Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.
Back in 1990, a major class action lawsuit was brought on behalf of former residents of the Augusta Mental Health Institute, or AMHI, now known as Riverview, following the tragic deaths of ten patients and numerous complaints about the treatment of patients at that institution.
As a result of that lawsuit, eventually the State of Maine and the parties entered into a Consent Decree - that is a legally binding agreement with the Court System.
The agreement was to fix the problems at AMHI and, over time, to establish and maintain a community based mental health system that meets the individual needs of Maine people with serious and persistent mental illness. That was the beginning of a long and a much needed process to improve Maine's mental health system.
This Consent Decree has lasted for 34 years, through five different governors, seven different attorneys general, several different Court Masters who oversee the Decree, and several Superior Court judges. But now I'm pleased to say, this week, finally, we reached a full resolution of the Consent Decree matters. And thanks to the investments by my Administration and the Legislature, and the work of many partners, that case has been dismissed.
My Administration has been working to increase accessibility, availability, quality, and the consistency of behavioral health services in Maine since I took office. That includes investing more than $260 million in our behavioral health system. Among many other things, we've increased access to community based services and medication management services.
We've improved response times for the Maine Crisis Response Line and the Maine Mobile Crisis Response Teams. The Crisis Response Line, or 988, is a phone number that individuals or families who are experiencing a mental health crisis can call for help. The Mobile Crisis Response Teams are teams of specialists who are deployed to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis to identify that person's needs and develop appropriate interventions.
This past October, the Court Master who oversees the Consent Decree - that's former Maine Supreme Court Chief Justice Daniel Wathen - informed Maine's Superior Court that the State of Maine has achieved substantial compliance with the Decree's standards. No parties objected and the Superior Court agreed and dismissed the Consent Decree.
Look, that Consent Decree has forced change on Maine society and our institutions. It has touched the lives of countless Maine people and provided services to people who didn't know where to turn before. It's touched the lives of the original plaintiffs and their families and their loved ones and those in need of quality care over many decades now. While our work is not done, I welcome this successful resolution of the Consent Decree and I think now about the ten people who lost their lives those many years ago. And I think of their families and loved ones.
And I think of the many people across the state of Maine who continue to need mental health services. It is said that on average, one out of five people have a mental health need. And now we have ways to provide help and for them to get help. We all know families across the state with individuals, children, siblings who have persistent mental illnesses, and now it's time they got help in their communities.
I'm proud of this accomplishment, terminating the Consent Decree. I'm grateful to the partners who worked with my administration to achieve this positive result. We all remain committed to strengthening our mental health system in the years to come so that every individual in Maine may reach his or her full potential and be a fully contributing member of our society.
This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.