A superior court judge this week approved the state’s petition to dissolve what has come to be known as the AMHI consent decree, which settled a class action lawsuit brought by former patients of Augusta Mental Health Institute.
mental health
Posted inLocal & State
Owners of Maine’s ‘last resort’ psychiatric hospital in South Carolina declare bankruptcy
Maine has signed another $1.4 million contract with Columbia Regional Care Center to reserve six beds. But the facility will soon be sold at auction after its parent company declared bankruptcy.
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Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Court oversight of Maine’s mental health services ending after 3 decades
A 1990 consent decree settled a class action lawsuit brought by patients at the former Augusta Mental Health Institute and has served as a legal guidepost for how the state provides care to adults with mental illness.
Posted inLocal & State
A Maine law could have forced the Lewiston mass shooter into psychiatric treatment. Why wasn’t it used?
Like nearly every other state, Maine can compel those with serious mental illnesses to comply with outpatient treatment. But the law is rarely used. Some fear it threatens to return America to a dark era of institutionalization.
Posted inLocal & State
4 key findings about Maine’s law to compel mental health treatment
We spent months talking to experts in mental health care about what happened in Lewiston and how to treat people who cannot or do not accept their mental illnesses.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Staff safety at Maine’s 2 psychiatric centers back in spotlight
Two lawmakers have requested a full-scale review of safety and staffing concerns at Riverview in Augusta and Dorothea Dix in Bangor, which house patients with severe mental health issues.
Posted inLocal & State
Lewiston victims, survivors threaten to sue Army over ‘failure’ to prevent mass shooting
Lawyers for 100 survivors and victims’ family members say they’ve notified the Department of Defense and the Army that they intend to sue. The government has 6 months to investigate their claims before they head to court.
Posted inLocal & State, News
‘We’re suffering here’: Maine families of children with disabilities wait for help
The Department of Justice this month sued the Mills administration over the state’s services for disabled children. Families hope the legal action is a catalyst for change.
Posted inLocal & State
Department of Justice sues Maine over treatment of children with behavioral disabilities
The lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland says the state has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Posted inBusiness, Food & Dining, Local & State
New program to provide free counseling for Maine food industry workers
The Behind You pilot program, funded by a Texas nonprofit and implemented by the clinical students at the University of Maine, will cover up to 200 hours of free counseling in its first year.