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County Announces Partnership with Grassroots

At a press conference this morning, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced that the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) has begun transporting stable patients with opioid-related complaints directly to Grassroots as an alternative to conventional hospitals.

Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center

“The partnership between HCDFRS and Grassroots means people in need will be able to access immediate care upon arrival at the crisis intervention center, receive treatment for withdrawal there, followed by referral to a recovery program,” Executive Director Dr. Mariana Izraelson said at the press conference. “This timely care has the best chance of success,” she added.

In addition to its substance use programs, County Executive Ball pointed out, Grassroots has multiple resources to help patients, including access to food, clothing, health care, and a safe place to stay.

Last year, another partnership between Grassroots and a county department led to calls being transferred from the Howard County Police Department to Grassroots where mental health counselors provide rapid response, including access to community-based services, such as those addressing substance use disorder.

Grassroots is one of only three programs in the State Opioid Response (SOR) initiative. Its SOR program has a success rate of 75 percent in getting the patients into a treatment facility, most within 24 hours.

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Joe Eldred

Director of Homeless Services

Joe Eldred joined Grassroots in 2023 as director of Homeless Services where he oversees the emergency shelter programs and the Grassroots Day Resource Center. He started his career in homeless services nearly 20 years ago, having previously worked in education, after participating in a homeless count in Seattle. He has held every position in affordable housing from Onsite Property Manager to Director of Housing and Property Management.

Over his years, Joe has run all types of housing offerings including those for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use issues, seniors, farm workers, and those with disabilities and HIV/AIDS. He has also worked with many different types of funding programs including HUD, PRAC 202, PRAC 811, USDA Rural Housing funds and funding services designed to break the cycle of homelessness like Continuum of Care and the Maryland Homelessness Solutions Program. Joe has had the opportunity to see how housing programs differ throughout the country, working in Seattle, Chicago, Harrisburg, PA and Ventura, CA, among others.

Nancy Campbell

Sr. Director of Operations & Corporate Compliance Officer

Nancy Campbell supervises the operations of Grassroots, including HR, finance, emergency shelter, homeless services, case management and facilities. She has more than 30 years of experience in managing organizations’ operations activities, mostly in the human services field. 

Community support is a passion for Nancy. She feels that mental health and homelessness often co-occur, and her goal is to develop strong strategic plans that meet the needs of Grassroots’ clients. She looks to make a difference by effectively working with our programs and staff to explore what we can offer to the community. She pays special focus on efforts that help individuals adjust while in the emergency shelter, as well as those that help them achieve stable housing. Nancy has her PMP, master’s degree in Psychology and MBA, and is currently in school to pursue a Doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Management.

Laura Willemin, LCSW-C

Sr. Director of Clinical and Crisis Services

Laura Willemin oversees all of the clinical and crisis services at Grassroots, including the crisis line, walk-in services, 988 crisis chat and text services, Mobile Crisis Team, substance use disorder program, urgent care mental health services and Outpatient Mental Health Clinic. She joined Grassroots in 2021 having previously served as manager of the Child and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Services for the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. She also worked in Prince George’s Child Protective Services, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children in the community.

Laura’s career has been concentrated in intense, fast-paced, high-acuity, safety-related and high-risk areas of practice. She appreciates the opportunity to support individuals and families during the most difficult or intense circumstances they may experience through the lifespan. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work and is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW-C).