Maine Voices: Mainers are suffering from lack of mental health funding centralmaine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from centralmaine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published April 13, 2021 at 7:00 AM EDT Listen • 52:58
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Maine’s mental health system was already in crisis before the pandemic hit, with shortages of facilities and providers to meet the needs of those dealing with mental health issues. The restrictions and safety demands of the pandemic have made things worse. We’ll learn about the many challenges faced by both patients and health professionals, and some of the actions being taken to implement change.
Guests
Jessica Pollard, director, Office of Behavioral Health, Maine Department of Health & Human Services
Agreement reached for ending court oversight of Maine’s mental health services
The state and a group of plaintiffs have agreed on standards for services that, if met over the next year and a half, could dissolve a court order that s been in effect since 1990.
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Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and a group of plaintiffs with severe mental health and psychiatric needs have reached an agreement that could end 30 years of court oversight of state mental health services.
A new report from Daniel Wathen, the court master overseeing a 1990 consent decree involving the former Augusta Mental Health Institute, outlines standards designed to ensure that mental health clients receive services promptly and that service providers are held accountable.