The 132nd Maine Legislature is in full swing, and Spurwink is actively engaged in advocating for policies that strengthen behavioral health care, support our workforce, and improve outcomes for the children, adults, and families we serve.
Advocacy has long been a core part of Spurwink’s mission. By working alongside lawmakers, partner organizations, and community leaders, we help ensure that public policy reflects the real needs of Maine people and the frontline staff who support them every day.
Showing Up at the State House
Spurwink leaders spent the day at the State House in Augusta for Nonprofit Day, staffing a table in the Hall of Flags and speaking directly with legislators about issues that matter most to Spurwink’s clients, staff, and programs. These conversations are an essential opportunity to share on‑the‑ground insight about what is working, where gaps remain, and how policy decisions translate into real‑world impact.
Throughout the session, Spurwink has remained closely engaged with legislative activity through direct testimony, coalition advocacy, and ongoing dialogue with state leaders.
Key Legislative Priorities This Session
This year, Spurwink is following and supporting legislation in several critical areas:
Workforce Development and Cost‑of‑Living Supports: A strong behavioral health system depends on a stable, well‑supported workforce. Spurwink is advocating for measures that address workforce shortages, improve recruitment and retention, and ensure that compensation keeps pace with rising costs of living. Much of this advocacy occurs through the biennial budget process (LD 210), which serves as the primary vehicle for cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA) and provider rate stabilization. These efforts help sustain high‑quality services across Maine.
Children’s Residential Programs: Spurwink continues to advocate for policies that strengthen children’s residential services, ensuring programs have the resources and regulatory frameworks needed to provide safe, therapeutic, and effective care for youth with complex behavioral health needs. This session, Spurwink is supporting legislation addressing children with significant behavioral health needs awaiting residential placement, including LD 791, while also advocating more broadly for system‑level improvements through budget language and DHHS policy.
Community Paramedicine: Spurwink also supports legislation related to community paramedicine—programs in which specially trained paramedics provide non‑emergency care in the community, helping connect people to services, reduce unnecessary emergency department visits, and improve outcomes during behavioral health and substance use crises. This includes support for LD 2133, establishing licensing and standards for community paramedicine services and clinicians, and LD 2119, addressing reimbursement for treatment in place, community paramedicine, and alternate destination transport. Catherine Ryder, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, provided testimony in support of this work during the session.
Putting Guardrails on AI Therapy: As technology continues to evolve, Spurwink is advocating for thoughtful oversight of artificial intelligence in behavioral health care. LD 2082, An Act to Regulate the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Providing Certain Mental Health Services, establishes guardrails to protect clients, maintain ethical standards, and ensure that AI tools are used only as appropriate supports—not replacements—for licensed clinicians. Kristen Farnham, Vice President of Legal Affairs and Advancement, provided testimony on this bill and also authored an op‑ed for the Portland Press Herald to elevate the conversation.
Spurwink supports LD 2196, legislation that strengthens Maine’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics by reinforcing the stability and sustainability of this critical model of care. CCBHCs are designed to serve as a behavioral health safety net—ensuring that individuals can access comprehensive mental health and substance use services regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. LD 2196 helps ensure CCBHCs can continue expanding access to care, supporting the behavioral health workforce, and meeting growing community needs across Maine.
Investing in Behavioral Health Infrastructure
Spurwink is deeply grateful to U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins for their support of a critical federal investment in behavioral health care for the Lewiston–Auburn region. This funding will support the renovation of Spurwink’s facility at 1155 Lisbon Road in Lewiston, allowing the organization to modernize and strengthen its ability to meet growing community needs.
Once renovated, the facility will become a more trauma‑informed, healing environment where veterans, children, youth, adults, families, and individuals with co‑occurring mental health and substance use disorders can access the specialized care they deserve. This investment represents a meaningful commitment to both access and quality of care in central Maine.
Advocacy Rooted in Mission
Spurwink’s advocacy efforts are guided by a simple principle: policies should make it easier—not harder—for people to access effective, compassionate care. Whether engaging with legislators in Augusta, providing testimony on key bills, or collaborating with partners across the state, Spurwink remains committed to advancing a behavioral health system that is equitable, responsive, and sustainable.
We are grateful to our staff, partners, and policymakers who share this commitment and continue to work alongside us to build healthier communities across Maine.
Pictured above: Catherine Ryder, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Spurwink; Eric Meyer, President & CEO, Spurwink; Kristen Farnham, VP of Legal Affairs and Advancement, Spurwink; and Senator Teresa S. Pierce.
