About
The Youth Behavioral Health Road Map is a resource for families, health practitioners, school-based professionals, service providers, and other affiliates to provide accessible and comprehensive information to better navigate youth behavioral health supports in Howard County. Behavioral health is used to describe not only ways of promoting wellbeing by preventing or intervening in mental illness such as depression or anxiety, but also as an aim of preventing or intervening in substance abuse or other addictions.
Disclaimer: This is not intended to be a diagnostic tool and is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you think you may have a medical or behavioral health emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.
Learn where your child is on the road to health and well-being and the resources available for you and your child below.
Roadmap Stages
How to Find a Provider
Having trouble figuring out next steps? Click
below to view some helpful guides for finding
behavioral health resources that are best
applicable to your situation.
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Glossary
Heard or seen a term you don’t understand? Check below to find definitions to commonly used terms, acronyms, and more.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Advocate | A person who provides information and support to and on behalf of another person, including rights and responsibilities. |
| Behavioral Health | This is an inclusive term that is used to describe not only ways of promoting well-being by preventing or intervening in mental illness such as depression or anxiety, but also has as an aim of preventing or intervening in substance use or other addictions. |
| Mental Health | A state of wellbeing, in which the individual can achieve their full potential, cope with the everyday stresses in life, have fulfilling relationships and participate in the society. Cultural differences and subjectivity affect the way we define “mental health.” |
| Natural Supports | These are the relationships that occur in everyday life. Natural supports usually involve family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances. Sometimes referred to as “Community Supports.” |
| Resilience | Abilities or features within a person that promote positive outcomes, such as mental health and wellbeing, and provide protection from factors that might otherwise place that person at risk of adverse health outcomes. |
| CON | Certificate of Need. Document required for increasing the level of care. |
| LOC | Level of Care. A technical term teams use when determining placement into a program. |
| SIB | Self-Injurious Behavior. Cutting, burning, slapping, and other forms of self-harm all fall into this category. |
| BHC (Behavioral Health Consultant) | A behavioral health provider (psychologist, social worker, or counselor) working in the primary care office as a member of the care team. BHCs assess symptoms and offer brief, evidence-based interventions for a wide range of mental and physical health conditions. They also assist with referrals if needed. |
| Child Psychiatrist | A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of thinking, feeling and behavior affecting children, adolescents and their families. |
| Child Psychologist | A trained professional who provides treatment to children with mental health issues. |
| LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) | A person who has a degree in social work and is licensed by the state to perform the work. |
| LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) | A person who has a degree in counseling and a license by the state to hold counseling sessions. |
| School Counselor | Professionally certified individuals who help students succeed in school and plan their career. They help students form healthy goals, mindsets and behaviors, learn to develop effective collaboration and cooperation skills, to practice perseverance, to develop time management and study skills, and to learn self-motivation and self-direction habits. |
| School Psychologist | Uniquely qualified members of school teams. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. They partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community. |
| School Social Worker | School social workers are trained mental health professionals who support student achievement by providing services related to students’ social, emotional, and life adjustment to school and/or society. Through direct and indirect services to students, families and school personnel, school social workers strive to remove barriers to learning and enhance students’ well-being. School social workers function from a strengths perspective, in which students’ strengths and resources, rather than challenges, are highlighted in designing interventions. |
| CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) | Focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, improving emotional regulation, and the development of personal coping strategies that target solving current problems. |
| DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) | Focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. |
| IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) | Treatment designed to help those with emotional or behavioral issues whose symptoms may be too acute for traditional therapy but do not require inpatient hospitalization. |
| Play Therapy | Counseling or psychotherapy where play is used to help children express or communicate their feelings. |
| Psychotherapy | Psychiatric treatment that involves therapeutic conversations and interactions between a therapist and a child or family. |
| PRP (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program) | Services designed for youth to receive support and reinforce therapeutic interventions. PRP helps youth with mental illness to develop and enhance their skillset around community, and independent living. |
| RTC (Residential Treatment Center) | A psychiatric institution that provides campus-based intensive and extensive evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with severe and chronic emotional disabilities who require a self-contained therapeutic, educational, and recreational program in a residential setting. |
| Partial Hospitalization Program | Sometimes referred to as PHP, this is a program used to treat mental illness and substance abuse. The patient continues to reside at home, but commutes to a treatment center up to seven days a week. |
| School-Based Mental Health Services | Services delivered by school-employed and community-employed providers in school buildings. Learn more about the Howard County School-Based Mental Health Program at https://www.hcpss.org/f/health/2020-mental-health.pdf |
| Anxiety | The fearful anticipation of further danger or problems accompanied by an intense unpleasant feeling (dysphoria) or physical symptoms. Anxiety is not uncommon in children and adolescents. |
| Bipolar Disorder | A type of mood disorder with marked changes in mood between extreme elation or happiness and severe depression. |
| Conduct Disorder | A repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior among individuals in which they violate the rights of others or violate norms or rules that are appropriate to their age. |
| Depression | A type of mood disorder characterized by low or irritable mood or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities over a period. |
| Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) | Childhood condition of extreme irritability, anger and frequent, intense temper outbursts. DMDD symptoms go beyond being a “moody” child — children with DMDD experience severe impairment that requires clinical attention. |
| Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) | Individuals with obsessions and/or compulsions. An obsession refers to recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and cause severe anxiety or distress. Compulsions refer to repetitive behaviors and rituals (like hand washing, hoarding, ordering, checking) or mental acts (like counting, repeating words silently, avoiding). |
| Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) | An ongoing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures that seriously interferes with the person’s day to day functioning. |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) | PTSD can occur when a person experiences a shocking, unexpected event that is outside the range of usual human experience. The trauma is usually so extreme that it can overwhelm their coping mechanisms and create intense feelings of fear and helplessness. |
| Points of Entry | Places where you can first access services in the community. These may be information and referral lines or agencies that people typically come to first when they need questions answered about services or resources. |
| Behavioral Health Navigation | A Behavioral Health Navigator assists with coordination of care, dissemination of information, outreach and screenings and referrals to behavioral health services. Contact Leah Bulka, Behavioral Health Navigator at 410-313-6240 or lbulka@howardcountymd.gov. |
| CARE Line | The CARE (Child and Adolescent Resources and Education) for Howard County Families is a free service provided by the Howard County Office of Children and Families. It is a county-specific resource and referral service for people who have questions about children. Contact 410-313-2273 (voice/relay) or children@howardcountymd.gov. |
| Howard County Maryland Access Point (MAP) |
Maryland Access Point of Howard County (MAP) is a trusted source of information and assistance for Howard County residents who need or want to plan for their immediate and future needs. MAP serves adults 50 years and older, adults 18 years and older with a disability, family members and other caregivers, and health or business professionals. Contact 410-313-1234 (voice/relay). |
| Howard County Network of Care |
This website allows you to search for providers and access information about behavioral health resources in the county. It is able to be translated into multiple languages in real time and is updated regularly. It is a resource for individuals, families and agencies concerned with behavioral health, and provides information about services, laws, and related news, as well as communication tools and other features. Access the site at https://howard.md.networkofcare.org/mh/ |
| Immigrant Behavioral Health Services Program |
This program provides services for individuals who were born outside of the United States, live in Howard County, are low-income, and do not qualify for public health services. Services include behavioral health evaluations, help finding a mental health provider, making counseling appointments, medication management services, counseling and medication costs. Services are available on a sliding scale fee. Contact Heidi Weiss-Beedie at 410-313-5711 or hweissbeedie@howardcountymd.gov. |