Senator Collins Speaks at Opening of Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program Facility at Togus VA Medical Center

VA facility is the first in Maine to offer long-term residential treatment specifically for veterans facing substance use disorder, PTSD, and depression.

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AUGUSTA, ME - U.S. Senator Susan Collins today delivered remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program facility at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Togus Medical Center. The facility will provide comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation services for veterans facing substance use disorder, as well as conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Prior to its completion, the State of Maine did not have a dedicated, long-term residential rehabilitation treatment center for veterans, requiring many to travel to Massachusetts or Vermont for care through the VA, where they face an average wait time of 132 days to enter a long-term residential treatment program.

"When our veterans come home, we need to welcome them all the way home by making sure they get the services and care they earned. For too long, Maine veterans have had to travel to Massachusetts or Vermont to receive long-term residential rehabilitative care through the VA. Now, they will be able to access it closer to home here in our state's capital," said Senator Collins. "I was proud to take part in the ceremony today and to recognize the sacrifices of the men and women this center was built to support. Caring for our veterans, both their visible wounds and their hidden injuries, is a necessary part of our obligation to them for their service to our country."

The 15,000-square-foot facility includes 12 private bedrooms for men and women, individual and group treatment spaces, and community areas such as a recreation room and visiting spaces. The stand-alone building also connects to the main Togus hospital via a corridor. The new long-term rehabilitation program will provide tailored treatment plans that typically last several weeks with services including counseling, medication management, peer support, and case management.

Senator Collins and the rest of the Maine congressional delegation pushed in 2019 for the VA to establish a long-term mental health and substance use disorder treatment center in Maine, prior to its approval by the Department in 2020. In 2021, the Maine delegation again urged the on the VA to expedite construction of the Maine center and to include it on the Department's Priority Projects list.

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