Commissioners Seek Residents to Fill Vacancies on
Mental Health Advisory Committee, Grants Advisory Panel

LA PLATA, MD -- The Charles County Commissioners are seeking County residents to fill two vacancies on the 15-member Mental Health Advisory Committee and two vacancies on the new Charles County Grants Advisory Panel.

The Mental Health Advisory Committee is responsible for reviewing and recommending services and facilities for mental health programs in the County. Members serve three-year terms. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Charles County Department of Health, White Plains.

One vacancy is for a citizen or consumer representing mental health needs, and the other is for a citizen or consumer representing children and families. A “consumer” means a family member of a child who is receiving or has received family preservation services, out-of-home placement services from one of the public agencies or mental health services that are publicly funded, or an adult, who as a child, received any of the aforementioned services, or has participated in publicly funded mental health services as either a child or adult.

The Grants Advisory Panel reviews and makes recommendations to the County Commissioners during the annual budget cycle on grant requests from non-profit agencies which are seeking funds from County Government to provide services to County residents. The panel may interview an agency as part of the review process.
No panel member may receive any direct or indirect financial or personal benefit from any of the grant applications under consideration. Members will serve two-year terms.

If you are interested in serving on either of these boards, please contact Denise Ferguson, Clerk to the County Commissioners, at voice phone number 301-645-0554 or 301-870-3000, or by e-mail to: fergusod@charlescounty.org to obtain an application or for more information. You may also download an application form at: http://www.charlescounty.org/boards&committees_application.pdf on the Charles County Government web site. Applications for all boards will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 26, 2007.

Please complete both sides of the application form, sign it, and mail it to: Clerk to the County Commissioners, P.O. Box 2150, La Plata, MD 20646. Please do not attach résumés or certificates to the application.