Dr. Marc Kaplan in the studio alongside Portland Radio Group Production Director Steve Schneider

Sweetser and WGAN have partnered to bring mental health moments to the radio! Check our recent two spots voiced by Sweetser’s own Dr. Marc Kaplan.

Kim Grant (right) is presented her award at a recent conference

Congratulations to Kim Grant, Assistant Supervisor of Residential Services, for being named Youth Care Worker of the Year at the Child and Family Provider Network Conference. This award speaks to Kim’s passion and dedication to the clients we serve.

As part of the application process Kim’s supervisor, Elliot Garza, said the following about her impact on campus:

“Over the last year Kim has moved into a new role supporting our campus as an assistant supervisor. Her primary task has been to support the campus during some of the most challenging times of the day, when the children are struggling. Through this work she has been able to take the lead on making sure the children and staff are safe as well as find the time to create opportunities for learning. Kim is able to proactively support by starting her shifts with preplanning in the units and checking in to make sure a plan for the day is in place that will support children in learning and practicing skills. She then follows up at the end of the shift by making sure staff have had an opportunity to be heard and checked in on after a tough shift. In doing this she ensures accurate communication to the unit supervisors and helps support reflective practice among the staff. We can see evidence of the effectiveness these interventions have had in how staff feel more supported and cared for and how clients are able to relax and find safety in her presence. Kim continues to take on new challenges and learn new skills to enhance her work and always does so with a contagiously positive attitude.”

The mission of the Child & Family Provider Network is to improve the quality of life for children, youth and families in Maine.

Sanford landscaping gets a boost from volunteers

As part of the United Way of Southern Maine’s Day of Action on May 23, our Sanford office and Saco Campus hosted volunteers from Unum and Hannaford.

Volunteers landscaped under the guidance of our Facilities team, giving both locations a fresh look for spring.

Volunteers landscape on Saco Campus.

“School-based clinicians are on the front lines of this mental health crisis. By providing mental health services directly in the school setting, clinicians can be more responsive to each student’s needs in the moment and partner with school staff. Offering school-based mental health services is prevention at its best.”

Check out our latest Press Herald OP-ED from Eva Rivers Blethen, LCSW, a Sweetser school-based clinical supervisor.

Our Chief Program Officer Kristie Worster shared some mental health tips on Newscenter Maine just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Watch below…

Portland Sea Dogs Baseball hosted Sweetser for Mental Health Awareness Night on Thursday, May 11th. Sweetser Chief Financial Officer John McAnuff threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Sweetser also had an informational table set up, and many staff attended the game, along with friends and family.

Jayne Pelletier and Kristen Cianelli

Sweetser recently welcomed two additions to its leadership team.

Jayne Pelletier, Ph.D. joined Sweetser as the new Director of Training. Jayne comes to Sweetser with a long history of working with adult, multi-cultural learners in a variety of settings. Her background includes extensive involvement with institutional and programmatic accreditation, program development, evaluation, and assessment. Jayne has experience with both traditional and post-traditional learners, and has considerable experience delivering professional learning in a variety of modalities. She earned a B. S. in Environmental Conservation, an M. A. T. in English, and a Ph.D. in Education, all at the University of New Hampshire. Jayne holds an Experienced Educator Certificate and is certified as an English teacher. She has taught both graduate and undergraduate students online and in the classroom at several institutions and has been responsible for all areas of instruction, including faculty observations, faculty development, and curricular changes. Jayne lives in Southern Maine and enjoys hiking, kayaking, and walks with her rescue shepherd, Bae.

Kristen Cianelli has been promoted to Director of Community-Based Services. Prior to her new position, she served as Clinical Manager for the School-based Outpatient Services program. Before social work, Kristen graduated with a Bachelors in English and French Literature and was a writer, musician, and house painter. She always loved a story and believed in the power of people. In 2014, she earned her MSW from the University of New England and began working with adolescents and families within a residential substance use treatment setting for seven years. There she developed a passion for clinical work with youth and families, access to substance use treatment, and community outreach and education. Kristen also became interested in systems that support mental health services and service providers, including the culture within agencies. She looks forward to being able to bring those interests into her new position.

Systems Engineering, a longtime partner with Sweetser, understands that mental health matters. As part of the company’s commitment to continually giving back to the community, it recently donated $20,000 to Sweetser in support of its ability to provide mental health services. 

For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Systems Engineering Employee Success Specialist Kendall Dienno and Account Manager Kent Goodrow visited Ricker Farm on Sweetser’s Saco Campus to talk about how the organization values mental health and work/life balance.

Watch the video to learn more:

About Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering is a 100% employee-owned IT strategy and managed services provider dedicated to enabling the exceptional in clients nationwide. System Engineering’s team of 150+ network engineers, managed security professionals, project managers, data management experts, and account managers are available 24×7, 365 days per year to meet the needs of our clients. From network design and installation to a full complement of managed IT, IT security, and cloud services, they have an IT solution that will allow an organization to reach its full potential – and enable the exceptional.

“Calm down!”. “Take a deep breath”. “Stop worrying about it”. These are things we hear when we are feeling anxious and for most people are not helpful and do not work. Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. For teens, there’s a lot of change happening in and around you, and that can mean a lot to worry about! Some anxiety keeps us motivated, however, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. And these feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities and are difficult to control. Why is this and what can be done about it? In this episode of “Not Now, Maybe Later”, anxiety is explored from genetics and chemistry, to types like perfectionism and phobias. Listen in and you will hear some ways to reduce anxiety so you can find a new idea or two to keep your worrying under control.

As part of its Serve with Liberty community service program, Liberty Mutual employees volunteered in Saco on May 4th. Forced indoors due to inclement weather, the crew cleaned worked with Sweetser’s Facilities crew and Volunteer Team to clean out the basement of the Merrill Center on the Saco Campus.