Sweetser’s Medical Director, Dr. Marc Kaplan, was a guest on the radio show ‘A Healthy Conversation’ on Newsradio WGAN FM 98.5. Dr. Kaplan discussed all things mental health with TideSmart CEO Steve Woods and Dr. Jeffrey Barkin. Listen below…
Top Right: Community Relations Intern Sophia Kennedy
Sweetser was proud to participate in Maine’s 5th annual opioid response summit led by Governor Janet Mills at Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena. Over 1,400 policymakers, providers, and the recovery community came together to continue our efforts help save lives.
Sweetser is one of the providers of Know Your OPTIONS (Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach, Naloxone, and Safety). This is a partnership with the Maine Office of Behavioral Health to improve the health of Mainers who use substances by using harm reduction strategies, supporting recovery, and providing referrals for services. Learn more: https://www.sweetser.org/…/options-initiative-at-sweetser
‘Lacey Bailey is a mental health clinician with the nonprofit Sweetser. She covers all of York County but is based out of the Sanford Police Department as the department’s OPTIONS liaison. Along with her team—two mental health unit officers and one non-law enforcement mental health first responder—she rides in patrol cars and splits tasks with her counterparts.’ Check out this Newscenter Maine story about the efforts of our OPTIONS team in York County.
Watch video below:
FULL Story: Sanford Police Dept. substance-use liaisons tackle overdose spike | newscentermaine.com
Newscenter Maine covered the importance of prioritizing our mental health in the summer. They interviewed our own Chief Program Officer, Kristie Worster! Watch the full story below.
Michael Tausek and Jennifer Garcia
Sweetser recently welcomed two additions to its leadership team.
Jennifer Garcia joined Sweetser in 2022 and has been promoted to Clinical Director of Residential and Day Treatment. Jennifer collaborates with the Director of Education, children’s residential programs and Saco CSU to ensure the quality of clinical care is best meeting the needs of children and families. She is responsible for developing structure and implementing processes. Jennifer is involved in the day-to-day needs of the programs’ clients and staff. Prior to Sweetser, Jennifer worked in residential programs and had a private practice for nearly 10 years. Her therapeutic focus has been on co-occurring disorders, substance abuse disorders and mental health diagnosis. Jennifer earned a master’s in mental health counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She is a licensed LMHC in Florida and LCPC in Maine. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, hiking with her black labs, photography, and exploring new places as she re-acclimates to her home state.
Michael Tausek joined Sweetser in 2023 as the Director of Recovery Services. In this role, Michael oversees our peer-focused recovery programs. Prior to Sweetser, Michael spent a career in various leadership roles in government and non-profits focusing on program development, case management and community relations. Michael is passionate about working with justice-involved and marginalized populations. He is also Veteran of United States Coast Guard. Michael earned a BA in Criminology from the University of Southern Maine and a Juris Doctor from Western New England College School of Law.
On our final episode of our podcast’s 1st season, we are focused on queer teen mental health. LGBTQ+ teens are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression and twice as likely to be suicidal than their peers AND, according to The Trevor Project, 60% of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care in 2022 were not able to get it. Listen to this episode to hear about resources, trends, and Maine queer-friendly events featuring special guest, Maura Oakes from OUT Maine and creator and host of “Thinking OUT Loud: The OUT Maine Podcast”. Listen below:
Left to right: Saco Team Member Andrew Horvat, Community Marketing Manager Crystal Brown, Sweetser Donor Engagement & Events Manager Jodie Hansen, Sweetser Development Officer Morgan Stickney, Area Supervisor Courtney Gilkey.
Aroma Joe’s Coffee in Saco recently presented Sweetser with a check for its Mental Health Month fundraiser in which they earmarked 10% of net proceeds every Wednesday in May. The effort raised more than $2,700 to help ensure Mainers receive the Sweetser services they need regardless of insurance or their ability to pay.
Sweetser OPTIONS Liaison — Lacey Bailey and Dawn Kearns (photos from Journey Magazine)
The latest edition of Journey Magazine features two of Sweetser’s OPTIONS (Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety) Liaisons — Lacey Bailey and Dawn Kearns.
‘Lacey Bailey, the OPTIONS Liaison at Sweetser for York County, is a Maine native who enjoys giving people a lifeline when they most need it. “Through my position with OPTIONS I am able to connect people with the services they need,” she said. “Many people check in with me on a regular basis as another person they can reach out to and be connected with.”’
‘Dawn Kearns has been in recovery for a number of years and, as is her nature, she wanted to pay it forward to others on their own journeys. That’s why Dawn is such an asset to Kennebec County as OPTIONS Liaison, working for Sweetser.’
The OPTIONS initiative at Sweetser is a partnership with the Maine Office of Behavioral Health to improve the health of Mainers who use substances by using harm reduction strategies, supporting recovery, and providing referrals for services. Learn more about OPTIONS at knowyouroptions.me.
SACO – Home improvement retail giant, Lowe’s, has awarded a Maine behavioral health nonprofit, $145,000 to rehab outdoor recreation in Saco.
Sweetser is one of only 100 projects nationally selected by Lowe’s to receive a grant and the only project awarded in Maine.
Lowe’s Hometowns, is a five-year, $100 million investment to support 100 high-impact nonprofit organizations each year with a $10 million investment. This is the second year of the program.
“This has been a dream that previously seemed out of reach for decades,” says Jodie Hansen, Sweetser’s Donor and Events Engagement Manager. “Lowe’s recognizes the importance of helping restore and revitalize spaces that bring people together. Their impact will be felt for many years to come.”
Sweetser’s existing playgrounds located on their Saco campus will be made usable again and replaced with safe, durable equipment for young children to play, imagine, grow, and heal. Sweetser’s existing tennis court will be reimagined into a modern multi-purpose play court that will basketball hoops and painted play features for games like pickleball, kickball, and 4-square.
“I can’t say enough about how this will positively impact the children we serve here,” says Jayne Van Bramer, Sweetser’s President & CEO. “Mental health is bettered by getting outdoors and connecting with one another in nature. Our students will greatly benefit from having more recreational opportunities from this project.”
The proposed project will benefit youth ages 5-18 engaged in Sweeter’s Child Crisis, Residential, and Educational Programs. These children are diagnosed with severe emotional and behavioral issues which keep them from living at home, in their communities, and attending public schools.
Work will begin later this summer, with the goal of completion by the end of the Fall.
Learn more about Lowe’s Hometown program.
The grant was secured by the Sweetser Development team led by the Director of Development Kelly Thayer.