Initiatives

The State of Maine Co-Occurring State Incentive Grant (2005–2010)

CCSME provided statewide training, technical assistance, grant writing, development, and project oversight for this grant and served as a subcontractor to the Office of Substance Abuse in the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The grant was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with an annual budget of $265,000.

Project Connect (2008–2009)

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine, obtained a $48,301 planning grant for the development of a strategic plan to enhance collaboration across the criminal justice and behavioral health systems from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Project Connect promoted screening for criminal risk and behavioral health issues throughout the correctional system to guide, collaborate and inform treatment decisions and plans. In addition, the strategic plan developed targeted interventions for criminal risks, programming for mentoring, and peer-to-peer supports for the mental health and co-occurring substance abuse offender population in Cumberland County.

Early identification through screening yields more appropriate assessments and sharing of information. This can be used to match expanded evidence-based interventions to manage offenders with co-occurring mental health and/or co-occurring conditions appropriately by risk and need. This reduces recidivism, increases public safety, and uses resources more effectively. The collaborative process and the protocols developed can guide and inform other jurisdictions.

Kennebec Co-Occurring Court (2005–2008)

The Maine Co-Occurring Disorders Court is a specialized court docket for adults with co-occurring disorders who are involved with the criminal justice system. This court provides judicial oversight, strict monitoring, rapid access to specialized treatment, and case management services in lieu of jail – or provides a reduced sentence for successful completion.

This type of specialty court preserves public safety by establishing careful monitoring of the person in the community, requiring compliance with the program to remain in the community, and breaking the cycle of repeat offending rooted in untreated mental illness and substance abuse.

CCSME was involved in the initial planning for the CODC, has provided training to the Court’s multidisciplinary team, and continues to be represented on the steering committee.

Institute for Quality Behavioral Health Care (2004–2006)

The Co-Occurring Collaborative of Southern Maine in collaboration with AdCare Maine, the Aroostook Mental Health Center, Day One, Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maine, the Maine Primary Care Association, Bureau of Medical Services, and the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services, established the Institute for Quality Behavioral Health Care to lead and disseminate evidence-based practices (EBPs).

The Institute priorities during the first two years included: (1) fostering the implementation of the EBP- Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders through training, networking and creating increased support; (2) critiquing the model; (3) developing four centers of excellence across Maine to serve as models and consultant resources for integrated treatment regionally; (4) supporting and extending a work group of trainers, advocates, families, consumers, physical health-primary care and behavioral healthcare providers, funders and policymakers to remove barriers and create incentives for the implementation of EBP- integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders.

Jail Diversion Project, Cumberland County Jail (2002–2006)

CCSME partnered in this jail diversion project and assisted with consulting, writing and grant development as a subcontractor to Cumberland County. The project was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services with an annual budget of $289,958.

Recovery Stories (2001)

Together with NAMI Maine, CCSME produced a video documenting five individual stories of co-occurring disorder recovery. The project was funded by Janssen Pharmaceutica Research Foundation and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Intensive Training Initiatives on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Individuals with Substance Abuse and Relapse Prevention for Co-Occurring Disorders (1997)

CCSME worked with nine teams across Maine to train and implement dialectical behavior therapy for individuals with substance abuse (DBT-S). CCSME also developed Relapse Prevention groups, wrote and directed the grant, and produced a monograph on Relapse Prevention for Co-Occurring Disorders. The Maine Office of Substance Abuse funded these projects with a budget of $80,000.

Dual Disorders Service Integration and Reimbursement Demonstration Project (1993–1996)

CCSME directed the Collaborative and Enhanced Community Care Service component of the Dual Disorders Service Integration and Reimbursement Demonstration Project and assisted with writing the grant.

This project served as an umbrella for the implementation of Maine Medical Center’s ACCESS (ACT) Team, the first integrated co-occurring ACT team in Maine providing services to individuals with substance use disorders and Axis I and/or Axis II psychiatric disorders. The Maine Office of Substance Abuse, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Bingham Program funded the project for three years at an annual rate of $500,000.

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