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HARFORD COUNTY - Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) have introduced a new initiative to provide expanded mental health care and substance use treatment services to its students, staff, and families. The new initiative has been made possible through a substantial grant of over $165,000 from the Harford County Health Department (HCHD).
The funds will be used to implement the services of Care Solace, an organization that focuses on coordinating mental health care. Care Solace will work with HCPS to remove barriers to mental health care and improve access to quality mental health and substance use treatment providers.
"With the growing demand for mental health services, we are thrilled to support Care Solace, a mental health care coordination service, for the purpose of connecting any and all HCPS students, school staff, and their families to quality mental health and substance use treatment providers who will meet their needs," said Marcy Austin, Harford County Health Officer.
Superintendent Sean Bulson echoed her sentiments, acknowledging the increasing difficulty of accessing mental health resources.
"Access to mental health resources has become increasingly challenging," Bulson said. "By offering Care Solace to our greater community, we are letting them know we see their struggles and will do everything we can to help them succeed."
Through Care Solace, families and staff will be assigned a dedicated Care Companion. These Companions will assist in navigating the mental health care system, calling providers to find an appropriate match, and checking their availability.
Care Solace also provides HCPS with a tailored online tool that allows community members to search anonymously for community-based providers that meet their needs.
"We are proud to support Harford County Public Schools in prioritizing the well-being of its school community by providing timely access to mental health care and substance use treatment services," said Chad Castruita, Founder and CEO of Care Solace.
The service offered by Care Solace is now available free of charge to all HCPS students, staff, and their families.
More information about Care Solace and HCPS mental health programs can be found on the HCPS website.
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