PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (Aug. 22, 2016)—The Calvert County Department of Community Resources announced that it recently received nearly $250,000 from the Governor's Office for Children for two programs aimed at strengthening youth and families. The funding was part of $15 million set aside for the state's 24 local management boards charged with bringing together local resources to address issues facing children and families. Calvert County's local management board is the Calvert County Family Network (CCFN).
CCFN will administer the funding in two programs that target populations at risk for mental health and substance use. The first program is the Tri-County Youth's Service Bureau's Youth Intervention & Engagement program, which provides a holistic approach to youth mental health issues with formal and informal counseling and peer-led groups. The second program is new and will create a full-time reentry case management program to address needs and identify appropriate treatment and interventions for disconnected youth and their incarcerated parents or caregivers.
"The Governor's Office for Children appreciates all the hard work the local management boards do to ensure the youth in their communities are prepared for school, work and life," said Arlene Lee, executive director of the Governor's Office for Children. "The Calvert County Family Network has identified two of the most difficult barriers to success for young people; unmet mental health (suicide) and substance abuse needs. We are confident they will invest these resources wisely, using them to help Calvert County youth thrive."
"There is a troubling cycle at work here," said Calvert County Family Network's Coordinator Jennifer Moreland. "Lack of resources like health insurance and transportation put transitional age youth at a greater disadvantage for addressing mental health needs. These youth with untreated mental health issues and scarce opportunities for employment engage in impulsive and risky behaviors which land them in the corrections system, further impacting their long-term employment and stability."