Prince George’s County to Use bhworks in Grades K-12 for Youth Mental Health Assessments and Treatment Monitoring

Baltimore, MD — Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) in Maryland has chosen bhworks, the comprehensive, validated, behavioral health software platform powered by mdlogix, to help 190 schools countywide gain consent, screen, identify, assess, refer, and monitor treatment for all K-12 students. The goal is to intervene earlier and more effectively to treat behavioral health problems and prevent suicide, with streamlined confidential communication among parents, teachers, and providers.

bhworks allows school districts to obtain consents and comprehensively screen whole populations with high efficiency and reliability, help with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) assessments, offer referrals and care coordination, communicate via virtual visits, and securely collect data to see outcomes in real time and adjust resources as needed. It can enhance Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) programs.

Psychiatrist Allen Tien, MD, MHS, mdlogix president and chief science officer said, “Our bhworks platform will enable Prince George’s County providers to save time, work more effectively, collectively follow evidence-based standards, and leverage best practices. Given the rising rate of youth depression, anxiety, and suicides, it is a model that should be replicated in schools not only across Maryland but also across the country.”

The PGCPS model with bhworks can be immediately implemented by other Maryland County schools to establish one common statewide system that generates real-time outcome measures. In the first phase, nine Community Mental Health (CMH) organizations, including Sheppard Pratt, and associated providers have been contracted by PGCPS to provide services to students. There will be a standard electronic consent form, a consistent screening assessment – the Pediatric Symptom Checklist, and a standard referral workflow.

Other Maryland counties should be able to use PGCPS’ procurement and software approach, greatly reducing delay and administrative effort for addressing urgent student needs. PGCPS is able to utilize other Public Entities contracts if three conditions apply. First, the contract has to be the result of a competitive solicitation. Second, the solicitation has to have a clause that allows for other entities to piggyback/ride the contract. Third, the contract has to be for the same services. In this case all the above conditions were met. Oct. 25, 2021 PGCPS Notice of Contract Award – Rider Baltimore County, Maryland Contract No. P-261 Software, Case Management System – IT.

PGCPS is one of the nation’s 20th largest school districts in the United States and the second largest school system in Maryland. Student enrollment for 2020 was 131,657, with 208 schools and centers and an annual budget of $2.3 billion. bhworks, which is HIPAA compliant, is one of the leading statewide behavioral mental health platforms. It is being deployed statewide in Michigan, as well as in Pennsylvania, Kansas, several California counties and other locations. The enterprise-scale collaborative software can be accessed from any web-enabled device, providing organizations with tools to deliver behavioral health services anywhere people live, work, study, or receive care.

mdlogix is working at the federal and state government levels to make its collaborative – technology model available in every state.