LEWISTON – Common Ties Mental Health has been chosen by the Maine Health Access Foundation to learn about patients’ and families’ experiences, views and preferences for receiving health care services.

The results of the initiative will provide information for the foundation on how to improve the delivery of different types of health services, such as coordinating primary care and mental health services.

Partnering with Common Ties Mental Health to implement the project are New Beginnings, Empower Lewiston, Trinity Jubilee Center and the B Street Health Center.

The focus-group grant builds upon the primary and behavioral health care integration project managed by Common Ties and operated at the B Street Health Center over the past three years.

The information learned from the community-based project will be used by the Maine Health Access Foundation as part of a statewide, long-term project to improve health care delivery in Maine. It is funding more than 100 discussion groups across Maine.

The mission of the foundation is to promote affordable and timely access to comprehensive quality health care and improve the health of every Maine resident.

Common Ties Mental Health provides community integration services throughout Androscoggin County to persons who have mental health illness. For more information, contact Craig Phillips or John Coffin at Common Ties, 795-6044.