This bill establishes the Keeping Maine Children Connected Program Manager within the Department of Education to assist children in crisis or experiencing disruption by developing, implementing and coordinating strategies to ensure such children and their families receive support, guidance and assistance in accessing and navigating educational, child welfare, mental health and other services and programs through a coordinated and seamless statewide support network. The manager is directed to establish, train and maintain a statewide network of persons able to achieve this purpose, including a coordinated response team across all relevant state agencies and local liaisons in regional state offices, school administrative units, juvenile correctional facilities, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, mental health crisis agencies and other appropriate entities. The department is directed to ensure that the manager has the necessary support and staffing services and to coordinate any activities and programs of the department relevant
42 to the work of the manager so as to maximize the effectiveness of the manager in achieving
43 the purposes of this section.