AUGUSTA (AP) – An out-of-state expert who’s been involved in mental health issues in Maine has been nominated to assess the impact of state budget cuts on delivery of services to people with severe mental illness.

Elizabeth Jones of Silver Spring, Md., was nominated by court master Daniel Wathen. The appointment is subject to approval by Superior Court Justice Nancy Mills, who presided over a long-running lawsuit over the state’s care for the mentally ill. That case ended in a consent agreement.

Earlier this decade, Jones served as receiver in the case, with responsibility for ensuring that treatment was provided to current and former patients at the state’s psychiatric hospital in Augusta.

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