FARMINGTON — At the Nov. 9 meeting, selectmen heard a presentation from Tri-County Mental Health Services which is seeking assistance from municipalities and counties to help with cash flow issues created by the coronavirus pandemic.
The request was for $50,000 from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds received by the town.
In July, then-Town Manager Richard Davis said the town would receive $819,740 — half this year and the remainder next year. Franklin County was expected to receive about $5 million in ARPA funds, he said at the time.
ARPA funds may be used to provide assistance to non-profits in response to the pandemic, Tri-County’s Chief Development Officer Jamie Owens said.
“COVID-19 has created a public health crisis not seen in more than 100 years,” she noted. Mental health issues; a 45% increase in substance abuse; more overdose and deaths; suicides up by 40%, she added. In Maine, 504 people died from overdoses in 2020, it’s already more than 600 in 2021, she said.
Like diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, recurrences are possible requiring continued treatment and support, Owens said.
“Treatment really does work, recovery is possible, that’s been proven,” she said. “We consider ourselves in the business of saving lives because we do it every day. For us, the head is attached to the body. We treat people from a holistic standpoint.”
Last year more than 2,500 clients were served in Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties, Owens said. Tri-County is considered a safety net provider, doesn’t turn anyone away, she noted, adding all possible paid services are sought and people receive help signing up for MaineCare.
Because of COVID-19 there has been a 42% drop in residency services, people didn’t want to come in, Owens said. Within a 24-hour period the agency switched virtually to telehealth, but there are more under-insured clients and wait lists not seen prior to the pandemic, she noted.
The impact to revenue in Farmington was a decrease from $609,000 to $445,000, she said. “Clients are down, payments are down, we’re still committed to keeping the staff we have,” she noted.
Fundraising isn’t possible and while some provider relief funds have been received, the agency still lacks the ability to cover staff expenses, Owens said. “We’re desperate, more impacted in some ways because there’s such a need. The labor shortage, it’s a reality.”
ARPA funds of $50,000 from the town would cover revenue shortfalls and expense increases, she said. It would pay for staffing, help support unfunded service needs and the under-insured with large co-pays, Owens added.
“Certainly your need is there,” Selectman Michael Fogg said, who appreciated the way the assistance was asked for. “We haven’t come up with a way to allocate funds at this time. As we look at all the different uses for these funds, I will certainly include yours in it.”
When asked, Owens said she has spoken with other municipalities, some of which have already committed their funds. She is waiting to hear back from Franklin County.
“We’re aggressively seeking all options to meet the needs of the community and we saw these funds as an opportunity to start the conversation with municipalities,” she said.
“We’ll take you under consideration when we do start to allocate these funds and go from there,” Selectman Chair Matthew Smith said.
The ARPA funds will be discussed at the Dec. 14 meeting to allow time for additional research, Town Manager Christian Waller said.
“If the public does have ideas on where the ARPA money should go, contact us,” he noted. “We would prefer one time uses or payments for those funds.”
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