LAWMAKERS TOUR RIVERVIEW, WARREN PRISON

Staffing, Contract to be key issue at next committee meeting

AUGUSTA –Members of the special committee created to address patient care and staff safety issues at Warren Prison and Riverview Psychiatric Center toured the facilities yesterday. The committee was created this fall following reports of health and safety issues, including staffing, at Riverview, which led the federal government to pull its funding of Riverview.

“Lawmakers had the opportunity to talk with the staff and get their perspective on what should be done to address these issues,” said Senator Stan Gerzofsky of Brunswick, the Senate Chair of the committee. “We all agree we have more work to do.”

Earlier this year, the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued several reports citing staffing issues, worker safety, and patient treatment at Riverview, a facility that treats both civil and forensic patients who are mentally ill.

“It’s clear that real improvements for treatment at the Warren Prison and Riverview will require more staff and training,” said Rep. Drew Gattine of Westbrook, the House Chair of the committee. “Because the treatment at Warren will be managed by a private out-of state contractor we want to dive in and understand exactly what  that vendor will be doing and how we will measure its performance.”

The state has contracted with the Tennessee-based Correct Care Solutions to provide health care services in Warren’s newly expanded prison mental health unit.

In an emergency session, the Legislature passed LD 1515, “An Act to Increase the Availability of Mental Health Services,” to address some of the federal government’s concerns.  The new law expanded the mental health unit at Warren prison to reduce the number of higher risk patients at Riverview. It also created the Forensic Mental Health Services Oversight Committee to oversee the expansion and the provision of mental health services to patients in correctional facilities.

In early September, the LePage Administration repeatedly assured lawmakers that the emergency measure, LD 1515, would address the federal government’s concerns by reducing the patient load at Riverview. However, CMS terminated its provider agreement with Riverview following an unannounced site visit to the facility in mid-September.

“We were told LD 1515 would solve the problems, and it is increasingly clear that it didn’t and it won’t,” added Senator Gerzofsky. “Now the need to address these challenges is even more urgent.”

At its next meeting, the committee will be discussing qualifications of staff hired to run the new mental health unit at Warren Prison, and staffing issues at Riverview, including the qualifications and training of current staff, and new hires.

The Forensic Mental Health Services Oversight Committee will be meeting next week in Room 433 of the State House.