From our op-ed in the Portland Press Herald:
Amid several suicide attempts, including one that claimed the life of a 16-year-old transgender boy in October, the recent escape of three young people and an ongoing investigation that led to the resignation this week of Long Creek Youth Development Center’s chief administrator, it’s time to take a closer look at how Maine cares for and treats at-risk youth.
But that look must go beyond the Department of Corrections, which is tasked with the care of children who have been involved in criminal activity. We must instead acknowledge the system failures that have gotten us here, starting with the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for the care of young MaineCare recipients in need of mental health treatment.
Read the full piece here.
