Grassroots provides free, 24-hour mental health, substance use, crisis and homeless services support to individuals and families.
Call 410-531-6677, call/chat/text 988 or walk in anytime at 8990 Old Annapolis Road, Suite A in Columbia.
* Interpretation services are available for those who do not speak English or who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Grassroots operates a 24-hour crisis intervention and supportive counseling hotline. Individuals can call 410-531-6677 for a variety of reasons, including suicide, family and relationship problems, violent or threatening domestic situations, loneliness or depression, substance use issues, housing needs and others.
Visit us 24 hours a day at 8990 Old Annapolis Road, Suite A in Columbia.
Grassroots provides free, 24-hour walk-in counseling for a variety of issues, including mental health, substance use, housing and other related crises. Individuals can access a full pantry of food and hygiene items.
Visit us 24 hours a day at 8990 Old Annapolis Road, Suite A in Columbia.
Grassroots supports individuals who are dealing with substance use concerns by providing free screening, assessment, counseling and referral to treatment, along with short-term withdrawal management and peer support.
Licensed clinicians from Grassroots respond 24 hours a day in person to mental health and other crises in community settings in Howard County.
Grassroots operates Howard County’s emergency shelter at 6700 Freetown Road in Columbia. The program includes 89 total beds – 51 beds for families, 24 beds for single adults and 20 beds for the 2025-26 Cold Weather Shelter Program.
The Grassroots Day Resource Center at Leola Dorsey provides resources, hot meals, showers and laundry facilities, as well as a food and clothing pantry, to unsheltered, homeless and low-income individuals. It is located at 10390 Guilford Road, Suite A, in Jessup, MD.
Grassroots provides free, in-person therapy and medication management appointments within 48 hours, if not sooner, to consumers who present with a mental health concern and who face a barrier to mental health treatment.
Grassroots supports individuals in the community with education and suicide prevention resource. The Survivors of Suicide Loss Support group is a free and confidential support group that provides a safe place for individuals to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences related to the loss of a loved one to suicide.
Grassroots provides free, 24-hour crisis, mental health and substance use support to service members, veterans, spouses and their families throughout Maryland. Military personnel can access immediate, compassionate and confidential care to meet their specialized needs. No matter why type of issue you might be dealing with, Grassroots is here to ensure you don’t have to do it alone.
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).