry clinics at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Call 410-955-5212 for help with appointments, and check with the clinic about insurance, since many plans aren't accepted.
- University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. The department's faculty provide care at the University of Maryland Medical Center and across the University of Maryland Medical System, with programs for children, adults, older adults, depression, addiction, and reproductive psychiatry. The main office number is 410-328-6735.
- Maryland Telemental Health Program (University of Maryland). A University of Maryland psychiatry program that provides evaluation, consultation, and treatment by video, with a focus on rural and underserved areas. It runs child, adult, and substance use programs.
- Maryland Early Intervention Program. A University of Maryland program for early identification and treatment of adolescents and young adults at risk for, or in the early stages of, a mental illness with psychosis. It offers care and consultation for youth and families across Maryland.
- University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency. A psychiatry training program run by the University of Maryland Medical Center and Sheppard Pratt, with rotations at several training sites.