Grassroots provides free 24-hour crisis intervention, mental health, substance use disorder, housing support and suicide prevention services. This includes a free crisis hotline, responses to 988 calls/chats/texts (Maryland and nationally), a free 24-hour substance use disorder stabilization program, a family and individual emergency shelter and Howard County’s Mobile Crisis Response.
We are a private, non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization serving Howard County and Central Maryland. Founded in 1969, Grassroots has evolved from an all-volunteer organization to a professionally staffed multi-service crisis intervention center. Our agency is funded by Howard County Government, State and Federal Grants, private foundations, and contributions from individuals, community groups, the faith community, and local businesses.
Grassroots is proud that 92% of our funding goes directly to the programs that help save lives in our community.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the Grassroots team handled 87,358 calls on our crisis lines and worked with individuals and families who sought face-to-face support via more than 2,000 encounters. The Mobile Crisis Team provided 911 community responses.
A total of 238 individuals including 81 children were housed in our emergency shelter for more than 25,000 emergency shelter bed nights. More than 1,500 consumers were served by the Grassroots Day Resource Center at Leola Dorsey.
Provide 24-hour access to quality behavioral health, crisis intervention and homeless services to individual and family consumers in need.
Leading integrative human service organization committed to improving people’s lives.
• We acknowledge the dignity and individuality of all persons asking for help.
• We pledge to treat all consumers and members of our community with respect at all times.
• We operate from a spirit of helpfulness and welcome.
•We foster an environment of personal responsibility.
• We strive to lead in behavioral health, crisis intervention and homeless services
• We provide services with empathy, dignity, and respect to all
• We change lives
• We meet consumers where they are
• We partner with our community to improve human 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 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 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).