Maine to distribute more than $9M to mental health, substance use disorder service providers

The state of Maine plans to distribute more than $9 million to mental health and substance use disorder service providers, The Associated Press reported.

The funds will be issued through MaineCare payments to 442 providers, where they will be used to address immediate workforce needs, according to the AP, which cited the office of Maine Governor Janet Mills (D).

They will be funded by the biennial budget passed by the Maine state legislature and signed by Mills, the wire service reported.

Mills’s office said that this funding is part of a long-term plan by the Maine Department of Health and Human Service to improve access to behavioral health issues, the AP reported.

The plan is aimed at “keeping Maine people in their communities and out of jails and emergency departments whenever possible, as well as progress toward long-term, sustainable solutions,” Maine Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said, according to the AP.

Payments will begin next week and continue through the end of the year.