AUGUSTA, Maine (WGAN) Governor Janet Mills is proposing nearly $20 million to help bolster the state’s behavioral health services.

The governor’s administration said Thursday the funding would address the state’s needs for behavioral health services, and support ongoing improvements to MaineCare rates for behavioral health providers.

The additional funding would leverage $17.1 million in matching federal funds for a total of $36.8 million. The funding will be proposed as part of the governor’s forthcoming change package to the supplemental budget.

At Maine Medical Center in Portland, staff in the emergency department have said that people suffering from mental health crises often end up in the ER because there’s no better alternatives for them to seek care.