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DHHS Deploys Maine Responds Health Care Volunteers to CMMC in Wake of the Lewiston Tragedy [ [link removed] ] Nov 03, 2023

"Department also launches dedicated web page with resources for health providers "

*AUGUSTA*— The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced today that it is deploying volunteer health care personnel through Maine Responds, Maine’s health volunteer system, to provide behavioral health support and staff respite support to Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston following last Wednesday’s tragedy.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (Maine CDC) "Maine Responds" system organizes health care, public health, spiritual support, and emergency response volunteers to respond to emergency situations.

Maine CDC will deploy 35 "Maine Responds" volunteers beginning today to CMMC in Lewiston. The deployment will provide additional staff support amid high demand for services at the hospital and allow the hospital to provide more respite to its staff in the wake of last week’s tragedy.

DHHS has also connected CMMC with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ experts on disaster behavioral health who worked with them on their plan for caring for their 3,000 staff, over 900 of whom were directly involved with caring for patients in the last week.

The Maine Responds volunteer network has heard from volunteers from across the state, many with vetted professional licensure and all with DHHS training in disaster behavioral health response. It is working to match supply with demand for deployment to those organizations seeking physiological first aid and critical response training.

Maine DHHS also launched a dedicated webpage [ [link removed] ] today with resources for health providers caring for victims, families, and others affected by the tragedy in Lewiston. While primary care providers, nurses, and other health professionals typically have some training in addressing mental health, these additional resources provided and reviewed by DHHS offer additional support. They include resources for providers serving the general population, children, and veterans, as well as resources to support providers themselves.

DHHS is hosting webinars to allow health care professionals an opportunity to interact with experts on specific topics like how to care for children and youth. On November 1, it hosted a session with national and state experts on trauma-informed care. The webinars will continue in the coming months. Recordings are available on the new page. DHHS also facilitates behavioral health training for specific groups of providers, as it did Thursday for Lewiston’s front-line providers.

DHHS also continues to accept and fill requests from any organizations in need of behavioral health support through the Lewiston Response Resource Request Form [ [link removed] ].

Individuals with experience in public and/or behavioral health can volunteer to support the response to the Lewiston tragedy by registering at MaineResponds.org [ [link removed] ]. Others who wish to help in the recovery can find out how to do so at the Governor’s Healing Together [ [link removed] ] page.

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