AUGUSTA, Maine — Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and the state of Maine announced Tuesday that they have entered into a settlement that requires the state to expand community-based behavioral health services for children.
The settlement arises from a court case The Justice Department filed a complaint earlier this year alleging that Maine unnecessarily segregates children with behavioral health problems in institutions. Investigators said at the time that the state’s actions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the right of children not to be confined away from their families.
The Justice Department said the settlement requires Maine to make changes that help children stay with families or foster care and avoid emergency room stays and settings. The department said the changes should also ensure children can move out of institutions and receive services at home instead.
Gov. Janet Mills of Maine said in a statement that her administration and the Maine Legislature have invested $260 million in improvements to behavioral health care for children. The total number of children in Maine receiving residential treatment has fallen from 290 to 192 for in-state care and from 250 to 69 for out-of-state care, she said.