Residents tell DHHS that agency lacks human touch

 By Stuart Hedstrom

Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT– Nearly a decade ago the Department of Health of Human Services (DHHS) closed its Dover-Foxcroft office, meaning that residents looking to access agency services need to travel to Bangor or Skowhegan or use an electronic kiosk at the Penquis office that was installed in the lobby of the North Street building in 2013. Members of the community had the opportunity to tell their concerns directly and get some answers from DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew during a public meeting Oct. 14 at the Penquis Higher Education Center.

“This all started a year, year and a half ago,” State Sen. Paul Davis (R-Sangerville) said at the start of the session. “Sue Mackey Andrews got a hold of us with concerns of the lack of services for the elderly in this area.” Davis said a bill of his set up the Oct. 14 meeting with Mayhew in attendance.

Mayhew said she wanted to start with an overview of the DHHS. “This is the largest state agency and it has a budget of $3.4 billion annually,” she said, with over 3,400 employees. Mayhew said the DHHS budget is often debated by lawmakers.

“It provides us with the opportunity to address the needs of the individual and the state,” she said, saying sometimes those being served by DHHS programs have needs spanning multiple programs. Mayhew cited child welfare as an example as a case may also involve mental illness and substance abuse.

“We have created that more integrated approach to meet the needs of individuals and families,” she said. Mayhew said prioritization has led to better case management, which has reduced the utilization of hospital emergency departments and resulted in about $9 million savings in preventable spending.

“There is always, like in anyone’s personal budget, the pressure of prioritization,” Mayhew said about DHHS services. She said agency officials work to establish measurable performance goals to make sure such priorities are being carried out.

“Commissioner, as you know in Piscataquis County not only are we rural but we are usually last or next to last in poverty and Piscataquis County also has a disportionate number of people who are seniors,” State Rep. Norm Higgins (R-Dover-Foxcroft) said. He said in conversations with constituents “the distance becomes a barrier” in receiving DHHS services.

“What we have is the elderly and the poor,” he said, adding one area high school has about 75 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. “They are frustrated by not being able to access services.” Higgins said the elderly may not have resources, training or temperament to use the automated DHHS kiosk and the poor may also face similar barriers.

“Overall how does the population have better access to services when we don’t have an office in Piscataquis County?” Higgins asked.

“I hear you,” Mayhew responded. “There are lots of partnerships. We work with county action programs to help access those services and agencies on aging.” She said DHHS is working to address gaps in service access.

Meg Callaway of the Feel Good Piscataquis! Thriving in Place initiative said the lack of access is the primary issue, saying that for some having to use the kiosk in the Penquis lobby can create “a sense of shame and stigma” and for others the technology is too difficult.

“I think there’s more to look into,” Mayhew said, about the partnerships the DHHS has.

“We not only have to think about the cost to the department but the cost to people who now have to travel to Bangor, before they could be seen right here in Dover-Foxcroft,” said Cindy Freeman Cyr, advocacy program manager for the Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance as well as vice chair of the Dover-Foxcroft selectmen.

“I do believe the role of local agencies is to provide support,” Mayhew said. “Clearly we need to look at what is the right strategy to provide support to those agencies.”

Mackey Andrews, of Helping Hands with Heart, said she and others have been working to address the lack of a DHHS presence in Piscataquis County since 2009. “What we are seeing is an incredible decline in enrollment in these programs in this county,” she said. “All we asked for is the presence of the department once or twice a month to work on eligibility or re-eligibility, that’s where people get stuck.”

Mackey Andrews said the region has a number of towns spread across a wide area and there is no public transportation. She said many town offices have made space available for use by the DHHS with community partners willing to assist.

“Certainly I am willing to more than explore,” Mayhew said about the possibilities mentioned.

The commissioner was asked about when an analysis of gaps in DHHS services and the agency’s response would be released. “I am equally concerned, statewide, of the needs of the system,” Mayhew said, saying she feels DHHS has come a long way to both identify and address problems. She said her office will come back to the area’s legislative delegation with an analysis and possible solutions to the issues raised during the meeting.

“Again, we have made progress to help ensure support and resources are there,” Mayhew said.

Sen. Davis said DHHS is required to give its report by Feb. 1, 2016.