Julia Endicott, Communications Director Disability Rights Maine 207-626-2774 ext. 212 jendicott@drme.org
Sam Crankshaw, Communications Director ACLU of Maine 646-820-4548
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 18, 2025
Advocates Oppose Efforts to Weaken Settlement for Maine’s Children’s Behavioral Health System
Augusta – Yesterday, Disability Rights Maine, the ACLU of Maine, GLAD Law, and the Center for Public Representation filed an amicus brief opposing proposed modifications to a settlement agreement reached last November by the United States Department of Justice and the State of Maine regarding Maine’s failure to provide adequate behavioral health services to Maine children, resulting in the unnecessary institutionalization of children with disabilities.
The original settlement was reached just two months after the United States filed suit against Maine, and was the result of a 2022 finding of significant violations regarding Maine’s provision of behavioral health services to children, which stemmed from a 2019 complaint filed by Disability Rights Maine. Now, on September 2, 2025, less than a year after the settlement was reached, the United States and Maine jointly moved to modify the agreement, seeking, among other things, to eliminate the independent reviewer, an expert tasked with measuring Maine’s compliance and monitoring progress toward specific benchmarks. The modification also seeks to remove protections for Maine children involved in the juvenile justice system, limit outreach to families, children, and other stakeholders, and to eliminate certain “competency-based curricula” from the training requirements for community providers.
The requested modifications will harm Maine’s children and families. Eliminating the independent reviewer will mean there is no neutral expert charged with ensuring children receive appropriate care and that Maine is accountable for complying with federal law. The changes related to justice-involved children will mean that those children are more likely to experience prolonged institutionalization at Long Creek and go without community-based services. Eliminating outreach and training requirements will mean that fewer children and stakeholders are aware of remedial services and that those services are less likely to be provided in a professionally adequate manner.
“In the ten months since this agreement was reached, children and families continue to struggle due to the lack of adequate services. We are hopeful that the United States and Maine will focus their energy and resources on the successful implementation of the original agreement they negotiated. That is the path forward to address Maine’s longstanding failure to deliver appropriate services to children in their homes and communities,” stated Atlee Reilly, Disability Rights Maine Managing Attorney.
“We urge the court to reject these harmful modifications,” said ACLU of Maine Legal Director Carol Garvan. “For far too long, Maine has failed to provide the services children need to live healthy, safe lives. Since 2016, we have been working to address human rights violations at Long Creek. The settlement reached last year offered a path forward, but the changes proposed by the United States and Maine would take us backward, weakening protections, undermining oversight, and leaving children in the justice system especially vulnerable.”
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Disability Rights Maine is Maine’s Protection & Advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance justice and equality by enforcing rights and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in Maine.
Disability Rights Maine Condemns Executive Order Taking Away Civil Liberties
Augusta –Disability Rights Maine (DRM) is deeply concerned by yesterday’s Executive Order “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” The Order directs the Attorney General to seek “the reversal of Federal or State judicial precedents and the termination of consent decrees that impede the United States’ policy of encouraging civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or the public or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves in appropriate facilities for appropriate periods of time.” In short, it authorizes increased involuntary commitment of people experiencing homelessness, including individuals with psychiatric labels.
“This order is a horrific backsliding of decades of progress to protect and advance the rights of disabled people. Institutionalizing people under the guise of humane treatment is a false narrative designed to stigmatize and isolate. Forced institutionalization is often violent, harmful, and expensive. What unhoused people with disabilities need is real, robust investments into supportive housing, peer support, and community-based services,” stated Executive Director, Kim Moody.
Decades of research and the experiences of people with disabilities themselves have shown that people thrive when they are provided with the tools to make their own choices, not when those choices are stripped away.
Disability Rights Maine remains committed to defending the rights of all Mainers and will continue working with the State of Maine and our partners nationally to oppose any effort that violates the civil rights of our community members.
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Disability Rights Maine is Maine’s Protection & Advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance justice and equality by enforcing rights and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in Maine.
Disability Rights Maine Condemns Passage of Reconciliation Bill
Augusta – Last week, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R.1 by a vote of 218-214. This follows the bill’s passage by the United States Senate by a vote of 51-50. On July 4th, 2025, the President signed the bill into law. This bill includes devastating cuts to essential federal programs, including Medicaid and SNAP, which will have a significant impact on Mainers with disabilities, children, and older adults. More than 31,000 people are expected to lose their MaineCare in the first year alone. Disability Rights Maine (DRM) strongly condemns this legislation.
“Mainers with disabilities already struggle to get the care they need to survive, let alone thrive, in their communities. The horrific reality of this legislation is that the poorest and most disadvantaged in our state will suffer devastating cuts to benefit the wealthiest taxpayers who need the least help,” stated Executive Director Kim Moody.
The final bill cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, slashes funding for home-and-community-based services for people with disabilities, and weakens protections for people with disabilities. It is projected that between two and five rural hospitals in Maine will close, and more are threatened. The impact, while not immediate, will be profound.
DRM remains committed to advocating for the rights of disabled Mainers and ensuring that all Mainers are able to remain in their communities with access to the care and critical services they need.
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Disability Rights Maine is Maine’s Protection & Advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance justice and equality by enforcing rights and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in Maine.
Disability Rights Maine Project Director Receives Statewide Recognition
Augusta – Disability Rights Maine is pleased to announce that Youth Self-Advocacy Project Director, Kate Turpen, will receive the Community Star Award, which will be awarded tomorrow, April 10th, at the 2025 Comprehensive Sexuality Education Conference.
This award recognizes a community member or educator who demonstrates their commitment to comprehensive, inclusive sexual health education and has made a significant contribution to the advancement of sexual health education among young people within their community.
“Kate’s approach is deeply rooted in respect, empathy, and an unyielding belief in the capabilities of the young people they serve. Their advocacy goes beyond education; they actively work to dismantle the stigma surrounding sexuality and disability, challenging misconceptions and fostering a culture of acceptance and self-determination,” said Executive Director Kim Moody.
Recognizing the unique challenges faced by young disabled Mainers, Kate has worked tirelessly to ensure they receive the comprehensive sexual health education they deserve. They strive to ensure that young people have the tools to advocate for themselves in all aspects of their lives. Kate reinforces the fundamental truth that all young people, regardless of ability, deserve access to comprehensive, inclusive sexual health education and the skills to advocate for themselves.
“I am honored to receive this recognition and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with youth and educators statewide to challenge misunderstandings about sexuality and disability,” said Kate Turpen.
Kate Turpen comes to DRM from the public education world, having worked as a school counselor for several years. Kate holds a Master’s degree in School Counseling from the University of Vermont. Educating youth about the intersection of identity and civil rights through high engagement, authentic connection, and active participation has been the highlight of their career.
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Disability Rights Maine is Maine’s Protection & Advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance justice and equality by enforcing rights and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in Maine.
This award recognizes a community member or educator who demonstrates their commitment to comprehensive, inclusive sexual health education and has made a significant contribution to the advancement of sexual health education among young people within their community.