WASHINGTON, D.C. — Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services will receive a grant of $929,502 to support Maine people with mental health or substance use disorders, as the state suffers a spike in overdose fatalities due to stresses tied to the ongoing COVID pandemic.

The funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will support development of a new Medicaid program providing community-based, mobile crisis interventions for Medicaid beneficiaries. The funds were allocated through the American Rescue Plan. 

“This new funding will allow us to enhance and expand mobile crisis services across Maine, strengthen the behavioral health system overall, and save lives by better helping people when and where they need it most – earlier and in their own communities,” said Governor Janet Mills. 

Under Governor Mills, Maine has taken an aggressive approach to tackling the opioid epidemic, including:

significantly increasing reimbursement for residential substance use disorder treatment;

launching OPTIONS, a program which placed liaisons around the state to connect people who have overdosed to recovery services and treatment, promote drug prevention and harm reduction strategies, and distribute naloxone, the lifesaving overdose medication;

increasing the number of Recovery Community Centers from 9 to 15 and the number of Recovery Residences from 101 to 120; and recruiting and training over 530 new recovery coaches.