Sweetser is excited to announce a brand-new program opening on our Saco campus! Aptly named Fresh Start, this transitional residential program provides a physical, therapeutic place for young adults to treat their mental health challenges and get the necessary support they need to become successfully independent.
Young Mainers aged 18-24 who have experienced childhood trauma or system involvement, such as foster care or in the criminal justice system, or have had a psychiatric hospital stay, will benefit from such a program. Individuals must have a mental health or substance use disorder diagnosis to enter the program.
Transitional units like this aim to prevent homelessness and reduce incarceration through structured programming and evidence-based treatment on the path to independence and behavioral well-being. Sweetser converted one of our crisis units after the state asked us to consider starting the program, which is one of only a handful in Maine. Young adults enrolled in Sweetser’s Fresh Start will receive individual & group treatment, enrichment activities, social interactions within a group setting, and support & skill development to join the workforce, go to school, or volunteer.
There are only a handful of these programs across Maine. Sweetser’s program fills a gap in services for youth in Southern Maine. We recently held a ribbon cutting with the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce, Saco Mayor, and other City of Saco officials. Learn more at www.Sweetser.org/FreshStart.