Maryland Behavioral Health Crisis Response System - Integration of 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network and Outcome Evaluations

This bill updates Maryland's Behavioral Health Crisis Response System by requiring crisis communication centers to coordinate with the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network to provide services like supportive counseling, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention. It mandates that these centers also work with local agencies, police, emergency services, and mental health providers to ensure comprehensive support for individuals in crisis. The legislation requires expanded evaluation of service outcomes, including tracking call volumes, resolution rates, mobile team response times, and discharge data, with results reported publicly by December 1 each year. These evaluations must be broken down by race, gender, age, and zip code to help identify disparities and improve crisis diversion programs while reducing criminal detentions. The bill aims to create a more integrated and data-driven approach to behavioral health crisis response across Maryland.