Going the extra mile to support Maine’s mental health care

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine (NAMI Maine), one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness each year. For adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17, he is one in six. When you factor in family members, friends, co-workers, etc., nearly everyone in this state is affected by mental illness in some way.

Some of us can manage it. I’m on medication for moderate anxiety and I’m fine. For others, it is intolerable. It doesn’t just appear in individuals who are experiencing a severe crisis. For many people, inadequate treatment, lack of access to services, and lack of resources combine to make it difficult to work and manage family life and relationships. It can have devastating effects large and small, each with ripple effects throughout the community.

Mental health is sometimes used as a political cudgel when discussing controversial topics such as gun safety, but this is because these difficult topics and the serious challenges faced in treating mental illness in Maine. It has a negative impact on both assignments. But if we are serious about addressing these challenges, there are helpful steps we can take.

One of the challenges is the shortage of health care providers and the fact that there aren’t enough people in the mental health professions. Currently, more than 260,000 Maine residents live in areas where there are not enough mental health professionals to meet their current needs. Many Maina residents are forced to seek medical care from providers outside their current insurance network, making it unaffordable, if not completely prohibitive. Lack of choice also leads to higher costs.

A positive step we can take is to support certified community behavioral health clinic projects. These clinics are federally recognized for their success rates in treating mental illness and substance use disorders. My colleague, Rep. Colleen Madigan of Waterville, is introducing a bill that would fund these programs until federal aid kicks in. This funding will allow clinics to expand their services to underserved states and rural areas while increasing wages and worker retention. The bill is currently awaiting funding from the House Appropriations Committee. I encourage my colleagues to fund this bill.

Another important step would be to support efforts proposed by Gov. Janet Mills to improve crisis management and response and better prevent violence and self-harm. Her plan would establish a network of crisis reception centers that would provide people with appropriate and helpful care to keep them out of emergency rooms and prisons. Portland already has a facility called the Living Room Crisis Center, and in 18 months she had 3,000 people come to it for help. According to the governor’s plan, the next center would be located in Lewiston, followed by other centers around the state. This will save lives.

There is much more we can do. As policymakers, we must choose to value and prioritize mental health. Maine’s mental health system care has been underfunded for decades, leaving people withering away and unable to access the services they need. Untreated mental illness not only hurts those who suffer, it has a ripple effect on communities and the economy as a whole. Too often ignored because it is an invisible disease, just like our heart, lungs and digestive system, our mental health requires care and management.

I don’t want mental health to be relegated to just a sideshow. It’s too important and impactful to my loved ones to just talk about it. Achieving meaningful improvements requires real action and real investment. Apart from that, we need to be willing to talk openly about it to reduce stigma and pave the way for care and support. I don’t have all the answers, but I know we can do our best to support each other.

If you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, or any other form of stress, call or text 9-8-8. Send us a message or chat at https://988lifeline.org. . You and your loved ones deserve it.

In the meantime, if you have legislative concerns, please contact marc.malon@legislature.maine.gov or my office at (207) 287-1430.

Congressman Marc Maron is serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives, representing part of Biddeford. He serves on the Veterans Affairs and Justice Committee and the Labor and Housing Committee.

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