Sen. Breen’s bill to improve mental health treatment unanimously clears committee

AUGUSTA—The Committee on Health and Human Services unanimously approved yesterday a bill sponsored by Sen. Cathy Breen, D-Falmouth, to improve the way Maine identifies and treats mental health disorders related to psychosis.

“I am grateful to the committee for seeing the practical value in this new approach to treating psychosis,” said Sen. Breen. “Early detection and intervention, in most cases, will result in better long-term outcomes for patients and their families and lower overall costs to the healthcare system that we all support through insurance and taxes.”

The bill — LD1461, An Act To Support Early Intervention and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders — would employ a coordinated specialty care (CSC) model for dealing with psychosis, a holistic, team-based approach that includes case management, psychotherapy and medication management. Additionally, it would provide peer support, in order to connect patients with others with similar symptoms; supported education and employment, to help patients resume their educational or professionals careers; and family support, to provide resources to patients’ families and train them on how to support their loved one.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the word psychosis is used to describe conditions that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality. The state’s only CSC initiative to treat this condition, Maine Medical Center’s Portland Identification and Early Referral (PIER) Program, has reported consistent success. The program’s founder, Dr. William McFarlane, testified at the hearing to advocate for expansion of the CSC model.

“The PIER Program has demonstrated that it is possible to stop severe mental illness in its tracks and put young people on a path to productive, healthy lives,” said Dr. McFarlane. “We simply cannot afford to lose 3% of our youth to severe and usually life-long and debilitating mental illness.”

The bill now goes to the full Legislature for votes on its passage.

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