On the fourth episode of our podcast “Not Now, Maybe Later”, hear an interview with a real mom talking about her family’s life raising kids, now teenagers, with different but significant mental health issues. Topics covered include how this parent views privacy versus safety when it comes to her children’s mental health, their successes and struggles trying to get therapy and support. Listen below…
Community Mental Health Services Awareness Day
Friday, February 10th was Community Mental Health Services Awareness Day in Maine! The legislature passed a resolution making it possible. In conjunction with the added awareness, behavioral health providers across the state held legislative tours to talk about the importance of our services and the road ahead for the entire system with important legislation pending this session.
We’d like to thank the following lawmakers for joining us at our special purpose school on our Saco campus:
Senator Henry Ingwersen
Representative Lori Gramlich
Representative Holly Sargent
Representative Gerry Runte
Representative Daniel Hobbs
The following Cumberland County lawmakers visited our Portland location:
Representative Charles Skold
Representative Art Bell
Representative Annie Graham
Representative Steve Moriarty
Representative Kelly Noonan Murphy
Representative Poppy Arford
We deeply appreciate their leadership and commitment to behavioral health.
Adult Residential Services Expansion in Belfast
Sweetser is excited to announce that we have converted our Belfast campus into offering adult residential services. Like our Waterfall Place in Topsham, we will now be providing Private Non-Medical Institution (PNMI) that serves adults with major mental illness in Belfast.
This program is designed to build skills for a successful transition to independent and/or less supportive living environment. Clinical oversight, management and intervention are delivered with a focus on increasing independence and self-sufficiency, including functional skills, increasing self-understanding, crisis prevention and self-management.
This continues our focus on expansion of behavioral health services throughout the Midcoast.
Learn more about our program here: https://www.sweetser.org/programs-services/services-for-adults/residential-services-for-adults
Brunswick CCBHC in the News
This past month, we publicly announced the expansion of our Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) in Brunswick, thanks to a $4 million Federal grant.
Our President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer joined our Medical Director Dr. Marc Kaplan, CCBHC Senior Director Danielle Parent, and CCBHC Clinical Director Joey Rossignol in speaking with various news outlets about this important expansion of service throughout the Midcoast.
Newscenter Maine
WMTW
TIMES RECORD
Bonus Podcast Episode: Common Teen Therapies
As part of the third episode of “Not Now, Maybe Later”, here is some bonus material for you. Listen here to learn about five of the more common therapies for teens: CBT, DBT, EMDR, Creative Therapies, Equine Therapy. Great resources for more information on types of therapy are: goodtherapy.org and verywellmind.com. This podcast is a project supported by Sweetser.
Saco Bay Sunset Rotary Club and Sweetser hold Narcan training in OOB
OLD ORCHARD BEACH – The Rotary Club of Saco Bay Sunset hosted a free Narcan training session at Old Orchard Beach High School last week. The event drew nearly 70 attendees.
Lacey Bailey, a Sweetser Drug & Alcohol Clinician and the York County liaison for the Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative led the training.
Bailey’s presentation outlined the symptoms of an overdose, as well as the steps for administering Naloxone, the medication in NARCAN, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. If administered in time, the nasal spray can save a life. Attendees left with two free doses of the medication.
According to Saco Bay Sunset President Carol Marcotte, the club decided to host a training after Kennebunk Police Chief Bob MacKenzie spoke to them about opioid addiction.
“Substance use disorders affect people of all ages and all walks of life,” said Marcotte. “NARCAN trainings are crucial in helping recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and showing how to administer the drug that can reverse overdoses. Opioid overdose deaths have skyrocketed. It’s a mental health condition that can happen to anyone.”
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.
“This is about reducing stigma and saving lives,” said Bailey. “People leave these trainings with a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of an overdose and are better prepared to assist with the proper tools and information.”
As part of the program, Sweetser has licensed behavioral health clinicians around the state who work with law enforcement agencies, emergency services, and community partners to engage in post-overdose follow-up and provide help with referrals, conduct community outreach, de-escalate behavioral health crises, provide short-term counseling interventions, and distribute Naloxone.
To request free Naloxone or to inquire about hosting a training in York County, contact Lacey Bailey at lmbailey@sweetser.org.
$4M Midcoast Expansion of Lifesaving Mental Health & Substance Use Services
BRUNSWICK (January 10th, 2023) – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced a $4 million grant to statewide mental health care provider Sweetser to expand their Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) in Brunswick.
Sweetser is currently the largest provider of mobile crisis services in Maine.
In 2021, Sweetser received a $2.9M grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to first establish these services for Sagadahoc County and parts of Cumberland, Lincoln and Androscoggin counties.
CCBHC’s are designed to increase timely access to mental health and substance use services in areas that otherwise lack accessibility. Services include 24/7 crisis response and medication-assisted treatment.
“We have to meet folks where they are at,” said Joey Rossignol, Clinical Director of the CCBHC. “Every single day we see the need for this type of program to be expanded to more communities. The need is great and the need is there. CCBHC reduces barriers to accessing services and creates a one stop shop for meeting various levels of patient acuity.”
Since its inception, this program has served more than 400 clients across the Midcoast. The additional $4M grant will allow Sweeter grow capacity and expand the number of clients they are able to serve.
Services include, but are not limited to:
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Screening, Assessment and Diagnosis
• 24/7 Mobile Crisis Response & Crisis Stabilization
• Case Management Services (including Assertive Community Treatment)
• Peer Support Services
• Outpatient MH and SUD Treatment, including MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)
“More Midcoast Mainers will be able to access the timely help and support they need in their recovery journey because of this grant,” says Danielle Parent, Senior Director of the CCBHC. “This innovative model represents national best practice in delivering mental health and substance use care wherever the need is greatest. We’ve seen this model in other states be an effective tool in creating networks of support, treatment, and hope and Sweetser will continue leading the effort here in Maine.”
According to a 2022 CCBHC Impact Report, 2.1 million clients nationally are served by around 249 CCBHCs, a steep increase from 1.5 million in 2021. CCBHC status enables organizations to help over 900 more people per area than prior to this model being implemented, about a 23% increase.
CCBHCs have dramatically increased access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment, expanded states’ capacity to address the overdose crisis and established innovative partnerships with law enforcement, schools and hospitals to improve care, reduce recidivism and prevent hospital readmissions.
For more information on Sweetser’s CCBHC or to access services, please visit: https://www.sweetser.org/certified-community-behavioral-health-clinic/
About Sweetser:
Sweetser is a behavioral health nonprofit that provides evidence-based treatment, support and hope through a statewide network of community-based mental health, recovery, and educational services.
Sweetser Welcomes Two New Board Members
Sweetser is beginning 2023 with two new additions to our Board of Directors—Craig Alie and Anna-Marie DiPasquale.
Craig Alie
Craig Alie lives in Portsmouth, NH and is Chief Revenue Officer at Computershare. He earned a BA in economics at Colby College. Craig brings his experience drawn from Board roles with Agassiz Village in Poland, ME (past VP & Chair of Development Committee), SEED in Dover, NH and as a Strategic Adviser to CEO and the board with Gather in Portsmouth, NH. Welcome, Craig!
Anna-Marie DiPasquale
Anna-Marie DiPasquale lives in Biddeford and comes to us with a background as a social worker. She earned a BA in Psychology from New England College and an MA in School of Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. She is also an active volunteer with Foundation AHLE, an orphanage in Honduras. Welcome, Anna-Marie!
Watch this video to learn more about Craig and Anna-Maria:
Podcast Episode 3: What is Therapy
On this episode of “Not Now, Maybe Later”, you will hear some essential information about getting therapy when you are a teen. Things like how to find the right therapist, what confidentiality is, what different types of therapies there are, and what the most common diagnoses are for teens getting therapy.
New Sweetser Store
We’re so excited to announce our brand new Sweetser Store! Available to everyone at www.SweetserStore.org.
This a new and engaging way to order your favorite Sweetser branded attire like t-shirts, zip hoodies, and North Face outerwear.
There are also various accessories like mugs, tumblers, backpacks, and more!
We also have an entire Pride-themed collection.
Together let’s show off our Sweetser pride!