Bel Air Billboard Is Part Of 'Harford Talks' Campaign

BEL AIR, MD — Messages around Harford County, including in Bel Air, encourage parents to talk with their kids about mental health and mind-altering substances. They are part of a campaign called "Harford Talks" the Harford County Department of Community Services' Office of Drug Control Policy created to help reassure families as they try to have these conversations.

"Parents tell us they struggle with these topics," Amber Shrodes, director of Harford County Community Services, said in a statement. "They worry about what is age appropriate, and how to approach subjects like overdose, recovery, and suicide. But children want to have this dialogue with the adults in their lives."

Billboards and public service announcements in movie theaters are part of the summer-long "Harford Talks" campaign.

The billboards are on Belair Road in Bel Air and US 40 in Havre de Grace, which Harford County officials anticipate will be seen 630,000 times.

Two movie theaters will air 45-second public service announcements as part of the campaign. Regal Cinemas Bel Air and Horizon Theater in Fallston will broadcast the clips, which are expected to reach 130,000 moviegoers during the run from June 14 to September.

High school students shared in recent focus groups conducted by the Harford County Department of Community Services that more than anything, they wished parents and teachers had a better understanding of mental health, officials reported. "Students also said they wanted adults to recognize the signs of addiction, depression, and suicide, and they wanted to feel more comfortable talking to adults about mental illness," according to a statement from Harford County government.

Harford County launched the Harford Talks website to provide resources for those preparing for these types of conversations. It offers prompts and tips for talking with children in preschool and elementary schools, middle school and high school.

Residents of Harford County may also contact a 24/7 crisis hotline at 800-NEXT-STEP (800-639-8783) that is operated by behavioral health professionals who can help direct callers to behavioral health, mental health and addiction treatment resources.

The Klein Family Harford Crisis Center offers assistance for those struggling with mental health and/or addiction issues at 802 Baltimore Pike in Bel Air.