About
On May 27, 2026, County Executive Ball signed Executive Order 2026-08 to establish the Task Force on Disability Inclusion, Safety, and Crisis Response. Comprised of members from local and state government, local and state nonprofits, local and state councils, and individuals and family members with lived experience, the Task Force on Disability Inclusion, Safety, and Crisis Response will evaluate and develop recommendations to strengthen Howard County Government’s response to crisis situations involving people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals throughout Howard County.
In Howard County, we place a high value on protecting the safety, health, dignity, and wellbeing of people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals, and we are committed to fostering a community where all residents are supported, included, and empowered to thrive. It is imperative that our policies and procedures governing crisis response to all individuals, including people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals, are appropriately effective and reflect community values of equity, dignity, safety, and inclusion.
Task Force Information
The Task Force will review, discuss, and make policy and programmatic recommendations across the following four focus areas:
- Training for County Employees, specifically frontline employees, including but not limited to law enforcement, EMS, social workers, and community health workers, who interact with people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals;
- Education, Outreach, and Partnerships, specifically, the Task Force shall identify strategies to improve coordination, alignment, and communication among all organizations and partners that support people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals;
- On-Scene Response Protocols, specifically, the Task Force shall review relevant Federal, State, and Local laws, regulations, and policies that govern protocols when responding to a behavioral health crisis involving a member of the disability or neurodivergent community; and
- Emergency Response and Prevention Protocols, specifically, the Task Force shall review the County’s current 911 communication protocols as it relates to mental health crisis response for people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals, as well as use of 988 and specialized mobile crisis response teams in Howard County and in other jurisdictions.
Comprised of members from local and state government, local and state nonprofits, local and state councils, and individuals and family members with lived experience, the Task Force shall be composed of representatives from the following organizations and entities:
- County Government Co-Chair designated by the County Executive
- Autism Society of Maryland (Co-Chair)
- Office of Human Rights and Equity
- Office of Consumer Protection
- Department of Community Resources and Services
- Maryland Department of Human Services Howard County Department of Social Services
- Howard County Police Department
- Department of Fire and Rescue Services
- Department of Recreation & Parks
- Howard County Police Accountability Board
- Local Behavioral Health Authority
- Howard County Commission on Disabilities
- Howard County Public School System
- Howard County Sheriff’s Office
- Maryland Department of Disabilities
- Ethan Saylor Alliance
- Maryland Department of Health, Behavioral Health Administration
- Developmental Disabilities Council
- Behavioral Health System Baltimore
- Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center
- Sheppard Pratt
- Association of Community Services
- Horizon Foundation
- Arc of Howard County
- Arc of Maryland
- Disability Rights Maryland
- Humanim
- Grassroots Crisis Intervention
- NAMI Howard County
- NAMI Maryland
- NAACP
- Community Action Council of Howard County
- African American Community Roundtable of Howard County
- L.O.V.E. Is the Answer
- Advanced Centers for the Specially Enabled
- Pathfinders for Autism
- Hussman Institute for Autism
- Disability and neurodivergent community representatives (8)
- Neurodiversity-affirming clinician (e.g., physician, psychologist) (2).
Meeting Agendas & Minutes
The Task Force's upcoming meetings and community engagement sessions are listed below:
| Meeting Number | Meeting Date | Meeting Location | Agenda | Minutes | Meeting Materials |
| Task Force - Meeting 1 | Thursday, July 30, 9:30AM-12:30PM | Howard County Health Department - Heroes Conference Room, 8930 Stanford Boulevard, Columbia, MD 21045 | Disability Task Force Meeting Agenda July 30 2026 | ||
| Task Force - Community Engagement Session 2 | August 2026 - TBA | TBA | |||
| Task Force - Meeting 2 | Monday, August 24, 1PM-5PM | NonProfit Collaborative, 9770 Patuxent Woods Dr, Columbia, MD 21046 | |||
| Task Force - Meeting 3 | Mon, September 28, 1PM-5PM | NonProfit Collaborative, 9770 Patuxent Woods Dr, Columbia, MD 21046 | |||
| Task Force - Meeting 4 | Tues, Oct 6, 1PM-5PM | NonProfit Collaborative, 9770 Patuxent Woods Dr, Columbia, MD 21046 |