Why This is Important

For a number of years Maine, like many other states, placed children and adolescents with behavioral health or habilitation needs in out-of-state residential programs or hospitals for behavioral health treatment services. This practice reflected a lack of appropriate in-state treatment programs and inpatient psychiatric capacity to meet the needs of these children. Both families and their children do far better when they are able to stay connected with each other during hospitalization or while in a temporary out-of-home treatment setting. Out-of-state placements typically mean that parents are separated from their children for extensive periods of time. This causes additional emotional stress on siblings and financial hardship that impacts the entire family.

Where We Stand

The 1998 law creating the Children's Mental Health Program made the transfer of children placed out-of-state to be returned to care in Maine a priority. At that time the out-of-state census was approximately 240 children. The chart above shows that Maine continues to make significant progress in returning children from out-of-state placements back to their homes and communities.

Over the past seven years there has been a consistent decline in the number of children who are being served out-of-state. During this time period the out-of-state census of children receiving care and treatment from the Department of Health & Human Services was reduced by 85%, from 110 children to 17 children. All of these children are receiving services in New England placements. Beginning in 2001, these results were achieved through close collaboration between the Bureaus of Child & Family Services and Children's Behavioral Health Services, which now have merged within the Office of Child and Family Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The elements to achieve such positive outcomes include prior authorization for placement out-of-state after confirmation that no in-state alternatives exist to meet the child's assessed needs.  Over the last several years there has been greater availability of in-state resources such as intensive in-home and community behavioral treatment services, intensive temporary out-of-home treatment programs, and other specialized treatment options developed in Maine where none existed in earlier years.

Data Source and Context

Data comes from the Department of Health & Human Services, Children's Behavioral Health Services.