Behavioral Support Services

The Arc of Southern Maryland, through a grant from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration, coordinates Behavior Support Services which makes available to eligible people with disabilities in the Southern Maryland Region a comprehensive array of behavioral services, including:


Crisis Intervention and Emergency Services are available on-call, 24 hours each day, seven days a week. Project personnel carry a cell phone and are immediately accessible. An array of flexible services is immediately and easily accessible, specifically tailored to meet the needs of the individual in crisis and do not ever include the use of painful or noxious stimuli to control behavior. Each person’s needs are uniquely his or her own. By offering person-specific service options, the Behavior Support Services for the Southern Maryland Region can assist individuals to live successfully in their community..

Behavior Training Services
Behavioral Support Services provides training on the principles of positive behavior. Parents and staff from provider agencies may participate in these trainings.

  • Basic principles of behavior change
  • Behavior Principles & Strategies
  • Staff-consumer styles of interaction
  • Factors that impede effectiveness of behavioral programming
  • Implementation of specific behavior techniques
  • Requirements of COMAR 10.22.10 and related Maryland and Federal laws and regulations.
  • Psychiatric aspects of mental retardation and dual diagnosis
  • Therapeutic techniques and program planning for dealing with people who have a dual diagnosis
  • Understanding the function of different behaviors
  • Fundamental rights
  • Other pertinent topics as identified

The Consortium also includes special emphasis on training designed to decrease and, as much as possible, eliminate power struggles. Consumers and families are in charge of their own lives, and we, in the Project, find methods of enhancing that control.

Behavior Consultation and Support
All behavioral consultation services are individually tailored and person-centered to address specific behaviors. Behavior consultants who provide services include Consortium members who are licensed psychologists, psychology associates under the supervision of a licensed psychologist, licensed physicians, licensed or certified social workers and licensed or certified professional counselors who have training and experience in applied behavior analysis.

Behavioral Consultation and Support services are directed to the specific behavioral needs of persons with developmental disabilities receiving DDA-funding, living at home, or who have been otherwise referred to such services. In all cases, referrals for services are through The Arc of Southern Maryland's Behavior Support Services. Such referrals may be:

  • To support individuals in their home and work to preserve placement and to be more successful.
  • In response to behavioral emergencies
  • To individuals in transition whose plan includes changes in environments such as from family home to community-based group home, discharge from institutional settings to a community residential setting, moves from independent DDA-supported residences to Assisted Living Unit or group home, etc

Behavioral consultation on the specific behavioral needs of individuals, including the development of behavioral programming and training in the implementation of the program, are available for individuals in DDA-funded programs, parents and individuals who are living at home in the Southern Maryland Region. Children must be at least 5 years of age to receive services from Behavioral Support Services.

Behavioral TAS
In an effort to decrease individuals’ inappropriate behaviors while increasing adaptive skills/functional alternative behaviors, the Temporary Augmentation of Staff (TAS) process includes arrangements for specially-trained individuals to be available on short notice, 24 hours per day, for a period of no more than four weeks. Behavior TAS may also be funding provided to an agency to pay familiar staff that already work with the individual. A Consortium member conducts an evaluation of each situation during the first week to determine if continued TAS is warranted while the Behavior Support Plan is revised. Special emphasis in the Project is placed on prevention of emergencies as well as rapid responses to emergencies. Many times, crises can be averted and/or managed through the addition of extra staff time. This can be an especially critical when a new behavior change plan is being implemented and/or when a consumer is experiencing a major life change.

Medical TAS
Medical TAS is available to agencies to augment staff to assist in the recuperative period for clients or caretakers. This service is 6 weeks in length.

Behavioral Respite
Behavioral Respite is placement in an environment with trained respite staff throughout the region. This service will be provided only when an individual is a clear risk to self or others and is a placement of last resort. Initial approval is up to 28 days and staff will work in conjunction with an individual’s behavior consultant.

Specialized Medical Consultation
In situations where an individual’s health status has changed significantly and regular nursing services are not adequate, services from the Consortium are utilized. Eligibility for this service is tightly controlled and services are designed to respond to situations in which regular nursing services, already provided by an agency, are clearly not adequate.

Medical Respite
Medical Respite services are provided for those people who are unable to return to their home due to illness or injury. Illness or injury can be to themselves or their caregiver. Services are usually provided in the home. Services are available for a 28-day maximum.

Crisis Intervention – Emergency Services
Crisis Intervention and Emergency Services are the least predictable of the services provided through the Consortium. Services are available 24 hours a day and may be accessed by an on-call system that includes designated Consortium members who can respond. These staff members are specifically trained in non-aversive behavior management ,support techniques and application. They will never include the use of painful or noxious stimuli to control behaviors. Resources within the Consortium include translation services for people who use other languages, including sign language. When an individual calls the Consortium telephone number, he or she reaches a person who can take the emergency message and relay it immediately to an individual who can respond to the situation. Referrals come from the DDA Southern Regional Office, families or providers in the region.

Examples of the need for Crisis Intervention and Emergency Services include: refusal of primary caregiver to continue to provide care; serious illness of primary caregiver; imminent homelessness, danger to self or others, loss of a caregiver, psychiatric decompensation, high risk behavior or removal from parent’s home due to serious physical and sexual abuse. Upon notification of an emergency situation, the Emergency Response Coordinator (ERC) addresses the immediate need (assures the provision of emergency services). On the following day, the ERC begins working with Resource Coordinators in the appropriate community to determine and document eligibility and to assist in, whenever possible, less costly, non-traditional forms of service delivery.

Looking for Forms?
Just call the BSS Office at 301-475-5652, ext. 124 and the forms will be sent to you!

Contact:
The Arc of Southern Maryland
P.O. Box 1259
25470 Point Lookout Road, Unit H
Leonardtown, MD 20650
301-475-5652
877-413-3088
Fax 301-475-0122
email: bss@arcsomd.org

Project Director: Shirley Tibbs
Project Manager: Chuck Carnobas
Emergency Response Coordinator: Roxanne Jamnick
Project Secretary: Melissa Wilson
BSS Office Assistant: Susan Lloyd
The Arc of Southern Maryland   •   P.O. Box 1860   •   Prince Frederick, MD 20678   •   410-535-2413   •   info@arcsomd.org