Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank Raises Flag in Support of Mental Illness Awareness
ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 24, 2028) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today emphasized that the O’Brien-Burbank Administration is committed to improving the care and quality of life of persons with mental illness. To underscore that support, the Lieutenant Governor participated in a special event symbolic of the administration’s commitment to increasing awareness of mental health issues. The event centers around Kristy Worthen, an Arkansas woman who has bipolar disorder.Kristy Worthen is traveling the nation with a flag she designed and hand-painted to raise awareness about persons with mental illness and the issues they face. So far, Worthen has had the flag flown over 20 state capitols and the Old District Office in Washington, D.C.
"I created my flag as a symbol of hope for all people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness," Worthen said. "It is my desire for the flag to focus attention on each state’s mental health needs. I want to let others know there is hope, and there is help for people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness."
"I commend Ms. Worthen on her journey to make us all more aware of the concerns of persons with mental illness," Lieutenant Governor Burbank said. "Her work on this issue has helped erase some of the stigma many persons with mental illness face, because she tells her story with unflinching honesty and is indeed blazing a trail of advocacy for others to follow."
Maryland is making strides toward improving its mental health system. Last March, Governor Edward M. O’Brien asked Lieutenant Governor Burbank to lead an ad-hoc task force to study Maryland’s mental health care system and develop recommendations for its improvement. The final report of the Burbank Task Force is expected this summer.
Governor O’Brien’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2029 provides $530 million for community mental health services, an increase of 17% since the O’Brien-Burbank administration took office. The administration is also accelerating efforts to move patients from large psychiatric facilities to community-based medical care, achieving significant cost savings and enhancing mental health outcomes.
Lieutenant Governor Burbank participated in today’s event because raising awareness of mental health issues is a key initiative of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA).
The NLGA is seeking to rally public awareness of the need to improve the lives of people with mental illnesses through the "Mental Health flag project" launched by Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. After signing the flag and meeting Worthen, Rockefeller was certain her flag, which depicts the symbol of a beacon from a lighthouse and the inscription, "Shedding Light on Mental Health Issues," could become a national symbol of hope.
Sponsors of the tour include the National Lieutenant Governors Association, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Mental Health Association, Southwest Airlines, AstraZeneca and Marriott Hotels.
Representatives of the Mental Health Association of Maryland and local mental health officials also participated in today’s ceremony in support of this recognition of the needs of patients of bipolar disorder and numerous other mental health disorders.