Centers of Excellence

Background

The Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy is home to two statewide Centers of Excellence:

• The Crisis Intervention Team Center of Excellence, established by § 3-522 of the Maryland Public Safety Article, develops and supports crisis intervention model programs.
• The Maryland Behavioral Health and Public Safety Center of Excellence, established by § 13-4202 of the Maryland Health–General Article, serves as a statewide resource for information on behavioral health treatment and diversion programs connected to the criminal legal system.

Together, these Centers of Excellence provide technical assistance to local governments, law enforcement agencies, public safety organizations, behavioral health providers, and crisis response programs.

The Centers help communities evaluate and improve the intersection of behavioral health, public safety, and the criminal legal system. Their work supports strategies that:

• Improve responses to adults with behavioral health needs, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and neurocognitive conditions.
• Expand collaboration among public safety, healthcare, and community partners.
• Connect individuals to appropriate healthcare and community-based services when possible.
• Reduce unnecessary involvement in the criminal legal system while improving public health and public safety.

Strategic Plan

In partnership with the Maryland Crime Research Innovation Center at the University of Maryland, the Centers of Excellence developed a multi-year strategic plan to implement the recommendations from the:

• 2020 Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Summit report - PDF - 1.27 MB.
• 2022 Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Summit report - PDF - 634.21 KB.

The strategic plan identifies seven priority areas that guide the Centers' work and is updated annually. An updated report is submitted to the Maryland General Assembly by December 1 each year.

Previous versions of the strategic plan are available in the Archives > Reports section.

Funding

Section 13-4202(g)(2) of the Maryland Health–General Article requires the Governor to include $500,000 each year in the annual budget bill for the Maryland Behavioral Health and Public Safety Center of Excellence, beginning in Fiscal Year 2024.

For additional information, see the Fiscal and Policy Note for House Bill 1018 - PDF.

Programs and Initiatives

Under the guidance of the Crisis Intervention Team Center of Excellence (CITCE) Collaborative Planning and Implementation Committee, the Centers of Excellence coordinate and support the following initiatives:

• Crisis intervention services
• Diversion and deflection programs
• Pretrial services
• Regional collaboration
• Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) mapping
• Recidivism reduction
• Behavioral health services for people involved in the criminal legal system
• Development of a public safety indicator scorecard for the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy
• Expanded access to trauma-informed, culturally responsive care and efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities at the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal legal system

Additional resources include:

• Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Mapping Request Form
• Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Mapping Dashboard

The Centers of Excellence also coordinate Maryland's Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP) and provide staff support for the Maryland Byrne Advisory Board.