Blog
9/4/2020
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has awarded $1 million to 24 organizations in Maine under the COVID-19 Health Equity Improvement Initiative, with the goal of supporting culturally-tailored prevention, education and social support activities.
8/21/2020
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides home and community-based services to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD, ORC), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and brain injury primarily through MaineCare-funded programs.
8/6/2020
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) continues to advance work to establish a State-Based Health Insurance Marketplace to improve the accessibility and affordability of private health insurance, which is especially important given COVID-19.
7/31/2020
Who We Are
For the second year, DHHS is posting "Who We Are," (PDF) is a snapshot of our workforce.
7/24/2020
Maine DHHS seeks to improve equitable outcomes from its health and human services programs. Today, the Department issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather public input on the Department’s organization, grant and contracting processes, and engagement with the diverse communities in Maine.
7/9/2020
In the absence of a vaccine, the strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is prevention and early detection, quarantine, and isolation. Each element of this strategy requires education, access to testing, the ability to stay apart from others, and communication to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about contacts who may also be infected.
6/22/2020
In Maine and across the country, racial and ethnic minorities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Action is needed urgently to address these disparities and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in coordination with the Governors Coronavirus Response Team, is committed to further steps to improve our response.
6/19/2020
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has proactively completed outreach to a variety of Maine’s congregate living facilities about their infection control policies and practices in response to COVID-19. This work has informed DHHS about the needs of these facilities and how best to support them in protecting the health and safety of their residents and employees.
5/7/2020
Quarterly Update: Supporting Adults with Developmental Disabilities and Brain Injury in their Homes and Communities
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides home and community-based services to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD, ORC), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and brain injury primarily through MaineCare-funded programs.
5/6/2020
We've released our fifth Who We Serve (PDF) snapshot, which provides key statistics for major programs throughout DHHS. Updated quarterly, it shows at a glance the content and scope of DHHS services.
3/25/2020
The Bridging Rental Assistance Program (BRAP) assists clients with Serious Mental Illness, including those who also have a Substance Use Disorder, with obtaining transitional housing. BRAP provides a rental subsidy and assists clients with finding independent housing in communities throughout Maine.
3/3/2020
In November 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released a proposed rule laying out a process to design a program for the wholesale importation of prescription drugs from Canada, as required by legislation passed in the first legislative session.
2/24/2020
The Office of Child and Family Services' (OCFS) is working to improve children's behavioral health services, guided by a framework that is the product of close collaboration among Department leadership, OCFS staff, families, providers, and other stakeholders, using Public Consulting Group's analysis and recommendations as a starting point.
2/21/2020
Maine's rural communities face a growing crisis in meeting the health care needs of their residents. Over the past decade, many have experienced an erosion of fundamental health services, growing financial threats to their hospitals, and challenges to sustaining their health workforce.
2/13/2020
After receiving initial feedback, the Department of Health and Human Services is withdrawing its proposed rule to consolidate Medicaid (MaineCare) school-based health services into a new Section 106. The intent of the rule was to ensure that the Department balances the need to comply with federal rules and to ensure access to critical services, with children's wellbeing at the center.
1/31/2020
We've released our fourth Who We Serve snapshot, which provides key statistics for major programs throughout DHHS. Updated quarterly, it shows at a glance the content and scope of DHHS services.
During this past quarter (October 1 to December 31, 2019), our work to improve services for Maine people included:
1/24/2020
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides home- and community-based services to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and brain injury primarily through MaineCare-funded programs.
1/23/2020
In November 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released a proposed rule laying out a process to design a program for the wholesale importation of prescription drugs from Canada, as required by
1/21/2020
Maine's Medicaid program, MaineCare, reimburses health providers for care and treatment they provide to MaineCare members. This includes a wide range of providers, from hospitals and primary care clinics to therapists, behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment facilities, and nursing facilities, among many others.
1/13/2020
This fall, as part of a comprehensive review of our transportation services, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) held four listening sessions in Houlton, Lewiston, Bangor, and Portland.