SENATE APPROVES MEASURE TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT RIVERVIEW

First step in addressing complex problem

AUGUSTA—Earlier today, the Legislature with a unanimous vote passed an emergency measure to improve patient and worker safety at the Riverview Psychiatric Center as a result of warnings from the federal government concerning Riverview’s response to incidents of patient attacks on hospital staff.

“The people we are talking about here are truly the most vulnerable. They have nobody advocating for them–and in fact, too often no one wants to know what is going on,” said Senator Stan Gerzofsky, the chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee. “It’s unfortunate that we were not apprised of this issue sooner before it became a crisis but now, the door has been opened and the light is shining on a very important issue that needs to be addressed. The time has passed for us to take a comprehensive approach to mental health and prisons. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel but we do need to look at best practices.”

After hearing from a panel of key stakeholders, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee amended a measure, LD 1515, “An Act to Increase the Availability of Mental Health Services.” As amended, the measure expands a mental health unit at the Maine State Prison which was established by the Legislature in 2003, to evaluate forensic patients, who are currently evaluated at Riverview. If the patients are determined to be incompetent to stand trial, they will be transferred to Riverview to receive treatment.

“This is a very small first step in addressing a very complex problem,” said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Anne Haskell of Portland. “We cannot ignore that we need to come up with better solutions for people who intersect with criminal justice and mental health. At the crux of this issue is safety and treatment of patients.”

The measure also takes steps to address concerns raised by the federal government. Following a federal review, federal officials warned the state hospital that it was at risk of losing $20 million in federal funding after numerous assaults from violent patients on hospital workers led to the hospital initiating use of corrections officers and new containment techniques at the facility.

The Department of Health and Human Services will report monthly to the Health and Human Services Committee on plans to recertify the forensic unit at Riverview, implement a recovery and rehabilitation model, train staff, and make any other necessary structural changes to address the concerns of the feds.

“A prison is not a treatment center, and people with serious mental health problems need treatment but we need to do so by keeping patients and staff safe,” said Senator Margaret Craven of Lewiston, the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. “We will continue our work on providing the proper environment for Maine people.”

The bill also establishes the Forensic Mental Health Services Oversight Committee to oversee the expansion of the mental health unit at Warren prison, and the provision of mental health services provided to patients in correctional facilities.

The emergency measure was approved by the House and will now be sent to the Governor.

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