Please go to the Bangor Daily News to read the full opinion article.

By: Malory Shaughnessy, opinion guest column

~~Excerpt

There’s a common thread that connects some of the most important issues facing Maine today — issues that the governor has highlighted and the Legislature is struggling to address.

Whether it’s criminal justice reform, closing Long Creek Youth Development Center, fixing the problems in our child protective system, or fighting back against the impacts of the deadly opioid epidemic, we will not be able to find solutions unless we properly invest in our state’s mental health system.

Maine has taken steps to ensure that everyone has access to the health care they need, with about 43,000 Mainers newly covered by Medicaid. Of those, more than 6,500 are receiving care for opioid use disorder, with another 16,400 finally receiving needed care for mental health services.

But the safety net to provide this care, already stretched thin, is beginning to fray, especially for Maine children.