If you or your child sees a therapist, a doctor, maybe a psychiatrist, and has needs that touch school or daily life too, you already know how much falls on you. You are the one keeping track of every appointment, repeating the same story to each new provider, and trying to make sure everyone is on the same page. It is a lot, and it is easy to feel alone in it.
A Behavioral Health Home is here to take that weight off your shoulders.
So what is it, in one sentence?
A Behavioral Health Home, or BHH, gives you a small team of people whose job is to organize and connect all of your care, so you do not have to do it by yourself.
Despite the name, it is not a place or a building you go to. The “home” simply means one central spot where all of your care comes together. The team comes to you, meeting in your home or community, and there is no cost to you beyond your MaineCare coverage.
What does the team actually do?
Think of them as your personal support crew. Depending on the program, your team can help you:
- Keep all your providers talking to each other, so your therapist, doctor, and any specialists are working from the same plan
- Find and set up services you need, and cut through the paperwork to get there
- Prepare for appointments and follow up afterward, so nothing slips through the cracks
- Connect with someone who has lived through something similar and gets it
You do not give up your current therapist or doctor to join. BHH works alongside the providers you already have.
How it works for adults
For an adult , the team focuses on you and your own health. They coordinate your medical and mental health care together, help you manage conditions day to day, and connect you to resources in your community. The goal is to help you feel more in control and more independent, with less time lost to emergency rooms or gaps in care.
Your team can include a wellness coordinator who keeps everything organized, a nurse who stays in touch with your medical providers, and a peer specialist who has been where you are.
Who qualifies (adults): Adults with a qualifying behavioral health diagnosis and full MaineCare coverage. If you are not sure whether you qualify, we can help you find out.
How it works for children and families
For a child , the team focuses on the whole family, because supporting a child means supporting the people around them. A care coordinator gets to know your child, then builds a plan with you and helps carry it out. That can mean smoothing things over with the school, connecting the dots between providers, and making sure your child can take part in the everyday things that matter to them, like activities, friendships, and community life.
Your child’s team can include a care coordinator who guides and advocates for your family, a nurse, a clinical lead who oversees the care, and, if you choose, a peer specialist for you and one for your child.
Who qualifies (children): Children ages 0 to 21 with a behavioral health diagnosis, Autism, or an intellectual or developmental diagnosis within the past year, plus full MaineCare coverage. The child should also be facing challenges at school, at home, or in the community. Again, if you are unsure, we can help you check.
The simplest way to picture the difference
For an adult, the team helps you coordinate your own care. For a child, the team helps your whole family coordinate your child’s care and speak up for them across school and community. Either way, you go from managing it all alone to having a team in your corner.
Why it matters
Your mental health and your physical health are connected, but the systems meant to support them usually are not. Things get missed. A Behavioral Health Home fills those gaps and, just as much, gives you back time and peace of mind. Instead of carrying every detail yourself, you have people helping you carry it.
Where it is available
BHH services are currently available in Androscoggin, Oxford, Franklin, York, and Cumberland Counties.
Want to see if it is a fit?
If any of this sounds like what you or a family you know has been going through, we would love to talk. There is no pressure, just a conversation about whether BHH could help.
Learn about BHH for Children →
