Challenges in Maine
LD 1745: What It Is and Why We’re Worried
What the Bill Does: LD 1745 is a new law passed in Maine in June 2025. It’s meant to stop youth treatment centers from closing. The state will give money and make new rules to try to keep these places open.
What’s in the Bill:
- Reporting Closures: If a treatment center for kids is going to shut down, the state has to tell lawmakers within two weeks and explain why.
- Working Group: A group of facility leaders and state workers will meet to talk about what these places need to keep going. They’ll write a report by December 3, 2025.
- Cost Study: The state will study why some kids stay too long in emergency rooms or get sent to treatment places out of state.
- Aftercare Funding: The state will change the rules so it’s easier to pay for care after a kid leaves a treatment center. Some workers without college degrees can help if parents agree.
- $1 Million Fund: The state will give $1 million to help keep struggling treatment centers open.
Why We’re Concerned:
- Keeps Harmful Facilities Going: This law gives more money to programs that have hurt kids before. Instead of trying new, better ways to help, it supports the same old system.
- No Real Alternatives: The bill doesn’t give support to programs that help kids stay at home or get care in their own communities. It ignores options that already work in other places.
- Goes Against Expert Advice: Groups like Disability Rights Maine and the U.S. Department of Justice have said we should stop relying on big treatment centers. This bill does the opposite.
- Doesn’t Include Youth Voices: The new working group is mostly made up of providers. There’s no guarantee kids who’ve lived through this system or disability advocates get to help shape decisions.
- Moves Too Fast: Because this is an “emergency” law, it goes into effect right away. There wasn’t enough time for public feedback or changes.
The Bottom Line: LD 1745 says it’s about helping kids, but it puts money into a system many of us know is broken. Instead of building care that keeps kids safe, free, and with their families, it props up places that isolate and hurt them. We can do better.
Press Release: Disability Rights Maine Maintains Opposition to Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities in Maine
December 4, 2024: Disability Rights Maine opposes building a new psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) for children, calling the model harmful and outdated. They cite past visits to out-of-state PRTFs where children received little therapy and were kept in isolating conditions. A recent U.S. Senate report found widespread abuse in such facilities. DRM says Maine should focus on community-based care as required by its agreement with the Department of Justice.
drme.org
PRESS RELEASE: Advocates Respond to U.S. Department of Justice Lawsuit Against State of Maine for Failures in Maine’s Children’s Behavioral Health System
On September 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the State of Maine for violating the rights of children with disabilities by failing to provide community-based mental health services. Disability Rights Maine, ACLU of Maine, and GLAD supported the lawsuit, saying Maine’s broken system leads to unnecessary institutionalization, family separation, and trauma. Advocates say Maine has ignored years of warnings and must stop prioritizing institutions over care in kids’ homes and communities.
drme.org
The forces and failures that undid a Maine boy’s childhood
October 2, 2024: This investigation traces the life of Austin, a Maine teen shuffled through Acadia Hospital, Long Creek Youth Development Center, Good Will-Hinckley’s Roundel program, and Youth Villages’ Bill’s Place in Tennessee. Despite severe trauma, he was placed in institutional settings that often worsened his condition. The story exposes how Maine’s fractured foster care, juvenile justice, and behavioral health systems failed to provide meaningful, community-based support.
www.bangordailynews.com
PRESS RELEASE: Advocates respond to DOJ investigation finding significant failures in Maine’s children’s behavioral health system
In June 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice found that Maine is violating the rights of children with disabilities by placing them in institutions instead of providing mental health care in their homes and communities. The DOJ said Maine’s behavioral health system is so broken that hundreds of kids are being needlessly sent to psychiatric hospitals, residential facilities, and even juvenile detention. Advocates say the state has ignored years of warnings and must urgently invest in community-based services to avoid further harm.
drme.org