Maine Behavioral Healthcare says a new facility in Portland has tripled its capacity to help people with developmental disorders.
Dr. Matthew Siegel says at least 700 people, from toddlers to adults, can now get services at the Glickman Lauder Center of Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders. He says the center is unique because it brings multiple types of providers under one roof.
"We often find that you need a multidisciplinary team to effectively help the person or help the family," Siegel says.
The center also aims to help fill the gap in services for adults. When kids struggling with behavior and emotional issues transition to the adult support system, parents will often refer to it as "falling off the cliff," Siegel says.
"Their experience is they go from a fairly highly supported environment for children to what feels to them like a dearth of services for adults," he says.
The center will also conduct training and research. Siegel says it has helped Maine Behavioral Healthcare weather the shortage of health care workers, with about 30 people hired over the past few months, including specialists from out of state.
