Maine lawmakers seek inquiry into safety measures at state psychiatric hospitals

Maine lawmakers on the Government Oversight Committee want more information on staff injuries and other issues at the state’s two psychiatric hospitals: Riverview and Dorothea Dix.
In a unanimous vote this week, the lawmakers directed staff in the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, or OPEGA, to gather data on staff vacancies, ratios, and injuries.
The move follows a letter sent to the committee in September by two Augusta lawmakers, Representatives Raegan LaRochelle and Bill Bridgeo, after they met with Riverview staff to hear their concerns.
Bridgeo told committee members he was shocked by what he heard.
“Even if what we’re hearing is only 20 percent true, in my experience, that’s just not acceptable,” Bridgeo said. “And if it’s on the higher end of what we were hearing, it’s downright scary.”
A report must be submitted to the committee by February 15. Members will then decide next steps, which could include a full review.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.