Blog

  • 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.

  • 1/8/2020

    The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is pleased to share new recommendations for how to improve care and services for older Mainers and adults with disabilities, under our Aging and Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) initiative.

  • 12/23/2019

    During the first year of the Mills Administration, DHHS has worked with legislators, community members, stakeholders, and other State agencies to support and implement policies that foster the health and wellbeing of Mainers of all ages.

  • 11/25/2019

    Increasing the number of CNAs in Maine through collaboration

    The Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistant and Direct Care Workers (the "CNA Registry"), in partnership with other key stakeholders, has been working for the past year to increase the number of active Certified Nursing Assistants ("CNA") in Maine.

  • 11/14/2019

    Under the comprehensive prescription drug reform package Governor Mills signed into law in June, Maine will move forward with a wholesale drug importation program, pending approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • 11/13/2019

    The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has developed a draft strategy (Power

  • 11/6/2019

    The Department of Health and Human Services continues to strengthen its policies, systems, and workforce to meet the needs of Maine people. To that end, DHHS is pleased to announce the hiring of two individuals whose daily work is to fortify our strongest asset: the people who work at the Department.

  • 10/31/2019

    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.

  • 9/20/2019

    The Maine Office of Child & Family Services (OCFS) is pleased to announce the publication of key data points in the areas of child welfare, children’s behavioral health, and early childhood education, marking an unprecedented step towards transparency of this kind in Maine.

  • 9/9/2019

    The Public Health Nursing Program played a significant role in supporting the health needs of asylum seekers who were temporarily housed at The Expo in Portland from June through August 2019. Soon after families and individuals seeking asylum began arriving at The Expo, public health nurses responded and provided services for nine consecutive days, from June 13 through June 21.

  • 8/31/2019

    The Lewiston listening session will be held Thursday, November 21 at 5:30pm in the Lewiston DHHS Office.

  • 8/16/2019

    Since Governor Mills signed her executive order on January 3 to expand Medicaid (MaineCare), more than 34,000 people have been enrolled. Early information about MaineCare expansion members is beginning to come in, and the Department has started to take a closer look at the health profile of this newly covered group.

  • 8/2/2019

    The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) offers a wide range of services and supports to promote health, safety, resiliency, and opportunity across the State.  We work with individuals, organizations, communities, and employers throughout Maine. We are the largest Department in State government, meaning our services touch virtually everyone in Maine at some point in their lives.