Appropriations Committee funds 16‑bed in‑state youth psychiatric treatment facility at Sweetser amid cost concerns

The Maine Legislature’s Appropriations Committee voted 7–3 to fund a 16‑bed youth psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) to be established on Sweetser’s Saco campus under a public‑private arrangement referenced in public law 2023, ch. 643. Committee members and DHHS officials said the facility is intended to provide acute, residential psychiatric care that Maine currently lacks and to reduce out‑of‑state placements.

Supporters pointed to documented need, emergency room backups and prior committee work. Representative Brennan and others said the state has lacked this level of in‑state capacity since the 1980s and that the facility could serve many more youth over a year than the 16‑bed census suggests.

Opponents and skeptics did not dispute the service need but pressed DHHS and the provider on costs and safeguards. Representative Arata said the renovation price—about $7,900,000 for roughly 8,000 square feet, or nearly $1,000 per square foot—"doesn't pass the straight‑face test," and asked for stronger legal protections on state capital investments such as deed restrictions. Representative Bleier and others echoed concerns that the per‑bed and per‑square‑foot figures looked high for a renovation and wanted assurance the state would not face ongoing budget increases.

Deputy Commissioner Molly Bogart of the Department of Health and Human Services described the PRTF as "entirely therapeutic" and not run by corrections; she said some youth may have juvenile justice involvement but the facility will operate as a mental‑health residential program. Bogart also said DHHS has completed rate‑setting for in‑state PRTF services and expects MaineCare to reimburse services at an established in‑state rate once the program is operational.

Committee members probed the provider contribution and contractual protections. Committee members were told the selected provider, Sweetser, has pledged private fundraising—approximately $2.5 million—to support renovation costs; Sweetser representatives said this fundraising is privately sourced (not another direct state appropriation) and that the procurement process had required a second RFP before Sweetser was selected. Bogart said the department will provide follow‑up information about contractual terms and any statutory or deed restrictions related to the state’s capital investment.

After extended questioning about site selection (Saco campus), program design, potential overlap with juvenile justice and safeguards for taxpayers, the committee moved and approved line 44. The motion carried 7–3. The department committed to provide additional details about contract protections and project oversight to the committee.

Next steps: DHHS will finalize and execute the contractual arrangements and proceed with the renovation and program launch under the terms described to the committee. The committee indicated it expects additional reporting and follow‑up on contractual protections and long‑term operating plans.