Advocates Sound the Alarm About $116 million in Cuts to Behavioral Health Funding
The governor’s proposed FY2026 budget includes major cuts to mental health and substance use care, critical programs serving people of all ages across the state. Unless the General Assembly acts swiftly, key programs, including the state’s 988 helpline and behavioral health care for children and youth, will be cut drastically at every level — from screening and early intervention to treatment, recovery supports, and crisis services.
On Feb. 25, leading behavioral health advocates called on the General Assembly and Governor Wes Moore to restore proposed budget cuts and protect funding for community providers to ensure comprehensive behavioral health services are available to all Marylanders.
Watch the press conference:
Advocates cited more than $116 million in proposed cuts to mental health and substance use care and urged lawmakers to protect funding for critical programs serving people of all ages across the state. Unless the General Assembly acts swiftly, key programs, including the state’s 988 helpline and behavioral health care for children and youth, will be cut drastically at every level – from screening and early intervention, to treatment, recovery supports and crisis services.
The budget cuts will lead to significant service reductions, driving more people to go to hospital emergency departments for care – and Maryland emergency departments already have the highest average wait times in the country.
The organizations urged lawmakers to act in several key areas:
Restore funding for Maryland’s 988 helpline and crisis services. Although the General Assembly in 2024 approved a 25-cent charge on phone lines to support the 988 helpline, the governor’s proposed budget fails to allocate those revenues as intended. Without this funding, 988 call centers will be forced to lay off counselors; wait times for calls, texts, and chats would increase; and Marylanders in distress would suffer the consequences.
Restore funding for school mental health. The proposed FY26 budget would cut annual school mental health funding provided through the Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports by $90 million. In its first six months alone, the Consortium has supported the provision of behavioral health services to 58,000 students across 80% of Maryland schools, resulting in improved mental health outcomes for 70-80% of Maryland students.
Restore Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. The proposed FY26 budget would remove language supporting a statewide expansion of community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs). Beginning in 2018, six providers across the state have used federal grants to creatively expand behavioral health services to reduce hospital costs and criminal justice involvement while improving health outcomes. These organizations are relying on the Maryland Department of Health to develop a plan to sustain and expand these services in the future.
Protect the 1% rate increase for behavioral health services included in the FY 2026 budget. Historic underfunding of community based behavioral health services has left Maryland with half the workforce required to meet current need. An estimated 45% of these workers are projected to leave the field in the next three to five years. Maryland must increase funding for community-based services. By strengthening these services, we can reduce the need for inpatient psychiatric care and improve the quality of life for Maryland residents.
Protect against proposed cuts to Medicaid. The Medicaid program provides behavioral health services to over 260,000 people through the public behavioral health system. The Governor’s FY26 budget supports a comprehensive set of behavioral health services through Medicaid, and those funds should be maintained.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
It’s critical that your legislators hear from you. We have three separate actions linked below. Please take a minute to click on each, fill them out, and urge legislators to do the right thing.