How a $4 million grant is transforming mental health care in York County

SANFORD, Maine — After years of limited resources and capabilities, Sweetser in Sanford is now able to help more people than ever before and chart a course of growth in the coming years.

Sweetser, a statewide behavioral health provider, recently opened a new certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC) at 863 Main Street in downtown Sanford, thanks to a $4 million federal grant. The funds will help the organization pursue its goal of serving more people throughout York County than it has previously been able to help.

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the funds. The staff at Sweetser and representatives of the Sanford-Springvale Chamber of Commerce officially opened the clinic during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Jan. 22.

The public clinic is designed to increase timely access to mental health services in areas where previously people might not have been able to seek them. Such services include around-the-clock crisis response, medication-assisted treatment, case management assistance, peer support, and outpatient screening, assessment and diagnosis.

Wendy Anders, the senior director of community services at Sweetser, said the organization needs to meet people where they are and in places that “desperately need more services.”

“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,” Anders said.

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In addition to providing more access to services, CCBHCs also have expanded the capacity of states to address the overdose crisis and established partnerships with law enforcement, schools and hospitals to improve care, reduce recidivism, and prevent hospital re-admissions, according to a press release from Sweetser.

President Biden and his administration see this model as a priority for increasing access to mental health and recovery services. Sweetser President and CEO Jayne Van Bramer said her organization also has established a clinic in Brunswick to serve the state’s Midcoast region.

“The goal is to have a CCBHC in every county,” she said.

The clinic in Sanford offers walk-in service, allowing for same-day access for treatment assessments, on Mondays and Wednesdays, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Outside of those hours, people are encouraged to call the PromiseLine at 1-800-434-3000 or send an email to info@sweetser.org to set up an appointment.

According to Anders, a person will be able to walk into Sweetser through the side entrance during public hours and speak with Nicole Dagle, the access coordinator, at the front counter in the lobby. If the person is interested in an intake assessment, then Dagle will set them up with Megan Fernandez, an intake clinician. From there, if the person wishes, the person will be set up with Care Coordinator Halie MacFarland, who will help them navigate the therapy or medication management they are seeking.

The $4 million in funding allows Sweetser to open its Sanford doors in a way in which it had not been able before, according to Anders. The site was a clinic in previous years, but it struggled due to reimbursement rates from various insurance companies, including MaineCare, which did not cover what the organization provided.

“Our clinics were closing,” Anders said.

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Staff members were able to provide services in the community, such as at public schools and at primary care practices, but a “clinic setting, where you could just walk in and get services, basically didn’t exist,” especially during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Anders added.

The $4 million has changed all that, according to Anders. Now, Sweetser can provide public services in-house at its Main Street site and is planning to expand its staff, to include nurse practitioners, as well. Accessibility and coordination are the key takeaways of what the grant is allowing Sweetser to do, Anders said.

The organization also is teaming up with state officials and agencies, Anders said.

“What we’re currently doing right now is a federal model of delivering services,” she said. “It’s federally funded. We’re working with the state of Maine to adopt a state model, which will be for sustainability purposes. That’s the goal.”

Since opening on Jan. 22, the clinic has had as many as eight walk-in clients, Anders said.

“We’re pretty excited about that,” she added. “Our goal over the next four years is to serve more than 750 individuals that would otherwise not have been served throughout the county.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Sweetser opens new mental health clinic in Sanford with $4M grant