AUGUSTA – Rep. Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth, presented legislation at a public hearing on Wednesday before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee that would provide additional funding to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC). The funding would enhance behavioral health services for Maine residents, including mental health care, substance use disorder services, crisis stabilization and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – particularly in rural areas.
“Maine's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are expanding access to care, particularly among vulnerable Mainers, children and veterans,” said Graham. “This bill would continue to improve health care workforce shortages and health outcomes for individuals with complex conditions, reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations through earlier intervention, decrease Mainers’ involvement with the criminal justice system, and produce economic benefits from increased workforce participation and productivity. These behavioral health care services would also produce long-term cost savings across multiple systems, including health care, education and public safety.”
The measure builds on successful legislation passed by Graham earlier this year to support the implementation of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) project and would give Maine access to enhanced federal match dollars.
The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.
Rep. Anne Graham is serving her fourth non-consecutive term in the Maine House of Representatives. Graham is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. She represents the community members of North Yarmouth and part of Gray.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Graham) | 305-965-2744