The 12-bed facility is greatly needed to help women break the cycle Author:Vivien Leigh Published:9:40 PM EST February 1, 2018 PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) — A new recovery house for women is set to open later this year. The home, operated by Milestone Recovery, is expected to help women who are falling through the cracks when it comes to finding stable and sober housing to help them break the cycle. The recovery house will be located in Portland and ... Read More ›
News
Senator Collins Receives Award from the National Council for Behavioral Health
Senator Collins was honored for her advocacy to preserve access to health care for those with mental health and substance abuse disorders Senator Collins with Behavioral Health Award Senator Collins with Bob Fowler, Rebecca Farley David, Mallory Shaughnessy, and Malka Berro Washington, D.C. -The National Council for Behavioral Health honored U.S. Senator Susan Collins with the 2017 Behavioral Health Champion Award for her advocacy to preserve health care for those ... Read More ›
BDN: Maine’s drug treatment centers struggle to attract workers. Here’s how the state can help.
Maine has a real opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our families by ensuring quality, affordable prevention, treatment and recovery centers — but we need to keep them open for business. By Patricia Kimball, Special to the BDN Posted May 24, 2017, at 9 a.m. Last modified May 24, 2017, at 9:17 a.m. Just like you, I read, listen and watch the news and hear the horrible statistic that someone every day in Maine is lost to a drug overdose. For every one person we lose to an ... Read More ›
2017 HOPE Conference 5.31.17
Annual Conference May 31, 2017 Who Should Attend: This conference is designed for persons in recovery, consumers, survivors, service providers, family and community members Conference Objectives: The goals for the conference are for participants to gain a greater understanding of what recovery/wellness is from the many paths and different perspectives on the journey of life. This conference will be a chance to learn from each other, network, and gain greater understanding about recovery ... Read More ›
PPH – Maine overdose deaths soared nearly 40 percent last year, to record 378
Opioid drugs such as fentanyl and heroin caused most of the fatalities in 2016, the fifth straight year of increases in 'a heartbreaking statistic.' By Megan Doyle ... Read More ›
PPH – Lost: A 10-Part Special Report on the Opioid Crisis in Maine
As the public health crisis deepened, state policies made treatment less available to the tens of thousands of people addicted. Only now is Maine beginning to pay attention. For the victims and families left behind, it’s too little, too late. The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram presents a 10-day series exploring the heroin scourge and assessing the horrific cost our state has borne. Click here for the complete series. ... Read More ›
MEPublic – Study: If Obamacare is Repealed, 19,000 Mainers Will Lose Mental Health, Drug Treatment
By Patty Wight More than 19,000 Mainers will lose access to mental health and drug treatment if the Affordable Care Act is repealed, according to researchers at Harvard and New York University. At a time when drug overdose deaths are at an all time high in Maine, health care advocates say the push by Republicans in Congress to repeal the ACA with no clear replacement will make the problem even worse. Eleven-thousand Mainers insured by marketplace plans receive mental health treatment, ... Read More ›
PPH – ACA repeal would jeopardize addiction treatment for about 8,300 Mainers, researchers say
The loss of coverage in the state would come amid an opioid crisis in which an average of one person a day dies from an overdose. By Joe Lawlor An estimated 8,300 Mainers with substance use disorders will lose access to treatment programs if the Affordable Care Act is repealed, according to an analysis published Wednesday by researchers at New York University and Harvard Medical School. The loss of coverage would come amid an opioid crisis in which Mainers are dying from drug overdoses ... Read More ›
PPH – Barriers discourage Maine doctors from providing Suboxone to opioid addicts
Financial and other disincentives make it 'a lot to ask,' but recent progress that includes more funding for medication-assisted treatment offers signs of hope. By Joe Lawlor Doctors’ groups have spent several months trying to coax fellow physicians to become Suboxone providers – apparently to little effect. Boosting the low supply of doctors who prescribe Suboxone is a crucial piece of the puzzle that if solved would help to meet the treatment demand for the thousands of Mainers in ... Read More ›
KJ – From the State House: Mental health policy a matter of life and death
We must protect funding for prevention and treatment of mental illness. By Senator Cathy Breen I read with great sadness the story in this newspaper about John Norton, a smart and talented young man with a bright future cut short after a nearly two-year struggle with schizophrenia. In the wake of his suicide, Norton’s parents were determined to share their story. His mother said they wanted to help other families dealing with the pain and confusion of schizophrenia. I applaud their ... Read More ›