Sweetser now has one of the most accessible websites in behavioral health in Maine. We’ve added new functionality to our website to ensure we reduce barriers to access services.

The first is a translation feature that allows individuals to toggle between top languages and it will auto translate all the text on our website. Top languages include:

• Arabic
• Chinese
• Dutch
• French
• German
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish

The other allows individuals with various visual impairments to select different ways to better interact with our website content. This includes adjusting contrast, text spacing highlighting links, making text larger, and more.

See both here: https://www.sweetser.org.

Sweetser has expanded its participation in the OPTIONS (Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach, Naloxone, and Safety) initiative, adding two counties—Somerset and Kennebec—to the list of those we serve.

OPTIONS, which is a partnership with the Maine Office of Behavioral Health, aims to improve the health of Mainers who use substances by using harm reduction strategies, supporting recovery, and providing referrals for services.

Sweetser already has licensed behavioral health clinicians in York, Cumberland, Lincoln, Knox, Waldo, and Sagadahoc counties who work with law enforcement agencies, emergency services, and community partners to engage in post-overdose follow-up, help with referrals, offer community outreach, provide short-term counseling interventions, and distribute Naloxone.

“We look forward to serving these areas and learning more about the communities,” said Alyssa Pelchat, Director of Crisis Services. “There is no shortage of work to be done, and we feel confident that we can replicate the successes we have found in other locations in ways unique to these regions.”

For more information: https://www.sweetser.org/programs-services/services-for-adults/crisis-services/options-initiative-at-sweetser/

Kennebunk Savings President Bradford C. Paige (left) presents a check to Sweetser President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer

Kennebunk Savings is supporting access to mental health services for families in need, in partnership with Sweetser, a statewide community mental health nonprofit. The bank’s $10,000 grant will help pay for a variety of services for uninsured or underinsured families in the area, including school and primary care-based therapy support, mobile suicide prevention services, and residential care.

“Kennebunk Savings will support some of the most vulnerable individuals throughout the communities served by both our organizations as they receive help through their darkest and scariest moments,” said Kelly Thayer, Director of Development at Sweetser. “This funding will assist in removing barriers for Maine families, allowing access to mental healthcare for a brighter, more promising future.”

Since 1828, Sweetser has been serving Maine with a statewide network of care. With trained clinicians located in over 25 school districts and over a dozen primary care offices from Kittery to Bangor and hundreds of affiliate therapists positioned across the state, support is within reach for many who need it. The organization also manages residential care facilities for children and adults who need more intensive treatment, and their Mobile Crisis Intervention Specialists respond to crisis calls from families, teachers, police officers, and others in the community asking for immediate help with a person in crisis. Sweetser responds to these calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is the largest provider of mobile crisis services in the state.

“Each year, Sweetser provides hundreds of hours of mental and behavioral health services to children and families in Maine who cannot afford to pay for them,” explained Bradford C. Paige, President and CEO of Kennebunk Savings. “We feel strongly that this is an important area of need and one in which local businesses like ours can step up and play a key role.  By helping to fill the funding gap, we can increase accessibility to care and ensure no one has to choose to forgo the treatment and services that they need and deserve.”

Our very own Dr. Marc Kaplan was interviewed by Newscenter Maine as part of their newscast devoted entirely to suicide prevention stories. Here we discuss the impact that isolation has on the mental health of our seniors and what resources are available so seniors feel more connected including the important work of organizations like our friends at Age Friendly Saco.

Sweetser recently hosted a number of Saco area legislators and soon-to-be legislators at our Saco Special Purpose School. We appreciate Senator Donna Bailey, Representative Lynn Copeland, Representative Maggie O’Neil, Hon. Drew Gattine, and Marc Malon for a great discussion around the state of behavioral health and a tour of our campus. We appreciate their passion for service and interest in our shared mission of providing help and hope to more of their constituents. Our students even whipped up some delicious goodies for them as part of our culinary experiential learning program.

On September 21^st, Sweetser’s Saco Campus held its annual Ruel Ricker Day Fair. The event honors Sweetser’s first farm manager, Ruel Ricker, who held the position from 1941 through the 1970s, and is the namesake for Ricker Farm. The fair gives kids at the Saco School a chance to play games, win prizes and enjoy a BBQ. Sweetser staff and board members volunteered at the event, running games, giving out prizes, and much more.