Governor Larry Hogan Press Conference: May 6, 2021
At the Webster Kendrick Boys and Girls Club
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
