A panel calls for expanded community response and better cooperation between government, advocacy groups and schools to reduce the deaths.
Projects
Nominees for Maine’s public defense commission broke rules to work on serious criminal cases
If confirmed by the Senate, lawyers Meegan Burbank and Matthew Morgan would help oversee the system they – and scores of other attorneys – violated.
Two-year budget leaves public defense reform underfunded
Lawmakers delay decision again on whether to add money to the next state budget for legal services for Maine’s poor.
Chasing Maine: The Cultural Ambassador
Togolese chef Jordan Benissan brings people together with food at his bistro in Camden and through his passion for African drumming.
Maine looks to tamp down ‘forever chemicals’ linked to health risks
Proposed legislation would combat PFAS contamination, expand testing and add protections for people who have been affected.
A need for awareness
In a county with few mental health resources, community members are rallying to increase peer support and education around suicide.
Alone with the grief, alone with the pain
The Stewarts are just one family in Washington County forced to struggle with suicide in an area where demand for help far outweighs the number of mental health providers.
The crushing toll of a pandemic in Maine’s ‘forgotten county’
During a tragic winter that saw four suicides and prolonged isolation, Baileyville Police Chief Bob Fitzsimmons has served as a guardian, confidant and friend to the people in northeastern Washington County.
Chasing Maine: The Light of Lubec
West Quoddy Head Light is the easternmost point in the United States where visitors can see the majestic first light of day.
Deaths of Despair
In a remote corner of Maine that locals call ‘The Forgotten County,’ the pandemic triggered isolation, economic struggles and a surge in suicides and overdoses. Hindered by a lack of mental health resources, communities and schools in Washington County banded together to find help for those with anxiety, depression and despair. The Maine Monitor chronicles the heartbreaking losses in a county that seeks solace and solutions to prevent more tragedies.
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