Conditions at the state psychiatric hospital in Augusta have improved over the last year for both patients and the people who care for them, according to the latest reports from both the court master who oversees them and the institution itself. “The care and safety provided by the hospital has definitely improved,” wrote Daniel Wathen, […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Report says Riverview still lacks sufficient staff, bed space
AUGUSTA (AP) — A report issued by the former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court says Augusta’s Riverview Psychiatric Hospital is still having issues with staffing and space. The Portland Press Herald reported that a report issued Tuesday by Daniel Wathen acknowledged that the state Department of Health and Human Services, which runs Riverview, […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Two Riverview administrators resign
AUGUSTA — Two key leaders at Riverview Psychiatric Center have resigned, according to Daniel Wathen, the courtmaster who oversees the state-run mental hospital in Augusta. Riverview Superintendent Robert “Jay” Harper has notified state officials that he will leave his position in the coming weeks for personal reasons, according to Wathen. In addition, Riverview Clinical Director […]
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Riverview staffing shortages get attention in legislative hearing
AUGUSTA — Staffing shortages at Riverview Psychiatric Center will prompt a report from the retired Maine Supreme Judicial Court chief justice who oversees the state’s compliance with a court order. The state-run, 92-bed hospital on Augusta’s east side has struggled for years. The most recent problems culminated in Riverview’s 2013 decertification by the federal Centers […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Court master plans inspection of Riverview
AUGUSTA — The court master who oversees a consent decree governing how the state treats people with mental illness says he plans an inspection of the state-run Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta. Court Master Daniel Wathen, former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, laid out plans for the visit in his latest progress […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Wathen proposes reopening group homes at Riverview
AUGUSTA — The court master overseeing the Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta has suggested reopening group homes on state grounds to relieve a space crunch. Daniel Wathen, a former Maine Supreme Judicial Court chief justice, told a legislative committee Tuesday that even though not every bed is occupied, some of the 53 patients at the […]