AUGUSTA — When Bob Staples’ son Brett needed mental health care, he cycled in and out of treatment, homelessness and jail cells.
Brett died in 2024 after being hit by a train in Portland. He was 34.
“My son, he cycled through incarceration, homelessness, times in the hospital, he spent four or five months in the hospital after he went out in the middle of 20 degree below zero and lost half of a foot,” Staples said.
To raise awareness of the need to treat mental illness, Bob Staples founded the Brett M. Staples Brain Disorder Awareness Coalition.
The coalition came to the State House Thursday to call on lawmakers and other state officials to fully implement a 2003 law that created the Progressive Treatment Program.
According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, PTP is “a form of court-ordered outpatient services for patients with severe and persistent mental illness.”
The coalition is backing pending legislation to provide additional funds to help families afford the legal fees associated with the program. And they questioned why several private mental health providers are no longer participating in the program.
“The law was designed to provide structured treatment plans and ongoing supports before tragedy strikes — not jail cells, emergency hospitalizations, and shattered families after someone falls off a treatment plan and violence occurs,” said John Nutting, a former state senator who sponsored the original legislation. “Untreated brain disorders are medical conditions, not moral failures.”
The group referenced several instances of violence that they believe could have been prevented if those with brain disorders received treatment when they needed it. They said states like New Hampshire and Michigan see fewer tragedies because of their prevention programs.
And Staples said those who have been able to take advantage of the program have seen success.
“I keep hearing from families that have a loved one on a PTP and they are so grateful because they do well,” Staples said. “The success rate of the PTP is extremely high.”
Looking forward, the group endorsed state Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford for governor in 2026, saying they believe he will take steps to fully implement the program. Bennett is a former Republican who dropped his party affiliation to run as an independent.
“The law is not being implemented as it was intended,” Bennett said. “And when systems fail people in crisis, the consequences can be tragic and have been tragic here in Maine.”
He said if elected, he will ensure that the program is fully implemented and adequately funded.
“We need to break down the stigma so we can have honest conversations about many Maine citizens who suffer from brain disease and need help,” he said.