WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced nearly $55.4 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to expand access to mental health services and substance use disorder treatment programs across the state. There has been an 18.7% increase in unintentional overdoses, with opioid detection in 90% of cases, in Maryland. This is the highest rate recorded in Maryland’s data. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented so many uncertainties for individuals, families and communities. People have suffered immeasurable challenges from the loss of their livelihoods to the loss of loved ones. During this time, we’ve also seen an alarming and dangerous increase in opioid and fentanyl overdoses. These tragedies underscore the importance of establishing equitable access to behavioral health services across our state,” the lawmakers said. “This robust round of federal funding will provide Marylanders with critical mental health resources and bolster ongoing efforts to address substance use disorders. We remain committed to securing additional resources to build our public health infrastructure so we can better support individuals coping with mental illness and addiction.”  

The $55,397,277 in funding comes from the American Rescue Plan and is directed to the following agencies and programs:

• $27,809,755 for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene through the Mental Health Services Block Grant Program

• $27,587,522 for the Maryland Behavioral Health Administration through the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program

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