More progress at the statehouse!

Maine’s Health & Human Services Committee has unanimously voted to support LD 2125, "An Act to Sustain Access to Children's Residential Care Services". This critical legislation is a lifeline for Maine’s struggling children’s …residential care system.

Maine is currently facing a breaking point in residential care for our most vulnerable youth. Children’s residential treatment works — but only if it exists.

Maine has lost almost 80% of its capacity for this level of care over the last two decades, with 111 beds and two additional programs closing in the past year alone.

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Julie McCabe, would provide a short-term one-time emergency stabilization of $1 million to prevent further unit closures and stop the bleeding of beds lost while a rate determination works its way through the process to ensure the MaineCare reimbursement actually covers the true cost of providing this care.

Thank you to the members of the HHS Committee for recognizing the urgency of this crisis and choosing to invest in our children’s futures. After votes in the House and Senate, the bill will head to the budget-writing Appropriations Committee to determine if it gets funding.

Pictured here: Our advocates, Adam Bloom-Paicopolos with the Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services, Maine, and Betsy Sweet with the Behavioral Health Community Collaborative, alongside Sweetser Executive Team Members Jayne Van Bramer, Kristie Worster, and John McAnuff.

🏛️ADVOCACY UPDATE🏛️

This means a lot! Sweetser’s Hope & Healing Center in Sanford has been voted 2026’s Best Mental Health Care in Sanford/Springvale!

We deeply appreciate everyone’s votes and the Best Of Survey for this recognition. Sweetser wouldn’t be anything without the dedication of our …staff, who work tirelessly to support our over 12,000 clients. A big shout-out to our Sanford area team!

Our walk-in clinic is located at 863 Main Street and is available without appointment Monday through Friday 9AM – 4PM.

The Milk Bottle in South Portland creates delicious mixers that are great on their own or mixed with anything you like. When you enjoy a refreshing, fan-favorite Lime-Aid at The Milk Bottle, you’ll be supporting mental health in Maine.

Throughout March, $1 from every Lime-Aid sold will …be donated to Sweetser, helping us continue providing vital mental health services to our community.

Click here to check out their schedule of local markets throughout the month: https://www.milkbottle.me/out-about.

Portland Press Herald: Sweetser, a Maine mental health services provider with centers in Lewiston, Sanford and Brunswick, has implemented an AI software called Eleos that transcribes conversations with patients without recording or storing the data, Kristie Worster, chief program officer, said in …an interview Monday. She said it helps therapists accurately document sessions.

“Imagine a therapist not looking at you, in a session, and typing into a computer. It’s a horrible experience for people,” Worster said. “This really has allowed clients to just have the therapist focused on them and to not have even five to 10 minutes taken away from them in the session.”

Maine lawmakers look to regulate AI use in mental health care

Some say the use of artificial intelligence can be harmful in therapeutic settings, while others say it’s a useful tool.

www.pressherald.com

BREAKING: Members of the Legislature’s Health & Human Services Committee voted UNANIMOUSLY to endorse capital construction resources in the Governor’s supplemental budget to create Maine’s first psychiatric residential treatment facility!

Senator Moore and Representative Meyer …made the motions in a strong showing of bipartisan support for the project. We deeply appreciate the committee’s longstanding commitment and leadership in filling this critical gap in the continuum of care for youth behavioral health.

Approving these one-time capital construction funds ensures the state:
✅ Saves & keeps taxpayer dollars in-state
✅ Strengthens oversight by having an in-state facility instead of one out of state
✅ Keeps Maine families together in the healing journey by preventing family separation

THANK YOU:
Senator Henry Ingwersen
Senator Marianne Moore
Senator Tim Nangle
Representative Michele Meyer
Representative Michael Lemelin
Representative Lucien Daigle
Representative Flavia DeBrito
Representative Ann Fredericks
Rep. Annie Graham
Representative Abigail Griffin
Rep. Dan Shagoury
Representative Sam Zager
Representative Julie McCabe

We also want to give a shout-out to our initial bill sponsors, led by Senator Ingwersen, for introducing the measure before it was included in the Governor’s supplemental budget:
Rep. Lori Gramlich
Rep. Drew Gattine
Rep. Holly Stover
Sen. Donna Bailey
Rep. Meyer
Sen. Moore
Rep. Daigle

This is a priority item this session for the Maine Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services and the Behavioral Health Community Collaborative.