Maryland touts wellness call-in line for those with mental health problems

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ANNAPOLIS — A voluntary service that offers wellness calls for those struggling with mental health issues is being hailed as an important effort to prevent suicides in Maryland.

Democratic lawmakers who led the effort to pass the bill joined with Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in promoting the Thomas Bloom Raskin Act, which will allow individuals set up scheduled calls with a trained counselor in an effort to provide needed services before someone takes their own life.

“One of the important things is that it gets people before they’re in crisis,” said Sen. Craig Zucker, D-Montgomery and sponsor of the Senate version of the bill that will take effect on July 1. “It gives them the opportunity to talk to a mental health professional during the time when they need assistance the most.”

Zucker led the effort to create the opt-in service following the death of Thomas Bloom Raskin, the son of Rep. Jamie Raskin, a former Maryland state senator who now represents the state’s 8th District in Congress. 

The act was the first bill to be signed by Hogan at the first ceremony following the end of the 2021 General Assembly session.

Hogan called the act “a critically important” bill.

“We had hundreds of bills to sign, but this one rose to the top symbolically,” said Hogan. “I wanted to make it the first one.”

Tommy Raskin — as he was known to his family and friends — was 25 and a law student at Harvard University who struggled with depression. He took his own life on New Year’s Eve 2020.

“It does require that people take that first step and make the call and to get on the list, but once you’re on the list then we will be reaching out to you, as a state,” said Raskin. “That’s a beautiful, wonderful thing.” 

Zucker’s bill and an identical one sponsored in the House by Del. Bonnie Cullison, D-Montgomery, establishes a voluntary wellness check call service through 211 Maryland, a statewide hotline for suicide and other mental health issues. 

“By giving an individual the opportunity to volunteer for these check-in calls, they are actively helping themselves,” said Cullison. “If during the call the individual isn’t showing any signs of (crisis) at that point or any concerns then it’s just a friendly call. If the person is showing any signs of being in crisis they can get immediate help from the professionals at the call center.” 

The new law combines that hotline with an established wellness check program for seniors.

Individuals battling mental health issues or suicidal thoughts can contact 211 Maryland by phone, text or chat and establish a scheduled wellness call from a counselor at one of the state’s five call centers. The calls could be weekly or even more frequently, according to Quintin Askew, president and CEO of 211 Maryland.

“It will really be based on the need of the individual, however they choose to contact — phone text or chat,” Askew said. “We’ll be a listening ear to identify what we need to do, but it will be based upon the needs of the individual.”

Similar to the program for senior citizens, individuals using the 211 Maryland system will be asked to provide the name of a family member or friend who can also be contacted should the center be unable to reach the participant for a scheduled call. The center also has the ability to reach out to local law enforcement and emergency services if the need arises.

“Our proactive services like the Raskin phone call program will identify someone who is calling who may not be in crisis immediately but if we identify they are in crisis then we can direct them and connect them with the appropriate services,” said Askew. “I think this will be the initial stop to really help support them before the crisis begins.”

The new program comes amid concerns about the increased need for mental health services and the added emotional strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s definitely been a tough time for young people … It didn’t start with COVID-19, but it certainly got worse with COVID-19 because of the sense of isolation that so many people experienced,” said Raskin. 

Since 2013, the 211 Maryland system has seen a 700% increase in the demand for services.

“This is not due to COVID,” said Cullison, who added that the pandemic has exacerbated the need for services.

 Maryland’s hotline is one of a number of efforts locally and nationally. 

Starting July 16, 2022, the national suicide prevention hotline will move to a three-digit number — 998 — to allow those in crisis to more quickly reach help.

“I was thinking about how Tommy used to say ‘it’s hard to be human,'” said Raskin. “This legislation makes it a little bit easier to be human in the state of Maryland because it lets all of our people know that the state is listening, and we’re willing to invest the resources to take care of people.”