About the HCMHA

The Howard County Mental Health Authority (HCMHA) is the Core Service Agency (CSA) for Howard County. Core Service Agencies were created by legislation in 1991 (Health-General Article, Sections 10-1201 to 10-1203 of the Annotated Code of Maryland). The law defines a Core Service Agency as the designated county authority, which is responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring publicly funded mental health services. This concept of local management allows for services to be developed to meet the needs of the local community.

The public mental health system covers individuals who receive medical assistance and the low-income uninsured. For those with Medical Assistance no co-pay is required. However, individuals who are low income and uninsured may be required to pay something towards the cost of the service based on the state’s sliding fee scale.

In the public mental health system all services need to be pre-authorized in order for the providers of the service to be paid. The only exception to the pre-authorization requirement is emergency services and the Mobile Crisis Team. Maryland Health Partners (MHP) is the agency designated by the state Mental Hygiene Administration as the administrative agency that authorizes services and pays claims submitted for those services. The individual seeking services, a family member or a provider can contact MHP at 1-800-888-1965 to request authorization for a specific service. In most cases, it is the provider who contacts MHP requesting authorization for a service on behalf of the individual.