A 1990 consent decree settled a class action lawsuit brought by patients at the former Augusta Mental Health Institute and has served as a legal guidepost for how the state provides care to adults with mental illness.
mental health
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine, Maine Crime
A Maine law could have forced the Lewiston mass shooter into psychiatric treatment. Why wasn’t it used?
Like nearly every other state, Maine can compel those with serious mental illnesses to comply with outpatient treatment. But the law is rarely used. Some fear it threatens to return America to a dark era of institutionalization.
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Posted inMaine
4 key findings about Maine’s law to compel mental health treatment
We spent months talking to experts in mental health care about what happened in Lewiston and how to treat people who cannot or do not accept their mental illnesses.
Posted inHealth, Maine, News
Staff safety at Maine’s 2 psychiatric centers back in spotlight
Two lawmakers have requested a full-scale review of safety and staffing concerns at Riverview in Augusta and Dorothea Dix in Bangor, which house patients with severe mental health issues.
Posted inLivermore Falls Advertiser
Announcement of brain disorder nonprofit being formed by Jay couple made at Augusta press conference
AUGUSTA — On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Robert “Bob” Staples of Jay announced the formation of the Brett M. Staples Brain Disorder Awareness Coalition at a press conference at the State House in Augusta. Sgt. Aaron Skolfield from Sagadohoc County and former state legislator John Nutting of Leeds were also at the conference to increase awareness […]
Posted inMaine, News
‘We’re suffering here’: Maine families of children with disabilities wait for help
The Department of Justice this month sued the Mills administration over the state’s services for disabled children. Families hope the legal action is a catalyst for change.
Posted inBusiness, Nation / World, News
FDA approves a potential ‘game-changer’ drug for schizophrenia
The approval comes less than a year Bristol Myers Squibb paid $14 billion to acquire the developer of the drug, Karuna Therapeutics.
Posted inFranklin, Health, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Maine, News, Schools & Education
Spruce Mountain board of directors chairperson resigns to form nonprofit to educate about brain disorders
Bob Staples said his son had schizoaffective disorder and died when he was struck by a train in Portland last month.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Jon Bon Jovi helps talk ‘distraught’ woman off ledge of Nashville bridge
The rock star helped the woman, who was standing on the ledge of the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, climb back to safety, according to a police video.
Posted inMaine
Department of Justice sues Maine over treatment of children with behavioral disabilities
The lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland says the state has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.