Leading the Conversation on Mental Health Statewide
For All Seasons Partners with NoPixAfterDark at 2024 MACO Conference
Governor Wes Moore
“If we’re not addressing mental health on the front end, we will pay for it on the back end. And when we do, it’s going to be incredibly costly, not just financially, but morally. Making smart investments in mental health now ensures that all communities receive the support they deserve. This approach leads to better outcomes and a more inclusive, thriving economy for everyone.”
Comptroller Brooke Lierman
“Good mental health is essential for a strong workforce. When people are struggling with depression or anxiety, it affects everything from their ability to work to their overall potential. That’s why immediate access to mental health services, like the ones For All Seasons provides, is so crucial. If we don’t address these issues early, we lose valuable talent, and the economic impact is massive… Investing in mental health is essential for a thriving economy.”
U.S. SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN
"We're facing a mental health crisis across our communities, and it’s not isolated to any one group. The solution is to ensure that services are available locally, so people can get the help they need when they need it. We need to invest in community-based mental health programs that are accessible to everyone because mental health challenges don’t follow a schedule – they can happen at any time, and we need to be prepared."
U.S. SENATOR BEN CARDIN
“As I travel, for example, along the Eastern Shore, the challenge is access. Can you get access to health care? It’s not just the affordability, which is an issue. Can you get access? And mental health, it’s particularly challenging. Agencies like For All Seasons, with their innovative model, are helping to bridge that gap by reaching those communities in ways we hadn’t before.”
SECRETARY OF HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT JAKE DAY
“Organizations like For All Seasons play a crucial role in addressing mental health needs across our state. As leaders, we can’t ignore the importance of mental health in our communities. It’s our responsibility to support agencies like For All Seasons that are doing the hard work on the ground, providing immediate, accessible care. If we don’t step up and ensure these services are available, we’re just passing the problem down the line.”
BALTIMORE COUNTY EXECUTIVE JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI
“Mental health touches everything we do, and it’s crucial that we not only break down the stigma but also ensure that we’re meeting the need. Organizations like For All Seasons are essential in providing critical services at the local level. It’s up to us as leaders to partner with them and other providers to ensure that no one is left behind in this conversation and that we’re providing the resources that people need to thrive.”
CAREFIRST EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF OF STAFF LESTER DAVIS
“When it comes to mental health, timing is critical. You can’t wait when someone needs help. That’s why the work For All Seasons is doing, like providing immediate access to care with no waitlists, is so vital. Mental health challenges are a matter of life and death for many, and we need partners like For All Seasons to ensure people get the help they need, right when they need it.”
President & CEO of United Way of Central Maryland Franklyn Baker
"Healthy homes, healthy families, and healthy communities translate into a healthy environment and a healthy economy. That's part of what's driving our work. How to get to the place where we're able to fulfill our ultimate vision, where people are living their best lives on their own terms."
President of Maryland Sports Commission Terry Hasseltine
"We're seeing it across all levels of sport from youth sports all the way up to the professional ranks. People need resources. People need a place to have a comfort zone to talk about things that are impacted."
"When you see Simone Biles and someone of that caliber coming out and talking about mental health openly, it makes it a little easier for a young kid to say, 'Hey, if Simone can talk about it, I should talk about it.'"
Chief of Marketing, Communications, & Strategy of Enoch Pratt Free Library Meghan McCorkell
"We are all facing different kinds of traumas and understanding that and having a compassionate, empathetic view of it as both an organization and as an employer, I think is so important." "If you can just provide that moment of understanding and kindness for someone, it can make such a big difference."
Special Secretary of Maryland Opioid Response Emily Keller
"There's so much stigma around substance use disorder. People don't want to say I'm using substances. We've made incredible progress, I think, but it's still there. And it's the same for mental health. It's okay to not be okay, and I wish more people understood that and could say, 'yeah, I'm not okay.'"
A special thank you to Aaron Dante, owner of NoPixAfterDark,
for partnering with For All Seasons to bring these
critical conversations to his award-winning podcast.
