Maryland: Behavioral Health News
Maryland faces evolving challenges in behavioral health care access, workforce capacity, and policy reform. Below is a running tracker of Maryland therapy, mental health, and behavioral health policy developments from 2025 and 2026.
August 2026
August 12, 2026 — Maryland communities launch non-police crisis co-responder models and 988 dispatch integration
Maryland municipal jurisdictions partnered with regional behavioral health organizations to deploy clinical co-responder teams for psychiatric emergency calls. The teams pair licensed social workers with crisis specialists to provide immediate de-escalation and connect residents with outpatient therapy.
Source: Maryland Department of Health
August 2026
August 10, 2026 — Maryland Department of Health announces $80 million in grant awards for rural behavioral, primary, and dental care.
As part of the state’s $168 million federal Rural Health Transformation Program, Maryland awarded $80 million across 41 grantees on August 10, 2026. The funding directly targets expanding access to behavioral health services, integrated primary care, and telehealth capabilities across 18 designated rural counties. This initiative aims to address workforce shortages and improve community health infrastructure throughout Maryland’s rural regions.
Source: https://health.maryland.gov
June 2026
June 25, 2026 — Maryland extends temporary Medicaid provider enrollment moratorium for outpatient behavioral health services.
The Maryland Department of Health extended its temporary administrative moratorium on enrolling new Medicaid providers for psychiatric rehabilitation and intensive outpatient behavioral health programs. The policy update aims to strengthen quality oversight, reduce fraud, and ensure modern compliance standards across community-based care centers. The state continues to evaluate provider standards while maintaining continuity of care for existing beneficiaries.
Source: https://health.maryland.gov/bha
May 2026
May 21, 2026 — Maryland Community Health Resources Commission awards $96.3 million to expand school-based behavioral health services.
The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission approved $96.3 million in grant funding through the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports for the 2026–2027 school year. The grants expand mental health counseling, crisis intervention, and preventative behavioral care for pre-K through 12th-grade public school students across all Maryland jurisdictions. This major investment is authorized under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future initiative to address youth mental health needs.
Source: https://health.maryland.gov/chrc
May 12, 2026 — Governor Wes Moore signs legislation modernizing Maryland’s behavioral health reimbursement rate methodology.
Enacted as SB 39 and HB 772 during the 2026 legislative session, the law creates a dedicated workgroup to oversee an independent cost-driven rate methodology study for community behavioral health providers. The legislation mandates state reimbursement rate adjustments to ensure long-term financial sustainability for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and outpatient mental health centers. This reform directly addresses community provider operating costs and workforce retention challenges.
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0039?ys=2026RS
May 12, 2026 — Maryland enacts law codifying federal mental health parity standards into state insurance regulations.
Governor Wes Moore signed SB 205 / HB 280, incorporating updated federal mental health and substance use disorder parity rules directly into Maryland insurance law. The statute clarifies enforcement authority for the Maryland Insurance Administration to ensure commercial insurers do not impose stricter coverage limits on mental health treatments than on medical/surgical care. This action provides stronger legal protections for Maryland consumers seeking behavioral healthcare coverage.
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0205?ys=2026RS
May 4, 2026 — Maryland launches the Youth Digital Wellness Playbook to address online mental health risks for children.
The Moore-Miller Administration, in partnership with the Child Mind Institute and the Governor’s Office for Children, released an evidence-based digital wellness playbook for youth, parents, and educators. The guide provides practical skill sheets and interventions to combat screen-time anxiety, depression, and social media distress among Maryland youth. It forms part of the administration’s broader strategy to enhance pediatric mental health support statewide.
Source: https://children.maryland.gov
December 2025
December 1, 2025 — Maryland Department of Health launches statewide 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline winter awareness campaign.
First Lady Dawn Moore and the Maryland Department of Health launched a public awareness campaign across digital, radio, and streaming channels to promote 988 crisis services through the winter season. The initiative highlighted free, 24/7 confidential crisis call, text, and chat support to address seasonal depression and crisis calls during the holidays. The campaign aimed to connect vulnerable residents with immediate community-based crisis intervention.
Source: https://health.maryland.gov/bha
July 2025
July 15, 2025 — Maryland Department of Health releases comprehensive Children’s Behavioral Health Roadmap.
Developed in partnership with Manatt Health and the Maryland Coalition of Families, the state published a multi-year blueprint to reform pediatric mental health services. The roadmap outlines strategies to reduce emergency department boarding times, scale mobile crisis response teams, and expand early developmental screening for Medicaid-enrolled youth. It serves as a framework to build a coordinated, family-centered crisis and preventive behavioral health system.
Source: https://health.maryland.gov/bha
May 2025
May 13, 2025 — Governor Wes Moore signs the Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2025 into law.
Enacted as SB 372 (Chapter 481), Maryland permanently extended Medicaid and commercial health insurance reimbursement parity for telehealth services, including audio-only telephone consultations. The legislation removed previous sunset dates to guarantee continuous remote mental healthcare access for Maryland residents. It supports telehealth parity for mental health therapists and behavioral health providers across rural and underserved areas.
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0372?ys=2025RS
May 13, 2025 — Maryland enacts consumer protections for out-of-network behavioral healthcare access.
Governor Wes Moore signed SB 902 (Chapter 661), eliminating the expiration date on key patient protection laws regarding nonparticipating behavioral health providers. The law mandates that when insured patients face network inadequacy for mental health services, insurers must assist in securing and covering out-of-network specialists at no additional out-of-pocket cost. This legislation prevents surprise billing and expands timely access to specialized mental health treatment.
Source: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0902?ys=2025RS
This page is updated as new Maryland behavioral health developments occur. Items are sourced from public primary sources — if we cannot link it, we do not post it.