Tri-Country Mental Health Services receives grant

LEWISTON — Tri-County Mental Health Services recently announced it has received an award of $54,978 from the United Way of Greater Portland as part of the United Way’s Thrive 2027 Initiative to pilot a collaborative initiative led by Tri-County and United Ambulance Services.

Bridgton Hospital, a member of the Central Maine Health Care network, also will participate actively in the effort focusing on individuals who present at the Bridgton Hospital Emergency Department because of an opioid overdose, who receive medical treatment to address the overdose, but who do not agree to enter treatment or for whom there is no available treatment or funding to access recovery oriented treatment of any kind, for example counseling, in-patient detox and rehabilitation, or intensive outpatient programs, most of which are either unavailable or extremely limited.
Emergency department personnel will notify TCMHS staff who will then coordinate the provision of services with United Ambulance Services. For one week post discharge a community paramedic and TCMHS Peer Recovery Coach will visit the discharged individual in his or her home. The paramedic will administer suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) to decrease the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and support recovery, check vitals, and ensure the patient is medically stable. The Peer Recovery Coach will perform a wide range of tasks to assist project participants in regaining control over their lives and over their recovery process.
The coach will apply knowledge and skills gained in his or her recovery, as well as the philosophy and values of the peer recovery coaching model as promoted by Maine Alliance for Addictions Recovery. Peer Recovery Coaches will also gather data on outcomes, including when patients begin recovery treatment, to analyze and support project assessment. The proposed effort is a small, pilot project designed to develop a model for successful implementation on a larger scale.
The desired outcomes of the funded project are that those who participate will complete the pilot program, enter and maintain recovery, and sustain recovery going forward. The pilot is intended to result in the development and implementation of a larger scale project that will have significant positive impact in treating opioid addiction in Maine’s more rural regions.
For more nearly 70 years, Tri-County Mental Health Services has provided innovative programs and services addressing mental health, substance-use disorders, developmental disabilities, and more to thousands of children, adults, elders, and families each year. Tri-County’s Mental Health Services’ philosophy of building toward recovery and sensitivity to the traumatic experiences of consumers gives hope to individuals, families, and communities in Androscoggin, Northern Cumberland, Franklin, Oxford and York counties. For more information, visit www.tcmhs.org