DHHS – Communicating with
When to call
If you’ve called DHHS, you’ve noticed that the wait times are crazy (1 to 2 hours). We recommend that you call first thing in the morning, not on a Monday or beginning of the month.
Release Authorization
While it’s not a necessity, if you are willing to contact DHHS on behalf of your mentee (without your mentee being present), you will want and need to fill out the DHHS Authorization to Release Information form. Note: The Authorized Representative Release Form is supposedly only needed if you are going to actually sign documents and approve changes.
Here is the full process for the release authorization:
Fill out the DHHS Authorization to Release Information form. Here is an example of one that was filled out with made-up data.
Email it to farmington.dhhs@maine.gov.
Wait at least 3 days and call DHHS to make sure the form was scanned into your mentee’s file. Sadly, I sent it twice and both times it was completely ignored. Luckily the DHHS person on the phone was nice, apologetic and understanding, so she gave me her email address and I sent it to her while I was on the phone with her. I strongly suggest you ask or beg for their direct email if they fail to read the form into your mentee’s file.
Make a note in your calendar to renew/redo the form annually!