Behavioral Health System Baltimore

What Behavioral Health System Baltimore does

Behavioral Health System Baltimore, Inc. (BHSB) is a Maryland-incorporated nonprofit designated as the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) for Baltimore City. The organization is contractually responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring Baltimore City's public behavioral health system, including the Medicaid fee-for-service behavioral health system and grant-funded programs. BHSB oversees an annual public behavioral health expenditure exceeding $52 million, serving more than 107,000 Baltimore City residents annually, with a staff of 101-250 employees headquartered at 100 South Charles Street, Tower 2, 8th Floor, Baltimore. Its service portfolio spans the 988 crisis helpline (covering Baltimore City, Carroll County, and Howard County), the Bmore POWER harm reduction outreach team, the Go Slow fentanyl awareness campaign, the Baltimore Substance Use Urgent Care Center (a 24/7 walk-in facility), school-based behavioral health services across Baltimore City Public Schools, in-home older adult psychiatric care, and provider training programs accredited by Maryland behavioral health licensing boards. Revenue is derived from Baltimore City, the Maryland Department of Health (Behavioral Health Administration), federal Medicaid, opioid settlement funds, and nominal private philanthropy (Horizon Foundation grants).

BHSB's operating model is that of a public system administrator rather than a technology platform. Its core infrastructure consists of a Crisis Response Triage Matrix that dispatches appropriate resources across phone, mobile, and in-person modalities, a Real Time Capacity data system for tracking crisis calls and provider capacity, and a regional dashboard powered by Behavioral Health Link (data available from July 2023). Distribution is multi-channel: 24/7 phone/text crisis line, mobile crisis response teams with licensed clinicians, school-based clinicians embedded in Baltimore City Public Schools, walk-in recovery centers, street outreach by peers with lived drug-use experience, and mail-order harm reduction supplies statewide. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors (2026 Chair: Michelle Taylor, MD, DrPH, MPA) and led by President and CEO Crista Taylor, LCSW-C. Compliance posture includes HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 adherence, with the COO designated as HIPAA Compliance Officer. BHSB holds no patents or trademarks and is not investment-grade in the venture-backed sense, but its statutory role creates a regulatory monopoly on public behavioral health system management within Baltimore City.

Name

Behavioral Health System Baltimore

Legal name

Behavioral Health System Baltimore, Inc.

Website

https://bhsbaltimore.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Behavioral Health System Baltimore is a nonprofit Local Behavioral Health Authority that manages Baltimore City's public behavioral health system, administering over $52 million annually to serve more than 107,000 residents through crisis response, harm reduction, school-based, and community behavioral health programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health Managed Care (Medicaid) / BH Carve-In-Carve-Out Plans (HLAEAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK), Behavioral Health Care Management & Case Management (HLAEAHAE), Behavioral Health Population Health, Quality & Outcomes Measurement (HLAEAHAI), Behavioral Health Utilization Management & Care Authorization (HLAEAHAD)

Keywords

• Behavioral health services
• Crisis intervention
• Harm reduction programs
• Mental health authority
• Substance use treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Medicaid Public Behavioral Health System Funding: As the Local Behavioral Health Authority, BHSB manages and allocates Medicaid-funded mental health and substance use services for Baltimore City residents. The organization oversees an annual expenditure of over $52 million for the public behavioral health system serving over 107,000 people.
2. State and Federal Grants: BHSB receives state funding (including from Maryland Department of Health, Behavioral Health Administration) and federal grants to operate specific programs including harm reduction, crisis response, youth services, and workforce development initiatives.
3. Opioid Settlement Funding: State and local opioid settlement funds are allocated through BHSB for overdose prevention strategies, connections to treatment, and recovery support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Behavioral Health System Baltimore is a nonprofit Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) that plans, manages, and funds Baltimore City's public behavioral health system, delivering and coordinating crisis response, mental health treatment, substance use services, harm reduction outreach, and school- and community-based care. It operates the regional 988 helpline, the Greater Baltimore Crisis Response System, Bmore POWER outreach, care coordination, and provider training across Central Maryland, serving more than 107,000 residents annually through a network of contracted providers and direct programs.

Product overview

Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB) is a nonprofit organization serving as the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) for Baltimore City, managing the public behavioral health system. BHSB operates as a service-oriented organization rather than a technology product company, offering a portfolio of behavioral health programs including the 988 Helpline for crisis support, Bmore POWER harm reduction outreach, the Go Slow fentanyl awareness campaign, the Greater Baltimore Crisis Response System, and school-based and community-based behavioral health services. The organization also provides specialized services for youth and families, older adults, overdose prevention, and provider training programs. These services work together to address mental health and substance use disorders across Baltimore City's public behavioral health system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bmore POWER: BHSB's harm reduction outreach team that provides street outreach, naloxone distribution, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, safer sex supplies, wound care kits, and linkage to behavioral health services throughout Baltimore City. Established as independent team in 2017, joined BHSB in 2020.

Products and services

• 988 Helpline A 24/7 confidential crisis helpline providing emergency emotional support to residents in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Carroll County via call, text, and chat, with local call centers providing counseling, referrals, and mobile crisis dispatch.
• Bmore POWER (Peers Offering Wellness, Education and Resources) BHSB's harm reduction outreach team providing street outreach, naloxone distribution, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, safer sex supplies, wound care kits, and linkage to behavioral health services throughout Baltimore City. The team is fully staffed by people with lived experience using drugs.
• Go Slow Campaign A harm reduction public education campaign providing education about fentanyl and harm reduction tips, including carrying naloxone, learning rescue breathing, using carefully if alone, and testing drugs, to address opioid overdoses.
• Greater Baltimore Crisis Response System A regional network of behavioral health crisis response services serving Baltimore City, Carroll County, and Howard County, coordinating services to ensure effective care for people experiencing emotional distress and reducing unnecessary use of medical services and law enforcement.
• Baltimore Substance Use Urgent Care Center A 24/7 walk-in facility at 2700 Raynor Ave, Baltimore, MD 21216, providing sobering services and other support for people under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Older Adult Behavioral Health Services Services for older adults including in-home behavioral health care through licensed psychiatric practitioners, an Older Adult Specialist for nursing facility placements, and the Behavioral Health Assisted Living Pilot Program partnering with assisted living facilities.
• School-Based Behavioral Health Services Expanded School Behavioral Health (ESBH) services delivered in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools to provide youth access to behavioral health care, promoting social-emotional health and academic success.
• Juvenile Court Early Intervention Program (JCEIP) Provides substance use assessments for youth and caregivers involved in the juvenile justice system, facilitating treatment referrals and follow-up support with bi-weekly adolescent substance use disorder support groups.
• Care Coordination Services Targeted case management providing wraparound services to youth and families with intensive mental health needs, using a holistic, youth-guided, family-driven approach to create individualized care plans.
• Overdose Prevention Services Comprehensive overdose prevention services including free naloxone distribution, drug checking test strips (fentanyl and xylazine), overdose prevention education, and mail-order harm reduction supplies for Maryland residents.
• Mental Health First Aid Training Training program teaching community members how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults, offered in collaboration with the Mental Health Association of Maryland.
• Provider Training Programs Authorized training sponsor programs for the Maryland Addiction and Behavioral Health Professionals Certification Board, Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, and Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners, offering CEU credits for counselors, social workers, and peer recovery specialists.

Quantifiable outcome

• 107,000+ people served annually through Baltimore's public behavioral health system
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Johns Hopkins HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohns Hopkins Hospital-based program providing in-home behavioral health care for seniors living in public housing programs. Part of BHSB's Older Adult Outreach initiative with two licensed psychiatric practitioner teams.
• University of MarylandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Maryland-based program focusing on isolated seniors who are not well-connected to care. One of two teams of licensed psychiatric practitioners providing in-home behavioral health care for older adults.
• Baltimore City Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHSB works with Baltimore City Schools to ensure all youth have access to high-quality behavioral health care through Expanded School Behavioral Health (ESBH) services. BHSB maintains a directory of behavioral health specialists at schools.
• Baltimore Wellness and Recovery Centers PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of wellness and recovery centers including Black Mental Health Alliance, NAMI Baltimore, Baltimore Intergroup Council of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon & Alateen, NAMI Maryland, On Our Own of Maryland, and SMART Recovery providing peer support and recovery services.
• Behavioral Health LinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationData source for the Greater Baltimore Crisis Response System dashboard providing information on use of regional 988 helpline and mobile crisis services. Dashboard data available from July 2023.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Communication ProgramssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with BHSB and Mission Media to develop the Go Slow fentanyl harm reduction campaign launched in 2019.
• Progressive Life CentersupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates the Adolescent Clubhouse engaging youth ages 12-17 at risk of substance use disorders, providing peer support, life skills, and referrals to intensive services.
• Maryland Treatment CenterssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates Juvenile Court Early Intervention Program (JCEIP) providing substance use assessments for youth in the juvenile justice system, and Potomac Recovery Housing for young adults 18-26 with opioid use disorder.
• Mental Health Association of MarylandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHSB collaborates with Mental Health Association on Mental Health First Aid trainings and statewide mental health education and advocacy.
• Baltimore City Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on harm reduction resources including Community Risk Reduction Van offering needle exchange, naloxone, fentanyl test strips. Also co-regulates behavioral health providers.
• Maryland Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency overseeing Behavioral Health Administration. BHSB receives state funding, submits annual reports, and coordinates with BHA on Medicaid behavioral health services and statewide initiatives including harm reduction training (as of June 2025, statewide harm reduction training transitioned to Office of Harm Reduction).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Maryland Department of Health Behavioral Health Administration: State-level authority that oversees BHSB and provides statewide policy direction, funding, and oversight of behavioral health services in Maryland. Directly comparable as the parent regulatory and funding body for the public behavioral health system BHSB manages.
• Optum Behavioral Health: Largest U.S. managed behavioral health organization, administering mental health and substance use benefits for commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid plans. Comparable to BHSB's Medicaid behavioral health administration role, though operating at national scale as a private-sector incumbent.
• Carelon Behavioral Health (formerly Beacon Health Options): National managed behavioral health care company owned by Elevance Health, serving Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial populations. Comparable to BHSB as a behavioral health administrator, though operating as a private-sector carve-out MBHO rather than a public authority.
• Magellan Health: National managed behavioral health and specialty healthcare company (now part of Centene). Comparable to BHSB's managed behavioral health administration function for Medicaid populations, though operating across multiple states as a private-sector incumbent.

Direct peers

• Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services - Behavioral Health and Crisis Services: Local behavioral health authority equivalent for Montgomery County, Maryland. Operates the county's public behavioral health system and crisis response infrastructure with a comparable statutory mandate and funding model to BHSB.
• Prince George's County Health Department - Behavioral Health Services: Local behavioral health authority for Prince George's County, Maryland. Manages the county's public behavioral health system with a similar mix of Medicaid oversight, crisis services, and community-based programming as BHSB.
• Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency: Local behavioral health authority for Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Operates an analogous public behavioral health system with government oversight, Medicaid funding flows, and crisis service responsibilities similar to BHSB's mandate.

Emerging players

• Cityblock Health: Value-based healthcare provider serving Medicaid and dual-eligible populations with integrated medical, behavioral, and social services. Comparable to BHSB in serving low-income urban populations with complex behavioral health and social needs, though operating as a private technology-enabled provider rather than a public authority.

Regional players

• Howard County Health Department: Howard County, Maryland government health agency that coordinates behavioral health services for county residents, with BHSB providing crisis services coverage. Comparable as a Maryland local government behavioral health provider, though with narrower scope than BHSB's citywide LBHA mandate.

Others

• National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD): Membership association representing state mental health authorities across the U.S. Provides research, policy, and standards guidance relevant to LBHAs like BHSB. Comparable as a peer organization operating in the same public behavioral health policy ecosystem, though serving a coordinating/advocacy function rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BHSBaltimore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTmrPGPya_v214dKGSn5JnA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/bhsbaltimore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/behavioral-health-system-baltimore
• Instagraminstagram.com/bhsbaltimore

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Behavioral Health System Baltimore