ROCKLAND, Maine – Five years ago it was difficult to find where to get help when dealing with substance use disorders in Knox County Few resources were offered in the region.
However, the tide has turned in recent years as a number of groups established or expanded resources to help people struggling with addiction.
Two recreational residences have opened in the area. offers both men a safe and sober life and Women. In 2019 a A nationwide collaboration was established to bring organizations together Dealing with substance use and recovery was made clear. The group continues to meet weekly to determine what resources are available and which are still needed.
The latest addition to this trend is the opening of a new office space in Rockland, which will house three organizations focused on substance use disorders, restoration and restorative justice. The collaboration between the Coastal Recovery Community Center, the Health Equity Alliance and the Restorative Justice Project will bring a variety of services under one roof to help people with substance use disorders.
The services offered include a new space for peer support groups, individual case management and the district’s first syringe exchange program.
“The sky is the limit, because no matter where you are in your recovery, whether you are still actively using it or whether you are freshly released [from jail] or whether they are 20 years in their sobriety, they are welcomed. “Erin Hustus, co-director of the Coastal Recovery Community Center, said. “This is the benefit that everyone who works in a room has.”
The new collaboration takes place at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming a Increase in overdose deaths in Maine and nationwide.
Knox County recorded 17 drug-related deaths in 2020, up from seven in 2019, six in 2018, and eleven in 2017 Data compiled by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center.
The number of drug-related deaths in Knox County last year was nearly double the number of drug-related deaths in neighboring counties with similar populations. In 2020, both Waldo Counties and Lincoln Counties had nine drug-related deaths, and Sagadahoc Counties had documented seven.
With overdose deaths on the rise over the past year, the need for groups with similar missions to work together to provide resources for recovery and substance use is stronger than ever, according to Ashley Brown, regional manager, Health Equity Alliance Downeast and Midcoast.
“I see a lot of collaboration in this area and I think this may be a by-product of COVID and certainly the overdose spikes,” Brown said. “It can feel like all of these organizations doing great work can simply be isolated in their own work, but it is necessary to come together and have better coordination of care in the community to solve the problems . “
The idea for the three organizations to live together in one location in Rockland was largely based on the fact that – although each company has a different mission – it could encourage potential collaboration and expose their customers to a greater number of services they may not had consciously.
“Someone who might be interested in one of our services could stop by and actually access all three,” Brown said.
The new space offers both the Health Equity Alliance and the Restorative Justice Project the opportunity to have their own space and staff in Rockland for the first time. The Coastal restoration community center was founded in the city five years ago and offers peer support groups such as NA and AA as well as recovery coach services.
The Health Equity AllianceThe company, which has offices in multiple Maine communities, is a health justice organization that provides assistance to people with substance use disorders and people living with HIV.
In Rockland, the organization will provide free naloxone distribution as well as the county’s first syringe exchange program designed to reduce the transmission of blood-borne diseases. Before the Health Equity Alliance offered this service in Rockland, people had to travel to Augusta or Bangor to gain access to a clean needle exchange program.
The organization also offers case management for people with substance use disorders to assess and consider their needs, including mental health, housing, and access to food.
“We support people in every phase or in their recovery or active use. [Through case management] We work with them to find out what needs they are not meeting and what goals they are achieving in order to arrive at a place of stability and wellbeing, ”said Brown.
The Justice Restoration ProjectThe Belfast-based group is committed to promoting judicial practices that focus on rehabilitating a criminal – or a person who has caused non-criminal harm – through reconciliation with the aggrieved party and the wider community.
According to Erica Buswell, Knox County’s coordinator for the Restorative Justice Project, the group’s work is not only focused on substance use disorders, but is a community problem that can benefit from restorative justice practices.
“People struggling with substance use disorders suffer harm and may feel disconnected from their communities,” Buswell said. “Recovery practices can either prevent this damage from occurring or help repair the damage that is caused.”
The collaboration between the Health Equity Alliance and the Restorative Justice Project is already underway. The groups are working with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to develop a law enforcement diversion program that will allow police to refer individuals to the two community groups for assistance, rather than making subpoenas or arrest in specific circumstances.
Bruce Hodsdon, co-director of the Coastal Recovery Community Center, said the new common space and collaboration behind it sends a positive message to people in the community who may need help.
“It sends a message that all of the people who work in this field are sitting together as a community and tackling the problem not just as an individual group but as a community,” said Hodsdon. “It is difficult for people to voluntarily take a step forward to seek help. But I think there are a lot more resources now than there were four years ago, and that growth is just beginning. ”
The three organizations moved to offices at St. Peter Episcopal Church on White Street last month. The Coastal Recovery Community Center is already holding on-site meetings, and staff from the Health Equity Alliance and the Restorative Justice Project have regular on-site office hours. Due to COVID-19, the organizations recommend planning appointments in advance.
