Dear Mid-Shore Community members, friends, and family, 

We asked for your questions and concerns and you answered. Now it is our turn to share! In our inaugural Tides of Hope viewsletter last month, we announced plans to change our name, our logo, our mission, and our vision as Crossroads Community, Inc. & Corsica River Mental Health Services, Inc. (CCI and CRMHS) integrate into one agency. As we invited everyone to join us on this journey, we asked for your feedback and input along the way.

One of the first questions that a community partner asked was, “Since you are going to have both the clinic services and the psychiatric rehabilitative recovery support services, will you require individuals to attend your clinic to receive the PRP services?” 

The short answer is no, absolutely not. Nor will we require those who receive our clinic services to only access our Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program (PRP).

The longer explanation is that as we are changing all the above-listed agency artifacts that have defined our services for decades, however, we - our Board Members, our staff members, and our service recipients- feel strongly about retaining (NOT changing) the core values that have served both agencies and our community well. One of those core values is person- and family-centeredness. 

We believe strongly that there are several paths to recovery, and each person, each family, needs to find their own way there. That means the individuals and families we serve can choose if they one to get one service from us, and a different service from another provider. While we may be limited by eligibility criteria, our agency policies never have and never will force a choice on our patients and program participants.  

There is one notable exception: the Mobile Treatment Team - soon to be Assertive Community Treatment Team - provides psychiatric med management, nursing, therapy, supported employment, cooccurring disorders specialty, and peer support services delivered by a single team of people. The person-center choice is to join the MTT program and receive those highly coordinated care team services, or continue to see services from separate programs while coordinating care independently. This is not unique to our MTT services but applies to all MTT services across the state. Learn more about our MTT program in the Team News section of this newsletter. or visit our website. Please do not hesitate to connect with us for more information about this transition.

Brief History of Community Mental Health Centers

In 1963, President Kennedy’s Community Mental Health Centers Act called for the establishment of community mental health centers. As services became available outside of institutions, a period of “deinstitutionalization” followed when many patients of mental hospitals were discharged. This movement away from custodial care with its rising costs came at a time when new psychotropic drugs were being introduced, providing better results than many earlier medications.

In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were introduced, with the Federal government assuming increased responsibility for health care costs. In the 1970s, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program was implemented, providing a modest income for qualifying individuals with diagnosed psychiatric and physical disabilities.

The 1980s saw Managed Care Systems being developed, which generated financial incentives for admitting fewer people to hospitals and discharging patients more rapidly, thus transferring responsibility to less costly forms of care in the community.

In 1983, Crossroads Community Inc. was established as part of the deinstitutionalization movement, with a Rehabilitation model vs. Medical model. CCI opened its doors with a Day Program, initially serving six individuals. At the time, CCI was charged with serving adults in Queen Anne’s and Kent Counties. Currently, CCI serves 63 individuals through PRP and RRP.

Help us by voting for our New Agency Name! With the merging of Crossroads Community, Inc. and Corsica River Mental Health Services, we need your help to choose a new name that represents the unique and hopeful nature of our agency. Check out the top 5 names our staff voted on and let us know your favorite or suggest your own. Cast your vote here!

Meet the Mobile Treatment Team

The Mobile Treatment Team (MTT) has some exciting news to share! We officially have a new team leader and a fully staffed Mobile Treatment. Effective October 4, 2024, William (Will) Turley, LCSW-C, has transitioned into the new role of Mobile Treatment Team Lead. The team would like to thank our longstanding team lead/clinical director, Paula Turner, LCSW-C for her support as the team has grown. Currently, the MTT is providing service to 44 individuals, and we look forward to continued growth and expanding our reach within our local communities.  

About the Mobile Treatment Team Program

MTT provides services to adults in the mid-shore communities who are unable to successfully participate in traditional outpatient mental health services for various reasons. Clients receive regular psychiatric medication management services and are provided with education, medication planning, symptom management, and help addressing somatic health issues. Team members assist with linking clients to community resources, maintaining entitlements, developing healthy money management skills, locating and maintaining housing, and finding employment. MTT provides positive peer support and works to establish healthy communication patterns with clients. Clients receive evidence-based, individualized therapeutic and co-occurring counseling services to promote wellness by developing coping skills, treatment planning, navigating grief and relationships, stress management techniques, behavior modification methods, and addiction education and counseling. 

Program Eligibility 

Priority is given to individuals who have a prior mental health diagnosis with a history of failed attempts to successfully engage in traditional outpatient mental health treatment and who are: 

• Over the age of 18 years 
• Frequent utilization of mobile crisis/psychiatric treatment for mental health reasons 
• Arrests/legal matters related to psychiatric illness 
• Experiencing chronic homelessness 

If you would like to make a referral or inquire about eligibility, please complete the online registration form. Registration packets can also be picked up at any of our clinic locations and sent electronically to turleyw@crmhsinc.com or molockl@crmhsinc.com. 

The Mobile Treatment Team is here to help those in our community who need help AND they have fun doing it!  Visit our website to learn more about the Mobile Treatment Team or any of our other programs.

October 17th: Community Health & Wellness Expo at Kent County Family YMCA

October 19th: Talbot County Community Resource Expo at Easton Elementary School

October 26: Centreville Day at Lawyer's Row

November 2nd: Make a Difference Day at Sudlersville Middle School

Be on the lookout for an announcement with more information about the 2025 Anniversary Gala and 5K Fundraiser!

Crossroads Community and Corsica River have officially merged on social media. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe to all of our social media platforms to stay up-to-date with our latest news and developments. Keep a close eye out for exciting updates from our team!

Explore our Linktree for convenient access to all our social media channels, or by scanning the QR code https://linktr.ee/cci_crmhs.