Maine

State Mental Health Agency
For more information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact your State mental health agency:

Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services
Station 40
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: 207-287-4223
Fax: 207-287-4268
Internet: www.state.me.us/dmhmrsa

State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Each State has a protection and advocacy agency that receives funding from the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Agencies are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illnesses and to investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illnesses. These facilities, which may be public or private, include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities, board and care homes, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons. Agencies provide advocacy services or conduct investigations to address issues that arise during transportation or admission to such facilities, during residency in them, or within 90 days after discharge from them. Contact:

Disability Rights Center
24 Stone Street
P.O. Box 2007
Augusta, ME 04338-2007
Phone: 207-626-2774
Fax: 207-621-1419
Toll-free: 800-452-1948 (Statewide)
E-mail: advocate@disabilityrightsctr.org
Internet: www.disabilityrightsctr.org

Health Care Financing Administration
The Health Care Financing Administration, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, investigates some complaints about treatment facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. For further information at the national level, contact:

Health Care Financing Administration
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Phone: 410-786-3000
E-mail: webmaster@hcfa.gov
Internet: www.hcfa.gov

You may also share your concerns with staff at the Health Care Financing Administration office in your area, which is Region 1. The regional office address and telephone number are:

Boston Regional Office
Health Care Financing Administration
John F. Kennedy Federal Building, Room 2325
Boston, MA 02203-0003
Phone: 617-565-1188
Fax: 617-565-1339
Internet: www.hcfa.gov

Advocacy Organizations
The National Mental Health Association maintains a referral and information center and can help you locate local chapters. These local groups have information about community services and engage in national and state level advocacy. For more information about the association, write or call:

National Mental Health Association Information Center
1021 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2971
Phone: 703-684-7722
Fax: 703-684-5968
Toll-free: 800-969-6642
TTY: 800-433-5959
E-mail: infoctr@nmha.org
Internet: www.nmha.org

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in your State, contact:

NAMI Maine
P.O. Box 5120
Augusta, ME 04332
Phone: 207-622-5767
Fax: 207-621-8430
Toll-free: 800-464-5767 (Statewide)
E-mail: NAMI-ME@nami.org
Internet: www.nami.org/about/namime/index.html

The Federal of Families for Children's Mental Health is a national parent-run organization focused on the needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral or mental disorders and their families. They provide support and information on a wide range of issues and make referrals to local chapters. These local groups have support and advocacy components. For information about the Federation and the chapter in your State, contact:

Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
1101 King Street, Suite 420
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone: 703 684-7710
Fax: 703-836-1040
E-mail: ffcmh@ffcmh.org
Internet: www.ffcmh.org

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, funded partly by the Center for Mental Health Services, promotes and helps to develop consumer-run self-help groups across the country. Technical assistance and materials are available on such topics as organizing groups, fundraising, leadership development, incorporating, public relations, advocacy, and networking. For more information, contact:

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1207
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-751-1800
Fax: 215-636-6312
Toll-free: 800-553-4KEY (539)
Internet: www.mhselfhelp.org

The National Empowerment Center is a Technical Assistance Center run by mental health consumers/survivors. The Center's mission is to carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The Center provides information and referrals to consumer/survivor resources nationwide and offers technical assistance to individuals and groups involved in consumer empowerment activities. The Center distributes recovery-related publications and sponsors education and training activities. For information on consumer/survivor activities in your area, contact:

The National Empowerment Center
599 Canal Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Toll-free: 800-769-3728
Fax: 978-681-6426
TTY: 800-TTY-POWER (7693)
Internet: www.power2u.org

Other Sources of Information
There are many sources of information that you can tap. Your area mental health authority, which is generally a part of the local government, may be useful. Other branches of your city or county government also may be able to help. For example, the education office might have information about help for children, and the agency for the aging might know about services for senior citizens. In addition, your family physician or area hospital may be able to make referrals. For legal advice, contact your local bar association. Also, your local library and telephone yellow pages may have resource lists for sources of help in your community.

3/2000

Back to the Index of State Mental Health Resources

These State resources were compiled by a U.S. Government agency - the Knowledge Exchange Network at http://www.mentalhealth.org .