Health Center

Here you can find information about healthcare services, therapeutic, and support resources.

Link to our selection of Health Care Tip Sheets! (opens new window)

Link to our selection of Mental Health Tip Sheets! (opens new window)

The Health Center contains the following categories:

• Advocacy
• Children's Healthcare
• Funding
• Healthcare
• Health Information
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Nutrition
• Prescription Drug Information

Advocacy (See also Living in the Community - Advocacy Organizations)

• Consumers for Affordable Health Care - This Maine coalition works for affordable healthcare through legislative action, education, and advocacy.
  http://www.mainecahc.org/

• Health and Disability Advocates - A site with information related to children/families with a disability, employment in the workforce, and access to health care for people with disabilities.
  http://www.hdadvocates.org

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  Kids as Self Advocates — KASA is a national, grassroots network of youth with special needs and their friends, speaking on their own behalf. The site includes forums for youth to speak out, artwork by youth, and updates on news and rallies.
  http://www.fvkasa.org

• PineTree Legal Assistance - A Q & A about free hospital care, that explains your rights and regulations about free hospital care in the state of Maine.
  http://www.ptla.org/hospital.htm

Children's Healthcare

• About Our Kids — This site offers information about the physical and mental health development of infants and children. It has an A-Z disorder guide and a parents' resources section. The site is hosted by the Child Study Center at the NYU School of Medicine.
  http://www.aboutourkids.org

• Angels Dancing with Horses - A non-profit therapeutic riding program.
  www.angelsdancingwithhorses.org

• Care Notebook - The Care Notebook and Care Organizer are tools for families who have children with special needs. You can use the Care Notebook to keep track of important information about your child's health and care. This makes it easier to find and share key information with your child's providers.
  http://www.cshcn.org/resources/CareNtbk.cfm

• Child Health Guide — This federal guide explains preventive care for children, such as checkup visits, immunizations, and tests and exams, and provides guidance on related issues.
  http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/childguide/

• Children's Environmental Health Network - This site provides resources about how air quality, water quality, lead, mercury and other environmental concerns can affect children's health. It released a report card evaluating the government's effort in protecting and improving children's health.
  http://www.cehn.org

• Coordinating School Health Programs - This is a joint program between Maine Department of Education and Maine Department of Health and Human Services to connect children's health and education. 
  http://www.mainecshp.com/

• Facts for Families — The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers fact sheets on topics such as: understanding violent behavior, questions to ask before psychiatric hospitalization, talking to kids about mental illness, as well as condition-specific fact sheets on emotional and behavioral issues.
  http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/index.htm

• KidsHealth - This site has areas for kids, teens, and parents to access with age-appropriate content and information on relative health issues.
  http://www.kidshealth.org

• Maine Lead Prevention Program - The Maine Lead Prevention Program provides information to families who are concerned about lead poisoning.
  http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/etl/lead/leadin.htm

Funding

• Dirigo Health Plan — This is a new type of affordable health care coverage being developed in the state. It will be available to employees of small businesses that join the program after July 2004.
  http://www.dirigohealth.maine.gov

• Guide to MaineCare — This is a great guide that explains MaineCare (Medicaid) benefits and how to apply for them. It was developed by Maine Equal Justice Partners.
  http://www.mejp.org/medicaid.htm

• Government Benefits - This is an interactive questionnaire that identifies government benefits you may be eligible for and explains how to apply for them. The site allows you to put in information without including your name or social security number.
  http://www.govbenefits.gov/index.jsp

• Health Care Coach - This is a website to help you take control of your health care and get the best out of the system. It has facts and "do-it-yourself" tips for advocating for your health care and insurance needs.
  http://www.healthcarecoach.com/

• Health Insurance Information - This site is a consumer guide for getting and keeping health insurance. There is information specific to Maine.
  http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net

• The Medicaid Resource Book - This reference book describes four pivotal aspects of how the Medicaid program operates -- who it covers, what it covers, how it is financed, and how it is administered.
  http://www.kff.org/medicaid/2236-index.cfm

• Pine Tree Legal Assistance - Health Care Guides - Information about MaineCare deductibles, MaineCare estate recovery, your right to free hospitalization is included on this page.
  http://www.ptla.org/healthindex.htm

Healthcare

• CarePartners - This organization has locations throughout Maine and provides access to health care for people with limited incomes.
  Phone: (877) 883-1797

• Eastern Maine Healthcare - This is a network of healthcare agencies throughout central, eastern, and northern Maine. The site includes a physician finder and an online library of resources related to health concerns.
  http://www.emh.org/

• Goodwill Industries of Northern New England - Goodwill Industries of Northern New England helps people with disabilities live more independently. Our mission is “through employment, residential, educational and support services, Goodwill works to enhance the social and economic independence of people with disabilities and others who experience barriers to such independence”.
  http://www.ginne.org

• Maine Health - MaineHealth is a network of healthcare agencies and hospitals. The site has a directory of the doctors in their network, information about target diseases (diabetes, asthma, etc.), listing of long-term care and home health agencies.
  http://www.mainehealth.org/

• Maine's Rural Health Clinics - This link shows the addresses and phone numbers of the tural health clinics that provide primary and preventive care to Mainers. Once on this page, you will need to click on "Licensed Health Facilities Search".
  http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/beas/

Health Information

• Alcohol Screening - This site is a quick screening to detect whether or not you abuse alcohol.
  http://www.alcoholscreening.org/screening/index.asp

• At Health - Find a practitioner or treatment center, learn about disorders and conditions, read about medications used in mental health treatment, get the latest mental health news, locate resources for emotional growth and healing, search for books, and more!
  http://www.athealth.com

• Breast Health Access for Women with Disabilities - This site helps women with disabilities feel comfortable going to have an OB-GYN appointment, what to expect and how they can make it less stressful.
  http://www.bhawd.org

• Family Doctor - The American Academy of Family Physicians sponsors this site. You can search on a variety of topic areas: symptoms, conditions, diseases. If you're not sure of a medical term, you can enter it into their "dictionary" to find out what it means.
  http://familydoctor.org/

• HIV InSite Gateway — This website offers information on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and policy.
  http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite

• HIV/AIDS Information — One of the most comprehensive sites on HIV/AIDS, it has links to discounted prescription drugs, an "ask the experts" section, treatment information for those who are newly diagnosed and those who have been living with AIDS.
  http://www.thebody.com/index.shtml

• Institute for Family-Centered Care — This non-profit organization promotes family-centered care. The site offers an online bulletin board, information on networking and resources.
  http://www.familycenteredcare.org/index.html

• Maine Cancer Foundation - The Maine Cancer Foundation focuses on research and education programs and sponsors Discovery Weekend, where individuals learn how to live with and survive cancer.
  http://www.mainecancer.org/

• Maine Immunization Program — This site connects you to the immunization information located on the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.
  http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/mip/index.html

• Maternal and Child Health Library
  http://mchlibrary.info/AZtopics.htm

• Medicine Net — This is a crowded site, but it has lots of different ways to search for diseases, conditions, symptoms, and general health information. The authors are board certified physicians.
  http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp

• Minority Women's Health Resources — Located on the National Women's Health Information Center website, the Health Information for Minority Women section provides information about nutrition, wellness, health risks, and leading health concerns of minority women.
  http://www.4woman.gov

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - This site is a national resource designed to look at how the environment affects our health. It has current information on resources, news, and research.
  http://www.niehs.nih.gov/home.htm

• National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - This site offers a host of information and tips regarding fetal alcohol syndrome, the associated dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and the relationship to mental retardation.
  http://www.nofas.org

• The National Women's Health Information Center - A resource for women with disabilities with a host of information on how to get the most out of the "system."
  http://www.4woman.gov/wwd/

• PAH, MD - "Promoting Awareness in Healthcare, Medical and Deaf" is a volunteer organization of medical students, deaf and hard of hearing healthcare recipients, healthcare providers, medical school faculty that works to improve the quality of healthcare offered to deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
  http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/stdnt/pahmd/

• Pregnancy and Women with Spinal Cord Injury - This resource has very worthwhile information on the many aspects of pregnancy after a spinal cord injury.
  http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=22442

• Providers Guide to Quality and Culture - Take a quiz to check your cultural competence as a provider. Find out about concerns and practices of various ethic groups so that you can deliver service effectively.
  http://erc.msh.org/mainpage.cfm?file=1.0.htm&module=provider&language=English&ggroup=&mgroup=

• State of Maine Drinking Water Program - This site has information regarding Maine's effort to keep the drinking water supply healthy for Maine's citizens.
  http://www.state.me.us/dhhs/eng/water/

• WebMD - This site offers a searchable engine to find any information related to health care topics and breaking health care news that you could want.
  http://www.webMD.com

• Women, Children and HIV - This site contains a comprehensive, internet-based library of materials on mother and child HIV infection. It includes information about preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT), infant feeding, clinical care of women and children living with HIV infection, and the support of orphans.
  http://WomenChildrenHIV.org

Mental Health and Substance Abuse

(Also look on the Parents' Resource page and the Elders page for more information.)

• AMHI Consent Decree - This guide was developed by the Disability Rights Center. It explains the rights of consumers governed by the Augusta Mental Health Institute (AMHI) decree.
  http://www.drcme.org/pubs.html

• Facts on Tap - This site offers information to teenagers who use alcohol, or who were raised in a family where alcohol was abused.
  http://www.factsontap.org

• Healthgate's Mental Health Guide — The Mental Health Guide is a comprehensive and concise guide to mental health conditions and medical procedures.
  http://healthgate.partners.org/browsing/browseContent.asp?fileName=36129.xml&title=Mental%20Health%20Guide

• Maine Information from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration - Just enter a Maine city or town and this page will list all the substance abuse treatment facilities near that location.
  http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ufds/quicksearch?p_state=Maine

• Maine Mental Health Resources - From the National Mental Health Information Center, this page lists over 200 facilities providing mental health services in Maine. http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/

• Maine Office of Substance Abuse - This is a Maine State site with all sorts of information for consumers, families, and providers on alcohol and other substance abuses.
  http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/

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  Mental Health Information — This is not the most easy site to use. First click on the condition you are interested in and then repeat this on the next page. You will find descriptions of the conditions, treatment, and research. There is a section that requires payment to access more information.
  http://www.mentalhealth.com/fr71.html

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  Mental Health InfoSource— Intended for providers, this site may also be useful to consumers. Go to the "A-Z Disorder Index" to find information on mental health conditions.
  http://www.mhsource.com/

• Mood Disorders Network - The Mood Disorders Network is a consumer run organization that provides information on mood disorders and support groups for people with mood disorders. They sponsor workshops, trainings, presentations, and distribute a bi-monthly newsletter. They have no website, but their e-mail is: 
  richollow@aol.com

• NAMI Maine (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) - NAMI Maine is a grassroots, nonprofit organization that supports improving the quality of life of everyone affected by mental illness. Services are provided both directly and through a statewide structure of local affiliates and support groups.
  http://me.nami.org/

• Schizophrenia: A Handbook for Families - This is a large website with comprehensive information on diagnosis, treatment, and information about schizophrenia.
  http://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p40-sc01.html

• Shalom House— This organization provides supported housing for adults (18+) with mental illness and administers rental housing subsidies for Cumberland county.
  http://www.shalomhouseinc.org

Nutrition

• Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet Support Page - The Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet Support Page provides information and support for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. 
  http://www.celiac.com

• Maine Fish Consumption Advisory — This is a State website with information about the nutritional value of fish consumption and how to safely cook fish to avoid illness.
  http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/etp/fca.htm

• Maine Nutrition Network — The Maine Nutrition Network (MNN) is a collaboration of public and private partners that promotes the health of Maine people.
  http://www.maine-nutrition.org

• Nutrition for Children with Special Health Care Needs — This Washington state government website is a resource for those involved in the monitoring or delivery of nutrition care for children with special health care needs.
  http://depts.washington.edu/cshcnnut/

Prescription Drug Information

• Maine Rx Plus — Maine Rx Plus is a new benefit sponsored by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to help reduce the high cost of prescription drugs for qualifying Mainers.
  http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mainerx/

• Maine's Prescription Benefit Guide - This page should take you to the prescription benefit guide on the Maine State site (Office of Elder Services).
  http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/beas/medbook.htm

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