EDITORIAL: Maine lawmakers need to fund bills to improve mental health services
Bangor Daily NewsApr 12, 2024
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A collection of bills that could make needed improvements to
We understand that there are a lot of demands for state funds, including surplus revenues. And that significant investments are slated for mental health services through a supplemental state budget that will soon be finalized by lawmakers.
However, many of the bills in this package, including bills to help train and hire more social workers and to increase children's mental health services in rural areas, carry relatively small price tags for the differences they can make in the lives of Mainers.
In addition, by drawing attention to these bills as a package, advocates have reminded us that the mental health label covers a wide swath of services and programs, serving a wide array of Mainers.
As
The coalition that she is part of has worked to identify gaps in existing programs and needed connections between these programs. They have identified more than a dozen bills in what they are calling a Maine Resiliency Package. Many of the bills have already been passed by lawmakers, but they are awaiting funding from the Legislature before it adjourns later this month.
According to a forecast that was updated last month,
We hear the governor's concern, but the investments sought in the resiliency package can help ease the many unmet mental health needs that have been documented in
For example, a recent report from
Shortcomings in the state's mental health system were also highlighted through the initial findings of the panel reviewing the
"The mental health resources in our community are not sufficient — and they're certainly not sufficient in our state,"
Lawmakers can't fix all of these and other deficiencies in the state's mental health care system this session, but they can direct needed funding to a variety of programs that will expand services and the mental health workforce.
In addition, they could and should fund a bill from Sen.
It is encouraging that lawmakers have already passed many bills that address some of the shortcomings in
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