The behavioral health benefits of State of Maryland residents who have Maryland Medicaid, and those who meet the State’s “Uninsured” eligibility criteria, are managed by the State’s Administrative Services Organization, Beacon Health Options Maryland. If you are considering a referral to behavioral health treatment for one of your patients, here are some helpful resources for you and your patient to consider.
To Assist Patients in Their Decision to Seek Behavioral Health Treatment
- Is it Okay to ask for help?
- Do I need Behavioral Health Treatment?
- What is the process of Behavioral Health Treatment?
Behavioral Health Screening Tools:
- Mental Health and Substance Use Screening Tools
- The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-AR)
National Resources for Medical Health Care Professionals:
There are common issues and concerns that arise in Primary Care, and other medical practice settings, when treating consumers with a mental health or substance related disorder. You can find assistance from one or both of the following national resources.
Beacon Health Options’ Achieve Solutions:
- Elder Care
- Dating, Marriage, and Divorce
- LGBT
- Parenting
- Violence and Trauma
- Disasters and Traumatic Events
- Chronic Pain
- Co-occurring Disorders
- Obesity
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
- Suicide Prevention Tools for Primary Care
- Implementing Integrated Care in Medical Homes
- Strategies to Promote Individual Change in Primary Healthcare Settings
- Engaging People in Discussions about Health-related Changes
- Understanding the Disease of Addiction and the Recovery Process in Health Care Settings
- Addressing Obesity and Chronic Illness among People with Mental Illnesses
- Brief Behavioral Health Interventions in Primary Care
The National Institute of Health (NIH):
- Children and Adolescent Issues
- Older Adult Issues
- Men’s Issues
- Women’s Issues
- Suicide Prevention
- Anxiety Disorders
- Attention Deficit Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Depressive Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Obsessive/Compulsive Disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Schizophrenic Disorders
- Other Behavioral Health Disorders
PCP and other Health Care Professional Hotline:
To enhance and expedite the coordination of care efforts of all involved, Beacon Health Options offers a HealthCare Professional help line. Dialing the main number for Beacon Health Options (800/888-1965) and pressing option #6 then option #8 will take you directly to a designated, licensed clinical resource to answer your questions, help provide support for difficult cases, and/or to triage your needs and facilitate additional discussions as needed. When indicated, the licensed behavioral health professional who handles your call can access Board Certified Psychiatrists who specialize in Adult, Addictions and/or Child and Adolescent services. The Health Care Professional Hotline is available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding major holidays.
Coordination of Care for consumers with Substance Use Disorders
Part 2 of the Federal 42 CFR law prohibits the sharing of substance use disorders and/or the treatment of SUD issues without a release of information, signed by the consumer. If you are going to need to give/receive information that pertains to the diagnosis or treatment of a substance related disorder with/from Beacon Health Options, you will need to have the consumer read and sign the following release of information:
To access specialty behavioral health services through the Public Behavioral Health System, you can:
- Call Beacon Health Options Maryland at 1-800-888-1965
- Go to the Beacon Health Options Maryland website
- Contact your local Core Service Agency, using their directory
Maryland’s Behavioral Health, Health Homes
Health Homes for individuals with chronic conditions will augment the State's broader efforts to integrate somatic and behavioral health services. The program will target populations with behavioral health needs who are at high risk for additional chronic conditions, including those with serious persistent mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, and opioid substance use disorders. Health Homes will offer participants enhanced care coordination services from providers with whom they regularly receive care, including psychiatric rehabilitation programs, mobile treatment service providers, and opioid treatment programs. This is a community-based approach, not a residential program. Health Homes are designed to enhance person-centered care, empowering participants to manage and prevent chronic conditions in order to improve health outcomes, while reducing avoidable hospital encounters. To identify and/or facilitate a referral to a Behavioral Health, Health Home, here is where to find a Behavioral Health, Health Home.
Pharmacy Questions and Contacts:
Calls are accepted from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Callers may leave a message before or after hours and on weekends and holidays. Pharmacy staff will return calls on the next business day
1-800-492-5231
- Medicaid Pharmacy Program Recipient Access Hotline
- Local Baltimore Metropolitan area callers may dial 410-767-5800
1-855-283-0876
- The Antipsychotic Peer Review Center
- To precertify antipsychotics for children
1-800-932-3918
- The Provider number to the Maryland Pharmacy program
1-800-492-5231
- The Consumer number to the Maryland Pharmacy program