SANFORD, Maine — Sweetser in Sanford is now offering mental health and substance abuse treatment to people in York County who need it.
For the next four years, and thanks to a $4 million federal grant, Sweetser can now help up to 750 people in need, even if they don’t have insurance.
This will be a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) for people who lack access to timely crisis services, substance use and mental health counseling, care coordination, medication management, and other needs.
Joanne Grant, Sweetser’s chief growth officer, said this new clinic model allows for same-day access for treatment assessment.
Services for kids and teens are also available, and people can even walk in on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“We have walk-in hours that are Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the catchment area is 25-mile radius that also includes a lot of the rural areas that Sanford is kind of the treatment hub or service hub to,” Grant said. “And you can also walk in other days and our people will get you what you need.”
Halie Macfarland is a care coordinator at Sweetser in Sanford. She said this resource will benefit a lot of people in the community.
“So there’s a lot of substance abuse disorders in the area and substance abuse treatment issues, so people can’t really access that service,” she explained. “We are experiencing a really large housing crisis here in Sanford. Obviously, Maine, statewide rent prices are high, pays are low, and everybody is trying to focus to find a safe place to live. And we are really focused on trying to help with that.”
Both long-term and short-term services are available. Grant said the clinic is equipped to help in the fight against several issues in the community.
“We have a CCBHB in Brunswick, Maine, we were very successful implementing that. And when another opportunity came out with the federal government to apply to a grant, we thought we were positioned to really be an organization that could do that,” she said. “So we applied for that $4 million grant and were awarded that. This location was strategically chosen, there is a lot of need in this area, and we are just really happy to offer this service in Sanford,”
This CCBHC model is designed to increase timely access to wraparound mental health and substance use services in areas that otherwise lack accessibility.
“We have to meet folks where they’re at and in communities that desperately need more services,” Wendy Anders, Sweetser’s senior director of community services, said. “This clinic will reduce barriers to accessing services in the region and will create a one-stop shop for meeting various levels of patient needs.”
Services include:
• Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Screening, Assessment and Diagnosis
• 24/7 Mobile Crisis Response & Crisis Stabilization
• Case Management Services
• Peer Support Services
• Outpatient MH and SUD Treatment, including MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)
“Sweetser successfully launched a clinic in Brunswick serving the Midcoast region, and just last year were given additional funds to expand that program,” Sweetser President and CEO Jayne Van Bramer said. “It’s clear Sweetser is seen as the organization best positioned to lead the development of CCBHCs across the state. The goal is to have a CCBHC in every county.”
The new clinic is located at 863 Main Street in Sanford.
Besides the walk-in availability on Mondays and Wednesdays, people are encouraged to call the PromiseLine at 1-800-434-3000 or email info@sweetser.org to set up an appointment.
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