On Our Own of Maryland

On Our Own of Maryland, Inc. (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.

We work with peers, service providers, community leaders, local and state political leadership, and professional and community organizations to ensure that behavioral health services and systems are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, person-centered, and culturally and linguistically responsive. We focus on reducing stigmatizing practices and expanding peer/consumer involvement in mental health and substance use policy and planning at local, state, and national levels.

• We represent a statewide network of affiliated peer-operated nonprofit organizations which provide peer support services in their local jurisdictions.
• We train, mentor, and develop advocacy organizations and their members to use their lived experience to participate as partners in the design and improvement of the behavioral health system.
• We train and provide technical assistance to a wide variety of stakeholders including providers, organizations, peers, and families. Common topics include: stigma, recovery strategies and tools, peer certification and workforce development, and organizational culture change.
• We work with legislators, policy experts, and social justice leaders to advocate for access to competent, respectful, and effective recovery-based treatment, services, and supports.
• We build bridges and collaborate with stakeholders to foster positive systems change and promote quality of life for everyone with behavioral health needs, especially for people who are underserved and marginalized.

Values and principles

The following values and principles are the foundation of our work. We believe in:

Humanity

• The autonomy, dignity, and choice of all people are paramount.
• The importance and centrality of human relationships and the sincere attempts between people to understand one another and find common ground are both sacred and essential.

Wellness and recovery

• Every person has a right to choose the support they need to achieve wellness.
• Recovery from mental health and substance use challenges is achievable and unique for each person. The ability to choose and the freedom to change, start over, and redefine one’s path are imperative.
• Recovery is neither an end goal nor a linear process, but the life-long practice of cultivating meaning, purpose, and strength in one’s life.

Peer support

• Peer support is central to recovery.
• Connection, through shared life experiences, is the heart of peer support.
• Peer support provides hope and facilitates recovery in ways no other services do.

Services

• Access to an array of voluntary, self-directed, high-quality treatment and recovery supports is a fundamental right.
• Alternatives to formal treatment, including grassroots peer support, are an essential component of any system of care.
• Effective behavioral health services require intentional communication, self-awareness, and support for both participants and staff.
• The creation and delivery of empathic and effective services requires partnering with service-recipients, both individually and collectively.
• Social justice must be an integral part of behavioral health services. Poverty, trauma, and social inequity contribute to the prevalence and complexity of behavioral health issues and must be addressed for all persons, especially people who are underserved and marginalized.

Working @ OOOMD

As a peer-operated organization, all staff and a majority of our Board of Directors have personal lived experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges, services, and/or systems. We celebrate diversity and strive to be an equitable, mutually supportive, and high-performing organization. OOOMD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or genetic information.

We strongly encourage candidates to become familiar with our mission and our statewide, systems-level activities by reviewing our website, newsletters, social media, videos, and by attending one of our live trainings when possible. Click here for upcoming training events.

We offer a supportive working environment, with a hybrid remote/in-person schedule and robust benefits package for full-time employees, including:

• employer-sponsored health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
• 403b retirement plan with employer matching
• generous paid time off (holidays, vacation, medical [sick & safe], and personal leave)
• professional development opportunities (trainings and conferences)