AUGUSTA– The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced today that it received $1.7 million in federal grants to foster resiliency for individuals impacted by severe weather this past winter.
The two grants totaling $1,703,932 were awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) via the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They will help DHHS strengthen community outreach and support long-term recovery services to Maine people in 11 counties impacted by the severe winter storms in December 2023 and January 2024.
The grants will fund outreach and support by community health coalitions across Maine. The coalitions will help provide opportunities for community connection and recovery, public education, as well as professional development for first responders, town officials, and those who work with Maine people in the aftermath of severe weather events. The coalitions will serve as points of connection and aid in referral to services.
As part of the grant application, DHHS worked with partners on the ground to learn about the long-term effects of the two winter storms.
“Across Maine, homes, livelihoods, and communities were devastated by the significant winter storm damage from flooding, downed trees, and evacuations,” said Acting DHHS Commissioner Sara Gagné-Holmes. “Maine people also suffered less visible impacts on their health and wellbeing. These grants will help Maine people and communities come together to support healthy coping, stress management, and access to services as we work to recover from these storms over the long term.”
“These resiliency funds come at an important time, both to help Maine people recover from the intense storms of this winter, and as the connections between climate change and risks to public health become more urgent to address,” said Hannah Pingree, co-chair of the Maine Climate Council. “As recent research (PDF) for the Maine Climate Council has found, there is a need for increased investment in public and behavioral health related to climate effects. These funds reflect this need and will help ensure Maine people have the necessary supports to prepare for, and recover from, extreme storms.”
“We recognize that disaster events can have longstanding psychological and emotional impacts,” said Maine Emergency Management Agency Director Pete Rogers. “We’re hopeful that these additional resources will further aid those impacted by the December and January storms.”
Counties to receive support include Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford and all of the coastal counties – York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, Waldo, Hancock, and Washington. The grants will be managed by DHHS' Office of Behavioral Health as part of the StrengthenME initiative which celebrates and supports resilience.
The federal grants are part of the Mills Administration’s broader work to bolster Maine’s response and resilience to severe weather.
In the past legislative session, Governor Janet Mills proposed, and the Legislature enacted, as part of the supplemental budget $60 million in storm recovery funding – the single largest investment by any Administration in Maine history. For more information about available funding and supports for storm recovery, please visit the state’s flood resources and assistance hub. In May, Governor Mills also signed an Executive Order to establish a new commission that will develop the State of Maine’s first plan for long-term infrastructure resilience, following the two devastating winter storms and a record eight storm-related Federal disaster declarations in Maine over the past two years.
The 24-member commission will engage with communities, industries, and organizations across Maine to understand challenges following storms, identify and bridge gaps in resources like funding, financing, and insurance, how to improve the resilience of energy systems, propose new approaches to improve disaster recovery and response, and strengthen resilience supports at the state, regional, and local levels.
StrengthenME resources are available at any time to Maine people affected by severe weather and other stressors. A variety of stress management supports to promote health and wellbeing are available at StrengthenME.com. Services are easy to access, anonymous, and community focused.