Take Action Mental Health in Your State

Maryland

By The Numbers

979,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

67,000
Children with major depressionii
32,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:1,198

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:2,324

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:362

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in Maryland

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW MARYLAND COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health Americaiv  

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

20

9

4

10

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

37,000 / 8.07%

59,000 / 12.91%

59,000 / 13.02%

67,000 / 14.93%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

33,000 / 52.5%

23,000 / 41.3%

32,000 / 44.7%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

43,000 / 10.0%

42,000 / 9.8%

54,000 / 12.3%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

23,000 / 53.9%

21,000 / 49.2%

18.000 / 34.5%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

6,915 / 9.09%

6,085 / 7.69%

6,107 / 7.64%

6,180 / 7.61%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

31,319 / 40.6%

22,000 / 8.5%

18,000 / 7.2%

15,000 / 6.5%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

26,000 / 5.76%

16,000 / 3.45%

15,000 / 3.26%

17,000 / 3.7%

 

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
Maryland

By The Numbers

979,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

67,000
Children with major depressionii
32,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:1,198

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:2,324

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:362

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in Maryland

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW MARYLAND COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health Americaiv  

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

20

9

4

10

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

37,000 / 8.07%

59,000 / 12.91%

59,000 / 13.02%

67,000 / 14.93%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

33,000 / 52.5%

23,000 / 41.3%

32,000 / 44.7%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

43,000 / 10.0%

42,000 / 9.8%

54,000 / 12.3%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

23,000 / 53.9%

21,000 / 49.2%

18.000 / 34.5%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

6,915 / 9.09%

6,085 / 7.69%

6,107 / 7.64%

6,180 / 7.61%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

31,319 / 40.6%

22,000 / 8.5%

18,000 / 7.2%

15,000 / 6.5%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

26,000 / 5.76%

16,000 / 3.45%

15,000 / 3.26%

17,000 / 3.7%

 

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.

Join the movement

Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin-in

School Mental Health Professionals

Little or no progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools. 

 

Current Policy:

  • School psychologists: Maryland has one school psychologist for every 1,198 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
  • School social workers: Maryland has one school social worker for every 2,324 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
  • School counselors: Maryland has one school counselor for every 362 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Invest in significantly increasing the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in mental health.

School-Family-Community Partnerships

Substantial progress achieved

Policies that support and enable schools to engage with families and community partners.   

 

Current Policy:

  • Family/community engagement:  State statute encourages, but does not require, districts to adopt plans, policies, or strategies to engage parents and families in the educational process.
  • Community schools: Educ. § 9.9-101 (2021), among other statutes, provides for “community schools” designed to foster collaboration between school personnel and the community to provide “wraparound services” for students in need.
  • Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports: The Consortium established in Md. Educ. § 7-447.1 (2021) is designed to facilitate coordination between school personnel, community members, and others to provide community support for students’ behavioral needs.

Teacher and Staff Training:

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that support training of teachers and staff in mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention. 

Current Policy:

  • Teacher/staff training: Educ. § 6-122 (2021) requires annual training for all personnel who regularly have direct contact with students on topics including youth suicide risk, mental health, and trauma.

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand on existing training requirements to ensure K-12 teachers and staff to include substance use and co-occurring conditions and available school and community-based services and resources.

Funding Supports

Some progress achieved

Policies that help support funding of school mental health services for Medicaid-eligible students.   

 

Current Policy:

  • Medicaid coverage: State Medicaid program does not cover school-based mental health services for all Medicaid-eligible students.
  • Medicaid telehealth: State Medicaid program covers school-based mental health services delivered via telehealth.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand Medicaid billing to include school-based mental health services, including via telehealth, for all Medicaid eligible students (beyond students with an IEP).
  • Ensure the state Medicaid program covers services delivered by school psychologists, social workers, and school counselors.

Well-Being Checks

Little or no progress achieved

Regular checks of mental wellness that help identify students and staff who may need support.   

 

Current Policy:

  • No well-being checks required.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require annual well-being checks for all students and staff in K-12.

Healthy School Climate

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that foster safe, supportive schools, including anti-bullying policies, school climate surveys, inclusive environment (anti-discrimination) policies, excused absences for mental health, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and suicide prevention programs.

 

Current Policy:

  • School climate survey:   Educ. § 7-203 (2020) requires school climate surveys as one of multiple school quality indicators.
  • Anti-bullying: Educ. § 7-424 (2019), § 7-424.1 (2018), and § 7-424.3 (2020) mandate policies against bullying, harassment, or intimidation; require a standardized approach to reporting of bullying, harassment, or intimidation; and authorize the creation of an anonymous two-way electronic tip program to address such issues.
  • Suicide prevention: Educ. § 7-503 (2008) and § 7-504 (2005) establish a state grant-funded Youth Suicide Prevention Program.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Enact legislation to address additional healthy school climate policies, such as permitting excused absences for mental health concerns, promoting an inclusive environment through anti-discrimination policies, and requiring adoption of alternatives to exclusionary discipline that keep youth in school, with services and supports to get their lives on track.

Skills for Life Success

Some progress achieved

Skills, such as responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self-management, that help students succeed in school and life.   

 

Current Policy:

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Build on existing Maryland Early Learning Standards (through grade 2) and require adoption of evidence-based life skills education for grades 3-12, including making training in the curriculum available to parents and caregivers.

Mental Health Education

Substantial progress achieved

Health education in K-12 that includes instruction on mental health.   

 

Current Policy:

  • Mental health education: Sec. 13a.04.18.01 states that comprehensive health education standards include mental and emotional health.