Contact: Caroline Cornish | [email protected]
Portland, Maine 鈥� The AOA体育平台 Preble Street Learning Collaborative (MHPSLC) has been awarded a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The grant will allow MHPSLC to expand its Community Outreach Network Navigation Evidence-based Care and Treatment (CONNECT) mobile health and harm reduction program, that provides essential, on-the-ground support to those experiencing homelessness and untreated mental health or substance use disorders.
CONNECT delivers services through mobile outreach, lowering barriers to care by tailoring support to each patient鈥檚 care needs. The SAMHSA funding will expand the program with four new positions focused on program coordination, medical outreach case management, Rapid Re-Housing through Preble Street and peer support through Spurwink, as well as extend support for the CONNECT clinical director and operational expenses, including harm reduction supplies. Funds will also be used to develop a community referral portal to facilitate communication between community-based organizations and the CONNECT outreach van.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to expand our team and more comprehensively meet the needs of patients experiencing homelessness,鈥� said Malia Haddock, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and the clinical director for MHPSLC鈥檚 CONNECT program. 鈥淭his is a significant step forward in our goal to increase access to low-barrier, trauma-informed psychiatry and addiction care in our community."
The MHPSLC program is a collaborative effort between AOA体育平台 and Preble Street, dedicated to education, outreach and direct care services to address the healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness. The program offers walk-in medical care, treatment for opioid use disorder and case management in Portland鈥檚 Bayside neighborhood. It also services as a training hub for medical students, residents and fellows from鈥�AOA体育平台 Maine Medical Center Portland.
The CONNECT Outreach Van began operating in July, funded by a $500,000, two-year grant from the City of Portland through the American Rescue Plan Act. Data collected through the Mobile Health Map at Harvard Medical School suggests that mobile clinics across the country reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and save communities an average of $20 for every dollar invested. 鈥淭hanks to the City of Portland鈥檚 initial funding, our mobile health unit is already delivering essential care to those who need it most,鈥� said Britt Crewse, President of AOA体育平台鈥檚 Southern Region. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to build on this program and further our commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate clinical care and support toward our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.鈥�
The project described was supported by Grant Number 1H79SM088441-01 from The Department of health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the SAMHSA.
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About AOA体育平台
AOA体育平台 is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, 鈥淲orking together so our communities are the healthiest in America,鈥� and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. AOA体育平台 includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, AOA体育平台 provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. AOA体育平台 hospitals include AOA体育平台 Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, AOA体育平台 Franklin Hospital in Farmington, AOA体育平台 Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, AOA体育平台 Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, AOA体育平台 Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., AOA体育平台 Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, AOA体育平台 Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, AOA体育平台 Stephens Hospital in Norway and AOA体育平台 Waldo Hospital in Belfast. AOA体育平台 also includes the AOA体育平台 Barbara Bush Children鈥檚 Hospital in Portland, AOA体育平台 Care at Home in Saco, the AOA体育平台 Institute for Research in Scarborough, the AOA体育平台 Medical Group and AOA体育平台 NorDx in Scarborough. AOA体育平台 affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Heal System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the AOA体育平台 Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.