The state of Maine fails to provide adequate access and quality in its Children's Behavioral Health Services, according to a new report commissioned by Public Consulting Group.
Katrina Ringrose of Disability Rights Maine says the report by an outside consultant offers a good blueprint for creating a statewide strategic plan to improve services.
"It has to involve everybody across the state, who are providing services and who's receiving services,” she says. “This is just the first step and there's many more to come."
Ringrose also says the findings aren't surprising.
"With the long waitlist we have for home and community-based services, the waitlist for residential services, and so many families and children are struggling to even get access,” she says."
But Ringrose says she's encouraged by the two dozen recommendations in the report to improve care, which include creating a statewide strategic plan.
Disability Rights negotiated with the LePage administration to commission the report from Public Consulting Group in response to several problems, including long waits for services.
In a press release, the acting director of the Office of Child and Family Services says the department's new leadership under the Mills administration will carefully review the findings.
