Adult Homeless Mental Health Services

Offers case management and ongoing assistance to formerly homeless adults who are living independently through Shelter Plus Care and New Neighbors. Shelter Plus Care is a tenant-based permanent, supportive housing program providing individual apartment units. New Neighbors is a sponsor-based, supportive housing program offering either apartment or group home options. Clients are helped to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.

Bridges to Pals

Offers support to children and adolescents in foster care, as well as other children, through a one-on-one relationship with a caring, responsible mentor. The primary goal of Bridges to Pals is to raise the self-esteem of Little Pals.

Families Foremost Center

Families Foremost Center (FFC) provides free, comprehensive services for parents with young children (under the age of four).  Services include: home visiting, parent education, adult education (ABE/GED/ESOL), developmental infant and toddler program, parent-child activities, employment readiness, computer skills training, health education, Reading is Fundamental, family literacy, learning parties, peer support and case management.  The Center is located at 1109 Spring Street, Suite 300 in Silver Spring, (301) 585-3424.  FFC also offers the Mothers Offering Maternal Support (MOMS) program, which provides mentoring services, doula services, support groups and educational sessions to pregnant and parenting young women between the ages of 12-24.  MOMS operates at the Twinbrook Parkway offices.

Friendly Visitor Program

Friendly Visitor Program offers friendship and support to home-bound elderly individuals who are isolated and lonely due to physical or emotional concerns.  Each client is matched with a trained volunteer who has similar interests.  Friendly Visitor provides access to resources and advocates for a healthy and safe environment so that clients may remain in the community as long as possible.  Each friendship is very unique, and both clients’ and volunteers’ lives are enriched by the relationship.

Kensington Wheaton Youth Services (KWYS)

Kensington Wheaton Youth Services (KWYS) serves youth and families in the Einstein, Kennedy and Wheaton Montgomery County Public Schools cluster communities.  KWYS offers short-term counseling and community- and school-based workshops for those experiencing difficulties in their daily lives and seeks to prevent more serious personal, family or community problems.  KWYS, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, Montgomery County Public Schools and other nonprofit organizations, provides Linkages to Learning services at school sites to “at-risk” children and families to improve performance in school, at home and in the community.  KWYS is located at 3950 Ferrara Drive in Wheaton, (301) 933-2818.

Montgomery County Hotline

Provides confidential and anonymous support by trained counselors through a 24-hour telephone active listening, crisis intervention, and referral service. The Hotline also administers a THERAPISTLINE (301) 738-7176 which provides a system of referrals to county residents who have limited or no financial resources for mental health outpatient therapy. Individuals are linked with competent mental health professionals who accept a sliding scale fee.

• Montgomery County Hotline (301) 738-CALL (2255)
• Youth Crisis Hotline (301) 738-9697
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-(800) 273-TALK
• To volunteer call (301) 424-0656, x116

N*COMMON (New Capacity & Outreach for Multicultural Mental Health Opportunities Now)

N*COMMON (New Capacity & Outreach for Multicultural Mental Health Opportunities Now) seeks to forge common bonds of mental wellness across our diverse community. N*COMMON places culturally and/or linguistically competent interns at MHA as well as other public and nonprofit agencies in the county, offers multicultural educational opportunities for mental health and human services professionals, and provides clinical services for Spanish speaking clients unable to afford treatment and who are referred by MHA programs and other partner agencies.

Pets On Wheels

Pets on Wheels offers friendship and the unconditional love of animals to frail, isolated elderly individuals who live in nursing homes, group homes, hospices and other facilities.  The program reduces isolation and loneliness of residents while increasing their ability to engage and socialize with others.  Both the residents’ and the volunteers’ lives are enriched by the interaction. Animals are screened for appropriateness.

Representative Payee Program

Provides financial supervision for Montgomery County adults who receive a government benefit that they are unable to manage because of a physical or mental disability. Program clients are matched with trained volunteers who manage the monthly benefit for the clients. The Representative Payee Program is an AARP Money Management Program.

Transportation Service

Transports Springfield Hospital Center patients to and from Montgomery County to prepare to return home and for medical appointments, job searches, visiting and participation in private agency programs.

Voices VS Violence

Voices VS Violence (VVV) works to ensure safe lives for youth and families by bringing together diverse segments of the community to foster attitudes and behaviors that prevent and reduce violence in our homes, families, schools, communities, and workplaces.  In addition to violence prevention workshops, the program is piloting a 12-week comprehensive program for 12-15 year olds who are first time or repeat misdemeanor offenders.  VVV also offers presentations to parents, youth, community members, and professionals on bullying, stress management, gang involvement and anger management.