Blue Ribbon Commission delivers 25 recommendations to reorganize Maine DHHS; committee to consider changes

The Blue Ribbon Commission studying the organization and service delivery of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services presented a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services, urging 25 recommendations across eight topic areas and asking the committee to consider legislative and rulemaking responses.

Senator Henry Ingorson, chairing the meeting, introduced the report and the commission chairs before the commission summarized its findings. "First and foremost, we worked in a bipartisan manner," said Senator Jill Dusan, Senate Assistant Majority Leader, describing the commission's approach and the range of issues it examined.

The commission said its 25 recommendations — developed over eight meetings — fall into eight topic areas: child welfare and child protective services; children and youth with special health care needs; behavioral health and developmental…