On Our Own of Maryland, Inc.

On Our Own of Maryland, Inc. On Our Own of Maryland, Inc. Please visit our website for more information on our projects, trainings, and activities.

is a statewide peer-operated behavioral health advocacy and education organization which promotes equality, justice, autonomy, and choice about life decisions for individuals with mental health and substance use needs. (OOOMD) is a statewide peer-operated behavioral health advocacy and education organization which promotes equality, justice, autonomy, and choice about life decisions for individuals with mental health and substance use needs.

Next up in our spotlight series honoring this year's incredible OOOMD conference winners, we are deeply honored to prese...
05/29/2026

Next up in our spotlight series honoring this year's incredible OOOMD conference winners, we are deeply honored to present the 2026 Lou Ann Townsend Courage Award to Darlene Smith!

Named after a pioneering advocate who fought tirelessly against stigma, this award celebrates those who show immense bravery and dedication in helping others. Darlene embodies this courage completely, as a resilient cancer survivor who has spent over 30 years working in substance use recovery. Darlene famously shared her personal journey in the 2018 Emmy-winning documentary "Breaking Heroin's Grip: Road to Recovery," proving to countless viewers across Maryland that hope, healing, and transformation are always possible.

Throughout her extraordinary career, spanning vital roles at Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc., Sinai Hospital, and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, Darlene has provided life-saving counseling, housing support, and crisis intervention. Today, she channels her lived expertise into her work as a clinical counselor in Baltimore City and an educator at Anne Arundel Community College, where she helps strengthen best practices for justice-involved peers. Described by her community as a "source of light" who brings "compassion, resilience, and authenticity to every space she serves," Darlene’s open heart continues to lift others up with ultimate dignity.

Check out our conference awardees site to learn more about Darlene’s impactful story and all of this year’s honorees!
https://sites.google.com/onourownmd.org/2026conference/awards

Next up in our spotlight series honoring this year’s incredible OOOMD conference winners, we are overjoyed to celebrate ...
05/27/2026

Next up in our spotlight series honoring this year’s incredible OOOMD conference winners, we are overjoyed to celebrate the recipient of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award: Kate Farinholt!

Known across the state as an absolute powerhouse, Kate’s legacy as the longtime Executive Director of NAMI Metro Baltimore and NAMI Maryland is defined not only by her formidable advocacy, but by how she chose to use her power.

A beautiful story shared at her recent retirement celebration perfectly captures her heart: when a woman in deep crisis tentatively walked into her office, Kate pushed a massive stack of urgent paperwork aside, looked up, and said, “Please, come sit here and tell me about you.” Her intention and compassion to get to truly know the person in front of her, even in the midst of a busy day, represents a career built on lifting others up.

On a systemic level, Kate has been a major player in transforming Maryland’s behavioral health landscape through groundbreaking policies and programs. Among her countless achievements, she pioneered the In Our Own Voice presentation series as a national model, literally wrote the book on helping individuals with mental illness navigate Maryland’s criminal justice system, and served as a lead advocate for the development of the 988 national crisis hotline. As Kate enters her well-deserved retirement, we are profoundly grateful for her decades of fierce leadership and grace.

Head to the link in our bio to read more about Kate’s legendary impact and celebrate all of this year’s honorees!

Continuing our spotlight series honoring this year’s OOOMD conference award winners, we are incredibly proud to present ...
05/26/2026

Continuing our spotlight series honoring this year’s OOOMD conference award winners, we are incredibly proud to present the Phoenix Award to Pathfinders Peer Support!

Named for the mythic bird that rises stronger from the ashes, this award celebrates a peer-run organization that has navigated challenges to expand its creativity, capacity, and impact. Originally founded in 1994 as a drop-in space, this Baltimore County program has beautifully reinvented itself over the years, most recently evolving into Pathfinders to bring both mental health and substance use recovery under one supportive umbrella of behavioral health. Like recovery itself, Pathfinders has transformed its identity without ever losing its core heart, spirit, and purpose.

This remarkable evolution has been guided by the steady leadership of Program Manager Brian Korzec, who has dedicated his life to peer support and mental health recovery since 1988. Drawing from his own lived experience, Brian champions person-centered approaches, mindfulness, wellness, and compassion, creating spaces where individuals feel truly seen and encouraged to keep moving forward. Together, Brian and the Pathfinders community prove every day that healing happens through mutual respect, choice, and courage.

Head to the link in our bio to learn more about Pathfinders, Brian, and all of this year’s inspiring honorees!

We are kicking off a new spotlight series honoring the incredible individuals who took home awards at the 2026 OOOMD con...
05/23/2026

We are kicking off a new spotlight series honoring the incredible individuals who took home awards at the 2026 OOOMD conference! First up is the recipient of our Visionary Award, recognizing monumental strides in reducing behavioral health stigma: Alison Malmon.
Alison is the founder and Executive Director of Active Minds. After tragically losing her brother Brian to su***de, she turned her grief into a massive movement, growing a single college support group into an international nonprofit with over 400 campus chapters and 15,000 volunteers. A globally recognized innovator and fierce mental health advocate, Alison has dedicated her career to empowering students, advising national crisis lifelines, and driving systemic change to destigmatize behavioral health on a massive scale.
Head to the link in our bio to learn more about Alison, the Visionary Award, and all of this year’s incredible honorees!

T-Kea Blackman walked straight off the pageant stage to deliver a powerful keynote on Day 2 of our 2026 annual conferenc...
05/14/2026

T-Kea Blackman walked straight off the pageant stage to deliver a powerful keynote on Day 2 of our 2026 annual conference!
📣 T-Kea, who holds MPS, CPRS, and RPS credentials, is a nationally recognized and award-winning peer recovery specialist, social entrepreneur, speaker, and author. As a su***de attempt and loss survivor, she has turned her lived experience into a powerful force for change, inspiring hope, challenging stigma, and advancing equity in mental health.
She is the co-founder of Black People Die By Su***de Too (BPDBST), a nonprofit dedicated to su***de prevention within the Black community, and founder of the Mental Health Empowerment Agency, a consulting firm specializing in community wellness.
We are so grateful for our ongoing partnership with T-Kea and BPDBST, and we look forward to collaborating with and learning from her for years to come.

So happy you could join us! See you tomorrow for day 2!
05/14/2026

So happy you could join us! See you tomorrow for day 2!

This is awesome! We were so glad to have you joining us virtually, and we hope everyone enjoyed the beachy vibes from af...
05/14/2026

This is awesome! We were so glad to have you joining us virtually, and we hope everyone enjoyed the beachy vibes from afar ☺️

Alison Malmon, executive director and founder of Active Minds, delivered a life-changing keynote speech today, during Da...
05/13/2026

Alison Malmon, executive director and founder of Active Minds, delivered a life-changing keynote speech today, during Day 1 of our annual conference. ☀️ True to our theme of Courage in Community, Alison’s keynote spoke to the power of starting hard conversations, being unafraid to ask questions, and jumping in to ASK — Acknowledge, Support, and Keep in touch — with those in our communities who are struggling with their mental health. 💬 Active Minds is the largest organization in the USA advocating for mental health among young adults, and their presence in over 1,000 schools and universities across 48 states has paved the way for a generation that refuses to let our loved ones struggle alone. Thank you to Alison and the rest of the Active Minds team for changing not just the conversation, but the world!

It’s that time of year again — our annual conference in Ocean City! We are so delighted to be joined by this powerful co...
05/13/2026

It’s that time of year again — our annual conference in Ocean City! We are so delighted to be joined by this powerful collective of incredible peer support and mental health leaders from across the United States. We couldn’t fit them all into one post, so stay tuned for more posts coming soon, and make sure to fill out those bingo cards for extra raffle tickets! 🎟️ Let us know in the comments: Which workshop are you most excited for?

Address

7310 Esquire Court, Mailbox 14, Third Floor
Elkridge, MD
21075

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

+14105409020

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when On Our Own of Maryland, Inc. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to On Our Own of Maryland, Inc.:

Shortcuts

Share

Category