An Act To Meet The Needs Of Individuals With Severe Behavioral Health Diagnoses

This bill directs the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to create a nonlapsing contingency fund to provide extra support for children and adults with severe behavioral health diagnoses when existing state or federal programs are insufficient. The fund is authorized to cover specific needs such as additional staffing, higher reimbursement rates for care providers, physical safety modifications to homes, or other requirements identified by families and service providers. Money for this fund comes from the state's General Fund, with a spending limit of $100,000 per fiscal year for the next two years. The legislation requires that any money spent from the fund must supplement, rather than replace, other departmental expenditures for these individuals.