PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Aroostook Mental Health Center’s new residential treatment facility for substance use disorder opened last week and is already half filled.
The 18-bed facility, located at 176 Academy St. in Presque Isle, opened to the public on Oct. 25, and the demand is rapidly stretching it to capacity, according to Rebecca Fournier, residential treatment facility manager.
AMHC’s old residential treatment facility at 382 Main St. in Limestone, which had 12 beds for substance use disorder patients, is being sold off. The new facility had a waitlist of 18 patients as of Nov. 1.
“We are accepting referrals at this time and they are coming in very quickly,” Fournier said, adding she expects all beds to be filled by the end of this month.
The Presque Isle facility was made possible with $1 million in federal funding approved by Congress in 2022 after a funding request that was supported by Sen. Susan Collins, along with a $600,000 award through the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
An additional $150,000 award from the Health Resources Services Administration Rural Communities Opioid Response Program was used for the new facility.
The substances used by people suffering from addiction disorder range from alcohol to opioids, with patients becoming physically dependent in order to function.
AMHC is creating new treatment plans and assessments for patients coming into the residential treatment facility on a weekly basis to determine if they are receiving the proper level of care, Fournier said.
Medically supportive treatments like suboxone are available at the Presque Isle residential treatment facility based on the patient’s needs.
“This is a step in the right direction for reaching the service requirements needed for our area and also for the state,” Fournier said. “As we continue with our opening and our program we are hoping to expand the medical model in being able to offer withdrawal management at that medical level.”
The facility traditionally offers 28 days of care for patients but can increase it to 45 days depending on the level of care needed, Fournier said.
A discharge coordinator on AMHC’s staff works to make sure patients will find the care they need once they leave the facility.
AMHC has an agreement with Northern Light AR Gould Hospital to run tests to provide information to AMHC physicians to medically clear a patient before they can use a bed at the residential treatment facility.
Registered nurse Sheila Belle-Isle is working on staff for AMHC and will do an assessment of each client that comes into the residential treatment facility. She began working with AMHC six months ago to develop a new withdrawal program and provide education and support.
The agreement with AR Gould is the result of ongoing talks between the hospital and AMHC since the planned move from Limestone to the new Presque Isle residential treatment facility.
In order to qualify for a treatment bed potential residents need to meet the criteria for the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
Patients suffering from substance use disorder have to be physically stable with some residual withdrawal that doesn’t require medical treatment. AMHC is looking to open two clinical withdrawal beds in the residential treatment facility.
A patient would have to be cleared by a medical professional in order to use the clinical withdrawal bed, Fournier said.
Also located on Academy Street is AMHC’s Outpatient and Adult Crisis Stabilization Unit that is within close proximity to Northern Light AR Gould Hospital.
AMHC provides services to adults ages 18 years or older to all of Maine and not just Aroostook County. The residential treatment facility is available 24 hours, seven days a week.
An open house is scheduled on Dec. 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for referral sources across the state to come and see the new residential treatment facility. The guest speaker scheduled for the open house is Sen. Susan Collins.
