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 treatment programs covered by MaineCare left in Maine that specialize in youth with serious developmental disabilities. Two programs operated by Spurwink Services in Chelsea and another in Scarborough closed within about the past month.
The closures continue a long-term trend, but the quick succession of them has concerned behavioral health professionals who were already navigating a crisis-level shortage of services for kids.