Advocates for reform at the Department of Health and Human Services meet with Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and her staff in 2019
to start a dialogue about making the department more accessible, culturally competent, and efficient.
Maine Equal Justice advocates for a government that works for the people and listens to the people
How do we get there? With government services that are simple and easy to use, well-coordinated, human-centered, effective AND work for all Mainers, starting with those who need them most.
Government services and the people who deliver them must put the real-life, everyday needs of people first.
The social safety net is composed of different programs and services across different areas of the government. Together, these government departments are responsible for lifting tens of thousands of Mainers out of poverty each year. But today, many Mainers are falling through the cracks. We need to change that.
For too many people, trying to get public assistance is complicated, time-consuming, emotionally taxing, and confusing– leaving people to navigate a system with numerous barriers, and pushing them further and further away from meeting their basic needs, like health care and food.
Here’s what Mainers have told us finding help at DHHS should look like:
“People should feel respected when they walk in the door, basic needs are met, and people walk away with a feeling of hope.” - Anonymous
“DHHS workers should have communications training, emotional intelligence and show empathy towards people.” - Jay resident
“Culture change is needed so that people don’t feel a sense of dread when they go there. We feel like we need to justify our existence and prove that we are worthy of the little bit of help they might give.” - Old Town resident
“I want DHHS workers that want us to know our rights, and really help us access the help that is available.” - Anonymous
It’s simple and easy to use, well-coordinated, human-centered, and effective.
When services are simple, accessible and easy to use, people can get what they need without jumping through a lot of hoops. When Mainers apply for benefits, they should be met with relief rather than frustration.
A well-coordinated social safety net means you can go to one place and get everything you need. Data is shared between different governmental departments, meaning people seeking services would only have to go to one place and fill out one form to get what they need.
A human-centered social safety net guarantees that the needs of people are put first. It ensures that people seeking supports are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of who they are, how much they earn, or what language they speak. It is culturally competent, trauma informed, and empowering. Wait times are short and staff are there to provide clarity when there is confusion.
Maine Equal Justice advocates to ensure that DHHS staff understand and respect different cultures and identities. DHHS staff must consider the race, color, religion, age, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, native languages spoken, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability of clients and how these factors inform each client’s individual needs. Only then can DHHS ensure effective cross-cultural communication, necessary for reducing disparities and providing optimal service regardless of a client’s background or membership in a protected class.
Maine has an online application, My Maine Connection, where people can apply in one stop for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), MaineCare (Medicaid), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
People can also be pre-screened for those programs as well as the Women’s Infants and Children program (WIC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
My Maine Connection needs improvement. DHHS is taking steps to make it work better. We want to hear from you if you have ideas about how to improve it. Please contact us [link to legal contact form] to tell us about your experience or to get help.
Maine Equal Justice aims to improve the delivery of employment, education, and training services through the ASPIRE program. ASPIRE is the education and employment program that accompanies TANF and the program should help people find pathways to economic security.
Unfortunately, many people are not getting the help they need from ASPIRE. Several years ago, DHHS terminated all state employees administering ASPIRE and contracted with the private company Fedcap to do this work. Today, almost one in five parents referred to Fedcap do not make it through the basic intake process and nearly half of those who complete an intake are sanctioned, leading to a loss of assistance. The majority of those sanctioned do not reengage with the program.
ASPIRE should be working to meet families where they are to come up with a strengths-based plan that will set them on a path to economic security.
When you get TANF you must meet with a case worker at Fedcap, who is supposed to help you develop the skills you need to get a good job. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services pays Fedcap to do this work.
Mainers have complained about how Fedcap runs this program. These are serious problems and we want to make sure they are fixed, but we need your help.
Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and higher education and training. Maine Equal Justice is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 04-3346273.
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126 Sewall Street, Augusta ME 04330 (Map) • Toll-free: 1-866-626-7059 • FAX: 207-621-8148