Taking Flight is MCF's statewide program for youth ages 18-26, led by four young women who use their personal experience with behavioral health challenges to help others. They provide informal peer support and connection, work to break through stigma, and advocate for positive system changes. “I often say that I wish I had a group like Taking Flight to turn to when I wa ..

A Memoriam by Jane Plapinger The MCF family is deeply saddened at the tragic passing on May 23 of Ginger Rosela, our beloved and much-admired colleague. Ginger was a Family Peer Support Specialist, and one of five substance use family advocates who helped establish MCF’s Substance Use Family Navigation Program four years ago. Everyone who knew Ginger was touched by her  ..

On March 30th the Maryland State Department of Education issued guidance on the provision of special education services during school closure owing to COVID-19. The guidelines state: Schools should contact families with a child on an IEP to arrange a plan for services during school closure Schools still need to provide a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to stu ..

Families that struggle with substance use disorder are experiencing unique and increased challenges caused by the COVID-19 public health crisis. An additional concern is that the resources usually available to support these families are not accessible in the same way now. There are, however, many highly effective online and remote alternatives to receive support. Maryla ..

With parents and kids working and learning remotely, screen time is on the rise and many parents have relaxed the usual limits on activities like online gaming and using communication apps. But during this time of parental multitasking, how can we protect our children from dangerous or inappropriate content, or even from developing an online gambling problem? For starte ..

Frequent contact with others who are in recovery is a cornerstone of 12 step programs. Together people provide mutual support in order to maintain their recovery. Yet currently the CDC has recommended cancelling all gatherings of 10 or more people, and Governor Hogan announced that the state will prosecute gatherings of 10 or more people. In the midst of this guidance, most ..

The Maryland Health Connection starts a new Special Enrollment Period open to uninsured Marylanders who need health coverage during the State of Emergency for Coronavirus (COVID-19). Visit MarylandHealthConnection.gov (https://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/) or download the free “Enroll MHC” mobile app. Request or select “Coronavirus Emergency Special Enrollment Period.” ..

If you care about someone struggling with substance use disorder, it’s important to understand how professionals in the field consider various treatment options and how they make decisions about their recommendations. This article offers information on The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (ASAM) standardized criteria for assessing the treatment needs of individuals  ..

Recently the Maryland Department of Health sponsored a training for those who wanted to offer presentations on medications for addiction treatment (MAT). MCF’s Ginger Rosela was one of the people trained. We asked her a few questions about what she learned. “MAT prevents overdoses. People think that it is substituting one drug for another. No. It is part of harm reducti ..

Have you had trouble finding an in-network behavioral health provider for your loved one through your private insurance? Here at MCF we hear stories about tremendous barriers families face including: Online provider directories that are inaccurate or out of date. They fail to note that a provider is not taking new patients, or is no longer taking a certain insurance plan ..