Waldron Strategies worked closely with Behavioral Health System Baltimore and the Fund Maryland 988 Coalition to increase awareness of the need for legislation supporting and strengthening Maryland’s crisis system in preparation for the launch of the national 988 crisis response line in July 2022.
We developed a campaign website, including a visual identity for the coalition, rapid response legislative action alerts, a fact sheet, and campaign FAQs. Our team also aassisted with media outreach, op-eds that appeared in the Baltimore Sun and Maryland Matters, digital ads, campaign social media toolkits and a robust social media presence around #FundMd988, including live-tweeting legislative hearings.
The Maryland General Assembly passed and the Governor signed the legislation, and additional funding was also included in the state budget. Together the budget and legislation:
Establish a 988 Trust Fund to support the Maryland 988 help line
Allocate $5 million for local helplines in 2022 and
Deposit $5.5 million in the Trust Fund in 2023.
This is a huge step toward ensuring equitable, timely and effective mental health and substance use support across the state.
