Housing First Innovator Expands Footprint in Montgomery County and Howard County Maryland

Contact:
Renée Dain
SVP, Communications and External Affairs
410.987.1048

Millersville, Maryland – October 10, 2024 – The Coordinating Center, a leader in housing first care coordination, is proud to celebrate 17 years of dedicated service, helping adults secure stable housing and access vital support services. To mark this milestone, The Coordinating Center is expanding its services in Montgomery County with the new Street to Home project, launched in September 2024, and extending its reach into Howard County, Maryland, bringing its life-changing services to even more communities in need.

The Coordinating Center, which has successfully helped hundreds of formerly homeless adults in Montgomery County secure stable housing and access essential services like mental health and substance use support, is excited to join forces with Bethesda Cares, the lead organization for the new Street to Home project, alongside other community partners. Street to Home is an innovative program designed to transition individuals and families from the streets to permanent supportive housing. It has secured a record $4.32 million in federal funding from a HUD CoC competition for serving the homeless in Montgomery County in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, Services to End and Prevent Homelessness.

“The Coordinating Center’s commitment to Housing First has transformed lives, and we’re excited to collaborate on this expansion,” said John Mendez, Executive Director of Bethesda Cares.  By increasing access to stable housing and support services, the Street to Home team is making significant strides toward ending chronic homelessness in Montgomery county.

Recognizing The Coordinating Center’s success in Housing First, the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development has selected The Coordinating Center as their new partner to provide holistic support for housed and unhoused individuals and families, including case management, healthcare access, job training, and ongoing assistance to successfully transition and/or maintain housing. This partnership will also enhance efforts to provide affordable housing, with Heritage Housing Partnership Cooperation managing housing needs.

“We’re proud of the impact we’ve made over the past 17 years and excited to expand our reach,” said Dr. Teresa Titus-Howard, President and CEO of The Coordinating Center. “Our new services in Montgomery County and expansion into Howard County highlight our commitment to ending homelessness and supporting long-term stability through innovative, compassionate care coordination.”

Founded in 1983, The Coordinating Center has been at the forefront of the care management industry, providing person-centered support for people with disabilities and complex medical needs.

Megan Bazzett, MS, CPRP, CFRP, Appointed Director, Community First Programs

Millersville, Maryland—The Coordinating Center, Maryland’s statewide, premier nonprofit care coordination organization for children and adults with disabilities and complex needs, is excited to announce Megan Bazzett, MS, CPRP, CFRP from Harford County as its next Director, Community First Programs (CFP). As CFP Director, Ms. Bazzett will provide oversight of The Center’s supports planning services for more than 3,000 Marylanders statewide, enrolled in one of Maryland Medicaid’s Home and Community Based Services Programs (HCBS) and/or Waiver. HCBS enable people with disabilities and older adults to live at home and/or transition from nursing homes to homes in the community.

Previously, Ms. Bazzett served as Chief of Operations for a multi-jurisdiction community-based mental health provider offering comprehensive services to individuals across the lifespan. With 22 years of experience in behavioral healthcare and program management, Ms. Bazzett also has held leadership roles through two non-profit behavioral health organizations, serving as the Director, Community Outreach Programs and the Director, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs. Ms. Bazzett has a master’s degree in psychology from Walden University and holds the following certifications granted by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA), formerly USPRA: Child and Family Resiliency Practitioner (CFRP,) and Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP).

“After a comprehensive search process, we found an accomplished professional, whose leadership philosophy and experience in behavioral health makes her the perfect fit for this position. Ms. Bazzett has a proven track record of success in program design and growth, as well as coworker cultivation and retention, critical skillsets, which will be leveraged to positively impact our Community First Programs team.” Sharyn King, SVP, Population Health, Care Management and Service Coordination.

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Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Millersville, Maryland, The Coordinating Center is a non-profit organization that provides care coordination for individuals with complex medical needs and disabilities and their families.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:
At The Coordinating Center we aim to dismantle inequalities within our policies, systems, programs and services by embracing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) and leading with respect, acceptance and compassion. It’s what makes us exceptional in achieving our mission and drives us to deliver culturally competent and effective care coordination services. We believe we are stronger together.

Visit www.coordinatingcenter.org for more information.

Autism Awareness Month

Article written by:
Sheri Weissman, LCSW, C-ASWCM
Director of Autism Services, The Coordinating Center

During Autism Awareness month, The Coordinating Center’s Autism Waiver Services team has been very busy helping families from the registry complete the application process while also assisting currently enrolled families with their varying needs.

The Maryland’s Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“Autism Waiver”), allows eligible children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to receive specific waiver services and certain Medicaid services to support them in their homes and communities. At present, there are approximately 5,300 individuals on the Waiver registry “waitlist,” with capacity to only serve up to a maximum of 1,200 individuals statewide.

The Coordinating Center (“The Center”) is contracted by local school systems to provide service coordination for more than 174 students on the Autism Waiver in Dorchester, Harford, Howard, and Worcester counties. The Center’s Autism Waiver Services team members frequently participate on committees and workgroups to help inform the Autism Waiver services, policies, and procedures. The team works collaboratively with other programs at The Center when they have clients with autism, and given the limited number of individuals served by the Waiver, the team also helps parents and caregivers who call in search of services and resources that they could access. Our Director of Autism Services, Sheri Weissman has participated in panel discussions for parents of newly enrolled Waiver participants.