Baltimore County Crisis Response Services (BCCRS) received the President’s Award from the Latino Providers Network. for our support during the Key Bridge disaster.
On March 26, 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. This was a moment that shocked Maryland and sent ripples of fear through families waiting for news.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene. Helicopters circled overhead. The physical danger was undeniable. Even though it’s been nearly two years, the memory still holds fresh in many of our minds.
But beneath that visible crisis was another kind of emergency, one that is often harder to see, but just as real: Fear, uncertainty, grief, shock, and unanswered questions.
That is the space where Santé showed up.
Vernessa Scurry, Santé’s Chief of Staff, remembers it vividly. “It wasn’t just the people directly affected,” she said. “Their families were in crisis too. They were facing the unknown. They needed someone to sit with them.”
Santé’s Baltimore County Crisis Response Team arrived within moments. Their job wasn’t to handle the physical rescue. Others were doing that. Their role instead was to tend to the emotional collapse unfolding around the tragedy.
Our crisis team sat with families. They listened to fear that had no words. And they stayed present while the world felt unsteady.
“Sometimes,” Vernessa said, “you just have to hang in there until you get some type of resolution. And people shouldn’t have to do that alone.”
Many of us know moments like this. Moments when we stood in the doorway of uncertainty, holding fear we didn’t yet know how to process. Times when we weren’t sure what the outcome would be. Times when emotional distress felt as heavy as any physical danger.
That is the space Santé steps into. Moments when people are overwhelmed, scared, waiting, grieving, or trying to make sense of the unthinkable.
And none of this work would be possible without the internal foundation that Santé’s leadership team has worked to build and improve.
“As times get more unpredictable,” Vernessa says, “it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves, and each other.” She reminds us that distress isn’t always visible but that community is essential. “It has to be safe to say, ‘I’m not okay.’ That’s how we help each other.”
Let us never forget that connection doesn’t just heal individuals, it’s the foundation on which communities stand.
This year, Santé expanded its reach across Maryland and North Carolina, launched new peer-run centers, strengthened 988 services, and shared its expertise globally. Every step of the way, connection has been the guiding force.
That connection is something you can help sustain.