Every few weeks, messages from recruiters pop up on Melissa Grimm’s cell phone. The company is hiring for an addiction treatment program in the Baltimore area.
The 42-year-old Annapolis resident, who graduated last fall with a degree in addiction counseling, will have to give up those job opportunities.
That’s because she’s been waiting six months — with no end in sight — for the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists to process her application to become a certified counselor.
Grimm, like her former girlfriend, had to put her dreams of helping people whose lives were ruined by drugs and alcohol on hold. And she’s not alone.
Across Maryland, there are reports of people waiting more than six months for their applications to proceed. The board, a division of the Maryland State Department of Health, plays a key role in overseeing the state’s approximately 13,000 medical practitioners; It has suffered from dysfunction for many years.
A government report says long-standing problems with staff retention and tracking paper records have left boards unable to fulfill their most important responsibilities. This includes not only vetting applicants, but also investigating complaints against practitioners, including serious allegations of sexual misconduct, unauthorized practice, and fraud.
Department of Health spokeswoman Amanda Hills said in an email that the commission has taken steps to reduce the backlog of applications and complaints.
He said he was working to streamline the review of applications and prioritize time-sensitive cases, adding that the launch of the digital application process in June is expected to improve efficiency.
The board oversees several types of counselors, including those who treat alcohol and drug addiction. Ted McCudden, director of the Human Services Counseling Program at Baltimore County Community College, sees them this way: This is a key line of defense against the ongoing overdose crisis that killed more than 1,300 people in Maryland last year.
“We are professionals trying to fight the opioid epidemic with one hand tied behind our backs because we can’t get enough qualified clinicians into the field,” McCudden said.
Grimm, who aspires to be a counselor, said her experience inspired her to pursue a career in the field.
Throughout her life, she turned to alcohol to cope with various problems. Hardships: Sexual harassment, abusive relationships, and undiagnosed mental health disorders in graduate school. By 2017, Grimm She said she drank one and a half bottles of wine every day and would often wake up in a panic after blacking out.
Around that time, her family helped her get into a recovery program.
“It was a starting point for me to see people who had it worse than me,” Grimm said of finding her community through treatment. “And it just gave me a little bit of inspiration that maybe I can help you and maybe we can help each other.”
When she mailed her application to the counseling board, she was dazzled. But “I’m pretty disappointed at this point,” she said.
The process will only take about 45 days, according to an email she received from the board. But Grimm is waiting for more than 180.
Sarah Mainsler, a human services professor at Anne Arundel Community College and Grimm’s former teacher, said she has seen countless graduates fall into bottlenecks created by board backlogs.
Despite the hot job market, “students have been waiting for promotions and waiting for jobs,” Mainsler said, adding, “I just don’t understand why it has to be this way.”
She advises applicants to email or call the board repeatedly, although staff members don’t respond frequently to messages. She even told people to complain to state authorities.
The commission recently announced that it will launch a new online licensing system on June 20 to replace paper applications. The state has been pushing the board to modernize for at least a decade. However, the board noted that the transition to the new system may result in temporary increases in response and processing times.
“It’s a miracle,” Mainsler said. “I’m really happy because we’re finally entering this century.”
The board’s serious problems are detailed in state reports dating back nearly two decades. The latest work was published in September last year.
According to the report, between 2020 and 2024, the number of people issued certificates of eligibility by the Board increased by more than a third. But during that time, the board replaced eight managing directors, each serving an average of just six months. And the number of staff positions has decreased by nearly 20%.
As a result, the board struggled to respond.
On average, it took the board about three months to approve an application, according to a September report. However, nearly 20% of applications expired before the board approved or denied them.
Last year’s audit found that of the 290 unresolved complaints, nearly 70% were received beyond the state-mandated investigation period of six months. Almost 30% had been open for more than two years. Auditors say this is important because it allows licensed individuals to practice until the investigation is complete.
Additionally, the report found that the commission does not have the staff or resources to police illegal, unlicensed medical practitioners, which is an ongoing problem in the state.
Some patients told The Banner that they are enrolled in a program that employs virtual counselors who reside in other countries, such as Nigeria, and who appear not to be licensed or certified in Maryland. It is unclear how widespread this practice is. Last year, when executive director Tomilova Olanyi-Quadri was told she would be joining the board, she said it could be a violation of state law.
Olanyi-Quadri declined a recent interview request, referring to questions about the board’s shortcomings. to the state health department.
Hills, a spokesperson for the department, responded via email. The board said it takes the issue of unauthorized activity “very seriously” and any related complaints or reports will be investigated or referred to other agencies.
He added that the commission has closed more than 320 investigative cases since February 2025 and is expediting the processing of complaints involving potential harm. In addition, in order to increase staff retention rates, we are working to fill vacancies and convert contract positions to permanent employees.
The Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists is not the only medical specialty board that has come under scrutiny in recent years.
In 2024, The Banner reported on a major backlog of applications and complaints at state boards of nursing. Last year, Gov. Wes Moore ordered an independent review of funeral directors and funeral boards after inspectors repeatedly found decomposed bodies awaiting cremation at a Charles County crematorium.
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