Governor’s Briefing on COVID-19: May 6, 2021

Project Bounce Back – helping young people recover from the impact of the pandemic

• Uncertainty and isolation of the past year has been devastating for mental and developmental wellbeing and progress
• CDC labels these “adverse childhood experiences” or “ACES”
• Can undermine children’s safety and stability
• Linked to mental illness and substance abuse later in life
• 25 million dollar, first in the nation, public-private partnership for MD youth and families
• Will provide a support network for youth and families by harnessing the resources of the Dept. of Education, & Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention
• Partnering with KPMG, Linkedin Learning, Discourse Analytics, and E-Care Vault
• Build post-COVID resilience in youth
• Expand the reach of the MD Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs in every county in MD, prioritizing Title 1 School districts and rural communities
• Reach 45,000 children across jurisdictions
• New partnership between MD State Police and MD Boys and Girl’s Clubs
• Goal: positive mentorships and community/police relationships
• Additionally, the Dept. of Education is launching 6 regional mental crisis teams comprised of psychologists, counselors, and experts to collaborate with school systems to provide assistance
• Working with private-sector partners to provide better services and job development skills to local youth
• Signed executive order TODAY to make MD a national leader in working to address ACES
• Through Project Bounce Back, we are connecting MD youth with support services they need
• Our local school systems should utilize the 1.2 billion+ dollars in federal funding to utilize targeted tutoring, summer in-school opportunities, and full, in-person, 5 days a week school for every child in MD
• This fall, all schools in the state will be in-person
• Thanks to the Boys and Girls Club for their support to our youth
• [Presents Lorraine Orr Governor’s Citation in recognition of the Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs work]

Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford:

• May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
• “It is ok to not be ok”
• Dial 211- connects you to mental health resources
• COVID exacerbated ACES we were already facing

Principal Kimberly Hill-Miller from Lockerman-Bundy Elementary School in West Baltimore

• Need for supports outside the classroom
• Maryland is leading the COVID mental health crisis
• Lack of supports for mental health and technology lead to negatives
• Began partnership with Roberta’s House, founded by Kaiser Permanente
• Grief counseling at schools in the city

Dr. Karen Salmon, MD Schools Superintendant

• Many students who were once excelling are now failing
• Return the kids to schools as soon as possible
• Statewide, only approx. 43% are receiving in person education
• In school education is the only way to ensure equitable learning
• Schools in-person for the fall
• Crisis teams across the state to assist in mental health crises
• MD Center for School Safety Hotline: 1-833-MD-B-SAFE