CLICK HERE TO DONATE ... Read More ›

The Alliance is pleased to see the terms of the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and the state of Maine, which addresses many of the issues in our children’s behavioral health system that providers have raised concerns about for years. We are hopeful that the provisions outlined in the settlement will lead to greater access to critically needed community behavioral health services for children and their families statewide. We also respectfully urge the Department of ... Read More ›

Eric Russell Portland Press Herald The federal agency sued the state in September, saying Maine was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Maine must strengthen its community-based services for children with behavioral health challenges to keep them from being placed outside the home, according to an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice filed Tuesday in federal court. The agreement ends a lawsuit filed in September by the federal agency, which said the state has been ... Read More ›

by Callie Ferguson The Bangor Daily News Unable to access timely treatment at homes and with their families, kids and teenagers were forced into more institutional, restrictive environments instead, they wrote, including windowless hospital emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric units, residential treatment facilities, and even Long Creek Youth Development Center, Maine’s only youth prison. Do you know a child who needs mental health services? The lawyers, who said they had watched ... Read More ›

by Callie Ferguson Rachel Bousquet is the executive director of KidsPeace New England. The organization runs one of the two remaining residential programs in Maine for kids with developmental disabilities. Credit: Linda Coan O'Kresik / BDN The recent closure of three Maine residential programs for children has rapidly reduced the services available to youth with developmental disabilities, sparking alarm among health professionals. As of July, there are only two residential ... Read More ›

Augusta, Maine - The Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services, Maine (the Alliance), the leading statewide association dedicated to advancing quality mental health and substance use treatment, is proud to announce the appointment of Adam Bloom-Paicopolos as its new Executive Director, to join newly promoted Associate Director, Jennifer Christian, effective June 1, 2024. Adam Bloom-Paicopolos brings a wealth of experience and a profound commitment towards behavioral health policy and ... Read More ›

Richie Morris, 21, of Portland, had to wait nine months to see a therapist after moving from New Hampshire to Portland in 2023. “It’s extremely disheartening,” they said.Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer Tessa Buckley is on a waitlist for in-home mental health services for her 10-year-old son, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. It might take two years for him to reach the top of the list. “It can feel defeating,” said Buckley, 32, of southern Maine. Richie Morris, ... Read More ›

Thank you @GovJanetMills for recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month 2024! Shout out to all ofthe MH providers offering services across Maine. Mental Health Awareness Month in Maine: to shine a light on mental illness and the need for long-term improvements in our mental health care system and increased access to care for all so no one feels alone. ... Read More ›

The morning fog lifts beyond the Burton M. Cross Building, left, and the State House on June 21, 2023, in Augusta. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com. A collection of bills that could make needed improvements to Maine’s broad mental health care system are at risk of languishing in Augusta because of a lack ... Read More ›

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/04/11/opinion/opinion-contributor/human-cost-neglected-mental-health-services-joam40zk0w/ ... Read More ›