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The Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency (AACHMHA) is committed to intervening as early as possible to identify and treat developing mental health problems in children and teenagers who meet the criteria.

Many of our adult services also are available to children including the 24-hour Warmline at 410- 768-5522, case management, outpatient therapy, residential programs, aftercare, supported housing, urgent care centers, the mobile crisis team, transportation help and financial assistance.

For information about any of these programs or services, contact 410- 222-7858.

In addition, several programs have been developed to meet the special needs of children, adolescents and their parents including:

School-Based Mental Health Initiatives
In partnership with the county schools, AACMHA is working to develop a program that will help middle school kids with mental health issues make a smooth transition to high school.

Young Adults
The transition from childhood to adulthood can be very traumatic for children with mental health problems. Targeted case management, and other services are available for children between the ages of 16 and 21 to help them through this difficult stage.

There is also a Transition Age Youth (TAY) program for people 16 to 25. This program provides special services designed on an individualized basis to assist young adults with mental health issues.

Helping Children Cope with Crises and Violence discusses the recent crisis, how to recognize stress in children, and how to cope.

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental illness, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common supports.  The 8-hour course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to offer initial help in mental health crisis and connect persons to the appropriate professonal, peer, social and self-help care.  There are four areas of training:  Adult and Children & Adolescents.  Participants recieve a three-year certification in Mental Health First Aid.  For more information please us at 410-222-7858 or check this website for future training dates.

 

 

 

COMAR 10.09.90

Mental health case management care coordination assists children and youth who are diagnosed with a serious emotional disturbance or co-occurring disorder gain access to medical, mental health, social, educational and other services needed.  These individuals must meet federal eligibility category for medical assistance.

CCO Referral Form - fillable Word version

CCO Referral Form - better for hand written submissions

Coping with Anxiety: Youth in 2020 was designed to provide information, insight, and resources to youth about coping with anxiety in our new environment. This discussion features various mental health professionals from the Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency, and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. 

The forum will premiere on AACPS-TV on Wednesday (11/11) at 6:00 pm and rebroadcast on Wed. 11/25 at 6 pm.  AACPS-TV can be seen on Comcast HD Channel 996, FiOS/Verizon HD Channel 1961, or Broad Stripe HD Channel 496.

The forum can be viewed NOW on the AACPS You Tube Channel using this link https://youtu.be/XddxocyvddE.

Parent CRAFT is an online video course that teaches parents the skills they need to meet the risks of substance abuse. This program provides ways to address adolescent and transitional-age youth (TAY) substance abuse through highly engaging online video segments that include structured suggestions for practicing the skills.

This project is made freely available to parents in Maryland by the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with funding from the Maryland Behavioral Health Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Components of Parent CRAFT include:

• Understanding teen’s triggers for use, maintaining factors, and potential negative long-term consequences.
• Learning communication skills for discussing concerns about teen’s drug use: use of understanding statements, accepting partial responsibility, and use of specific behavioral examples.
• Using positive reinforcement to influence and change behavior.
• Allowing for natural consequences to unfold (stopping enabling and protecting).
• Suggesting professional help.

To access the course, CLICK HERE

 

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids ages 8-18 now spend, on average, a whopping 7.5 hours in front of a screen for entertainment each day, 4.5 of which are spent watching TV. Over a year, that adds up to 114 full days watching a screen for fun. That’s just the time they spend in front of a screen for entertainment. It doesn’t include the time they spend on the computer at school for educational purposes or at home for homework.

The CDC recommends kids get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. The time kids spend watching TV, playing video games, surfing the web, is time they could be physically active. 

 

 

 

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) delivers programs, services, and professional development to meet the needs of military-connected students, parents, and professionals.

MCEC supports all military-connected children by educating, advocating, and collaborating to resolve education challenges associated with the military lifestyle.