CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield hosted the Montgomery County Mental Health Summit, bringing together more than 75 community leaders, educators, healthcare professionals and advocates to focus on youth behavioral health in Montgomery County.
The summit created space for open dialogue on urgent behavioral health needs, barriers to care and collaborative solutions to build a healthier future for all.
As one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare organizations, CareFirst works every day to reduce barriers and close gaps in care.
“That’s not just a mission statement—it’s a promise we work toward every day for Montgomery County and the region. We’re here to listen, learn and find new ways to collaborate. One of the biggest challenges we’ve heard from this community is around behavioral health: how hard it can be to access care, how expensive it can be, and how urgent the need is for more resources and support. This forum is more than a one-time event—it’s part of an ongoing conversation.”
Ricardo Johnson, Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth, CareFirst
The Montgomery County Mental Health Summit continued this commitment by convening experts from across the region to ensure youth behavioral health is addressed holistically—not in silos.
Panel Discussion: Empowering Youth
The event featured a collaborative panel, “Empowering Youth: Building Resilience and Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Support,” moderated by Ashley Johnson, Behavioral Health Program Manager at CareFirst.
Panelists included:
- Carolyn Camacho, Program Director, Identity, Inc.
- Dr. Christina Chester, Psy.D, NCSP, Director for Psychological Services, Montgomery County Public Schools
- Miriam Hauser, Vice President of Behavioral Health, Mary’s Center
- Dr. Rajeev Krishna, MD, PhD, MBA, Chief of Medical Staff, Sheppard Pratt
- Dr. Jimmy Venza, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Lourie Center for Children's Social & Emotional Wellness
The discussion explored the growing need for behavioral health resources, culturally responsive care and the power of youth-led advocacy.
Youth Voice Matters
A highlight of the summit was the youth keynote from Nushrat Zaima, a high school senior and leader with Our Minds Matter. Nushrat shared how peer support breaks stigma:
“Breaking the stigma is one of the most important parts of advocacy and mental health because so many students are ashamed of what they’re going through. Peer-led discussions break down walls and break down any stigma around speaking about mental health.”
County Leadership Perspective
The event featured remarks from Julie Yang, President of the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education, and Shauna-Kay Jorandby, Director of Student Well-being for Montgomery County Public Schools. Monica A. Martin, MSW, LCSW-C, Chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services for Montgomery County, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the need for collaboration:
“Youth mental health isn’t just a clinical issue—it’s a community imperative. One that requires all of us—public and private, schools and families, hospitals and nonprofits, policymakers, community members…all of us, to work together in shared purpose,” Martin shared.
CareFirst is proud to partner with Montgomery County leaders to expand access, strengthen partnerships and create opportunities for ongoing dialogue. The ideas shared at the summit reinforce CareFirst’s commitment to transforming behavioral health care for youth and families.
To learn more about how CareFirst is transforming the healthcare experience with and for those we serve, visit carefirst.com/transformation.
