The Harford County Local Management Board, Inc.

        The Harford County Local Management Board, Inc. works collaboratively with existing providers in the community to develop or expand programs to meet the needs of children, youth and families in Harford County.

                The LMB allocates funding for the following programs (fiscal year 2009):

I.                   Community Services Initiative 

                        Result Areas: Children Successful in School

                                             Stable and Economically Independent Families

                        Vendor:   Maryland Choices, Inc.

     Program Capacity:  Variable  

Children in the Community Services Initiative Program must meet one of the following criteria:  Returning or being diverted from an out-of-state residential treatment center, or are being returned or diverted from an in-state residential treatment center.  Programming is coordinated via case management and begins with an intake and assessment to determine the individualized needs of the child and family.  Services are provided based on a customized plan of care that may include services or supports that address the child’s needs in the following life domains: residential, educational, medical, psychological, social, safety, legal, cultural, and spiritual. 

II.        Bridges to Success  

                     Result Areas:  Children Safe in Their Families and Communities

                        Children Successful in School

                     Vendor:  Catholic Charities/Villa Maria

                     Program Capacity: 36 children and their families  (8 Level I & 28 Level II)

The Bridges to Success program seeks to divert middle and high school age children from the juvenile justice system who exhibit Children In Need of Supervision (CINS)-like behavior.  Based on an intake and assessment process, families are assigned to receive either Level I services (information, referral, and follow-up) or Level II services, an intensive intervention component that lasts up to 120 days and is moderated by a Family Support Specialist. Level II work focuses on the identified problems and meeting goals that the family has agreed upon.  The four main objectives of the program are to: improve school attendance; improved academic performance; reduce incidences of running away behavior; and prevent formal involvement in the juvenile justice system.

III.       School Outreach and Advocacy Program (SOAP) Level II Intensive Services

                     Result Area:  Children Successful in School

                     Vendor:  Family and Children’s Services

                     Program Capacity:  45 children and their families

 This program, previously known as Project PrePARE, provides delinquency and violence prevention services to elementary schools located in the Route 40 corridor. Outcome measures include 1.) Reducing violence, 2.) Improving school attendance, 3.) Improving the family’s relationship with the school, and 4.) Improving family functioning. 

Outcomes achieved with this program in the past include overall improvement in school attendance, better relationships within the majority of families, and enhanced knowledge regarding parenting skills.  In addition, decreases were seen in child violence in the community and at school.

IV.       After School Program  

                        Result Area:  Children Successful in School                                                 

                        Vendor:  Harford County Public Schools           

                        Program Capacity:  120 children 

After school programming operates in three elementary schools within the County:  Deerfield, Magnolia, and Bakerfield.  Each after school program provides structured activities for children in the areas of homework assistance, service-learning projects, indoor and outdoor activities, and delinquency/ substance abuse prevention presentations.  Each program has the capacity to serve up to 40 children.

V.        System of Care (SOC) - Local Access Mechanism (LAM)                       

                        Vendors: Harford County Department of Community Services,

          Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health                       

Program Capacity: Variable                       

Within the System of Care for children and families in Harford County, the Local Access Mechanism (LAM) is a structure for helping parents or professionals working with parents, to be better informed about what resources are available in the community and how to quickly access them. The Harford County LAM uses a “no wrong door” approach, which means that regardless of the child-serving agency contacted, families are connected with the resources they need using one or more of the following tools: 

1.)    The Harford County Department of Community Services Resource Guide is available in hard copy format and online at http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/services/guide.cfm 

2.)    *United Way’s 2-1-1 First Call for Help, callers from Harford County can dial 2-1-1 from a Verizon landline to receive assistance in locating resources throughout the county. Callers who do not have a Verizon landline phone may access the helpline via 1-800-492-0618. 

3.)    Family Navigation Services:  Family Navigators inform families about the resources that are available in the community, and helps link families to these services.  In addition to information, referral and linkage to services, family navigators utilize their listening and mediation skills to help families advocate more effectively for their children’s needs.    

*211 is no longer funded by the LMB in FY09, however continues to function as a component of the Harford County System of Care

VI.       Rehab Option Dollars 

Result Area:  Stable and Economically Independent Families

                   Vendor: N/A 

                   Program Capacity: Variable

Rehab Option dollars are made available to youth with mental illness or developmental disability, who are not in the custody of a state agency, and whose needs are being reviewed by the LCC.  Funding is used to support youth in need of residential treatment level of care. 

VII.     Teen Diversion Capacity Building

                 Result Area:  Stable and Economically Independent Families

                 Vendor:  Harford County Health Department

                 Program Capacity:  Variable

Teen Diversion (TD) is a psychiatric rehabilitation day program operating under the auspices of the Harford County Health Department and housed within the Harford County Public School System. Treatment is focused on diverting adolescents, ages thirteen through eighteen, from a more restrictive therapeutic or educational placement and reintegrating them back into the community.  Funding will be used to provide aftercare services to students discharged from the Teen Diversion Program in an effort to facilitate a smooth and seamless transition from a psychiatric day hospital setting to outpatient mental health services and school placement.  Funding will also be utilized to support the capacity building efforts of the Teen Diversion program including training opportunities for staff specific to the needs of youth served, as well as for the purchase of needed equipment, furnishings and supplies.

VIII.     Crisis Intervention Team Training

             Vendor:  Harford County Sheriff’s Office

             Program Capacity: 61 law enforcement officers and urgent mental health care staff

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is a new program in Harford County and is the result of a partnership between the Sheriff’s Office, Core Service Agency Office on Mental Health, and other providers in the community. The CIT program will enhance services provided to individuals with a mental illness. In the event of a crisis, a trained law enforcement officer will assist families by intervening and providing support to de-escalate the situation to a point where no further action is required, or if necessary, diverts the child to an appropriate community-based care facility. Funding will specifically be used to provide youth-focused CIT trainings and to send law enforcement officers to a National CIT conference.

updated 10/08