In September, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Maine for unnecessarily placing scores of children and adolescents with disabilities in institutions, including hospital emergency departments, in-state and out-of-state residential treatment facilities, and the state’s youth prison. The lawsuit asserts that Maine officials have failed to sustain a robust community-based array of behavioral health services that prevent institutionalization.
The claims in the lawsuit came as no surprise to families who have been struggling to find support and services for their kids with behavioral health disorders for years.
The Bangor Daily News plans to keep covering the impact that this crisis is having on Maine youth, their families and their communities, and we would like to hear from people who have been directly affected.
Please consider sharing as much or as little information as you’d like below. A reporter may reach out to you, although we won’t publish anything without your permission. We recognize that your experiences may be sensitive and hard to talk about, and we’d like to listen and will protect your privacy unless you give us permission otherwise.
Child mental health query
