Sweetser and ABC’s WMTW Channel 8 are joining forces to reduce stigma around seeking mental health treatment and educating the public around available resources.
Sweetser President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer discusses the youth mental health crisis.
Sweetser Medical Director Dr. Marc Kaplan talks about the challenges and resources available in Maine when it comes to suicide.
Sweetser Medical Director Dr. Marc Kaplan discusses why suicide rates are rising and the importance of securing guns to protect children.
Lindsay Susi, Clinical Director for Sweetser’s New England Eating Disorders Program, joined WMTW to talk about eating disorders and explains why they are a form of mental illness.
Lindsay Susi, Clinical Director for Sweetser’s New England Eating Disorders Program, spoke with Meghan Torjussen at WMTW about ways to support friends and loved ones struggling this holiday season.
Sweetser’s Director of Recovery Services, Michael Tausek, discusses the Peer Support Line, a Sweetser managed mental health resource in Maine.
Sweetser’s Training Specialist, Steve Nesky, shares information on free mental health training for the public through Sweetser.
Michael Maudlin, Sweetser’s new Mental Health Liaison discusses Sweetser’s new partnership with law enforcement agencies throughout midcoast Maine to provide liaison work, including de-escalation resources and mental health support to those most in need.
Justin Chenette, Sweetser’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement, highlights the impact year-end donations have on Sweetser’s ability to provide mental health services to Mainers in need.
Sweetser Medical Director Dr. Marc Kaplan discusses holiday depression and coping strategies.
Sweetser President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer talks about the importance of school-based therapy services and our efforts with the legislature to create an incentive for more schools to contract with providers like Sweetser.
Sweetser’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement Justin Chenette discusses ways of making mental health a priority for us this year.
Hannah Schlotterbeck, a Sweetser School-based Clinician who is based in two schools in Brunswick and Harpswell, appeared WMTW Channel 8’s Mental Health Moment to discuss the importance of our school-based program.
Sweetser’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement Justin Chenette breaks down the benefits of having a pet.
Sweetser President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer discusses reforms to improve Maine’s behavioral health system.
During Eating Disorders Awareness Week, our New England Eating Disorders Program Clinical Director, Lindsay Susi, appeared on WMTW-TV Channel 8 to discuss different signs to look out for and ways to support family members who might be exhibiting disordered eating.
Lacey Bailey is a Sweetser OPTIONS Liaison for York County and joined our weekly TV segment on WMTW Channel 8 to discuss the how liaisons can help people with substance use disorders and the importance of our partnerships with law enforcement.
For many Maine youth who struggle with a highest level of mental health and behavioral challenges, they either have to be sent out of state to secure psychiatric residential treatment facilities out of state or they get stuck with long stays in Emergency Rooms in hospitals because there is no place for them to receive care. Sweetser’s President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer discusses the need for such a facility in this week’s Mental Health Moment.
Rebekah Strasburger, a parent from Brunswick, whose child is accessing support from a Sweetser school-based clinician, talks about the positive impact of the program and the need for services to continue.
Senior Director of Public Relations and Advancement, Justin Chenette, breaks down what a special purpose school is and the impact our Saco K-12 school has on the students we serve.
Thousands of Mainers are on waiting lists to access various mental health services. One potential solution to that problem is encouraging more individuals to fill open positions with behavioral health providers. Sweetser’s Human Resources Director Carol Mundigler talks about the open positions in the field.
Are men in a friendship recession? According to polls conducted by the Survey Center on American Life, only 1 in 5 men reported receiving social support from guy friends in the week prior, versus 2 in 5 women. More than half of all men report feeling unsatisfied with the number of friends they have and 20 percent of single men don’t have any close friends. Sweetser’s Medical Director Dr. Marc Kaplan discusses on this Mental Health Moment segment.
When someone is in crisis, it doesn’t always happen in a convenient place or near services. That’s where mobile crisis specialists come in; responding to crisis calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sweetser is the state’s largest provider of these mobile crisis services. Sweetser’s Director of Crisis Services, Alyssa Pelchat, discusses why the program is so critical.
When individuals receive treatment for mental health disorders, it helps when the individual assisting on the other end of the phone, session or interaction has been through similar lived experiences. Sweetser’s Director of Recovery Services Alaina Knox spoke to WMTW about what Peer Support Services can offer those in need.
Sweetser’s Affiliate Manager Jan Dubois appeared on our weekly Mental Health Moment segment on WMTW to talk about the benefits of going into private practice.
Sweetser Medical Director Dr. Marc Kaplan discusses collective trauma six months after the Lewiston shooting.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Mike Andrick, Sweetser’s Senior Director of Adult Crisis & Residential Services, highlighted the resources and support that are available to someone who is in crisis on our weekly WMTW segment, Mental Health Moment.
Sweetser Senior Director of Community Services Wendy Anders appeared as a guest on our weekly TV segment on WMTW to discuss Sweetser launching a new a Child ACT team.
If you are struggling with a mental health challenge, it can feel intimidating to know where to start to get the right kind of help and treatment you need. Sweetser’s Brunswick & Cumberland County CCBHC Director Joey Rossignol, talks about what to expect in accessing services at our clinics in Brunswick and Sanford on the latest edition of Mental Health Moment on WMTW Channel 8.
Pride Month is a special time of year. It’s an opportunity to be you, for others to celebrate you for being you, and to feel connected to a larger community support network. Check out WMTW’s latest Mental Health Moment segment about the importance of Pride with Sweetser’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement Justin Chenette.
In addition to Pride, June is also Men’s Mental Health Month. Statistics show that women are diagnosed with depression twice as much as men. However, suicide data from the CDC shows that the rate of suicide was four times higher for men than women in 2020 and over 6 million men suffer from depression, often left undiagnosed. Mike Andrick, Sweetser’s Senior Director of Adult Crisis & Residential Services, was a guest on WMTW’s Mental Health Moment to discuss the importance of mental health among men.
Now that summer is officially here, people might be thinking about taking that vacation or taking time to recharge, but did you know more than 765 million vacation days have gone unused by Americans? Sweetser’s Medical Director Dr. Marc Kaplan speaks to WMTW to discuss the mental health impact of taking time away from work.
Sweetser’s Chief Program Officer, Kristie Worster, discusses how families can access our children’s crisis stabilization units on WMTW Channel 8’s Mental Health Moment segment.
Motherhood can be a rewarding journey, but it can also impact a woman’s mental health. Sweetser’s Chief Growth Officer, Joanne Grant, who also happens to be a mother herself, spoke about the subject on WMTW’s Mental Health Moment segment.
If an adult is experiencing a mental health crisis, where can they go to get immediate support? Mike Andrick, Sweetser’s Senior Director of Adult Crisis & Residential Services, appeared on our weekly TV segment to discuss our crisis residential program.
We’ve waited all winter to enjoy our beautiful Maine summers, but did you know there is a connection between prolonged exposure to high temperatures and a negative impact on our mental health? Sweetser’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement Justin Chenette discusses on WMTW.
Eating disorders are a form of mental illness that can affect anyone at any age, including teenagers and younger children. Lindsay Susi, Sweetser’s Clinical Director of our New England Eating Disorders program, discussed the signs parents should look out for on WMTW’s Mental Health Moment.
Sweetser has immediate openings for those who require medication management as part of their mental health treatment at our Sanford Clinic. Wendy Anders, Sweetser’s Senior Director of Community Services, joined WMTW’s Mental Health Moment to discuss when people might need medication to treat a mood disorder.
With many families preparing to send their kids back to school, it’s natural for youth to feel stress and anxiety about returning. Sweetser Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement Justin Chenette discusses some strategies and resources for families.
Sweetser’s Mental Health Awareness Training Coordinator Mason Cashman spoke to WMTW on their weekly Mental Health Moment segment about our free suicide prevention and intervention training called QPR, which stands for Question Persuade and Refer.
According to the CDC, 1 in five people reported having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their life. Symptoms of depression and other mental health challenges can surface in specific ways in the workplace. Sweetser’s Chief HR Officer, Holly Hall, appeared on WMTW’s Mental Health Moment segment to discuss.
For mental health professionals, participating in professional development is not just about staying current in their job or meeting certain requirements, it can also make them better at serving the needs of those they help. Sweetser’s Training Director, Jayne Pelletier, joined WMTW’s weekly segment to discuss the importance of mental health providers to do ongoing professional development.
When there is a traumatic event that happens out in the community, there are professionals who are trained to respond to assist individuals whose mental health is impacted by the stress of such terrible situations. Sweetser’s Chief Growth Officer Joanne Grant spoke to WMTW about the support available for Critical Incident Stress Management or CISM. Sweetser received a grant from Marr Anderson Family Foundation to train our employees in CISM, and we currently have approximately 25 staff trained in CISM.
Sweetser is opening a new transitional-aged youth residential program in Saco next month to better the lives of young adults aged 18-24. This program will provide a physical, therapeutic place for young adults to receive individual & group treatment, enrichment activities, social interactions within a group setting, and support to work, go to school, or volunteer. Sweetser’s Adult Residential Director Doug Weaver teased the opening to WMTW Channel 8 on their weekly TV segment.
Our President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer appeared throughout the day on WMTW Channel 8 to provide support and resources, as well as to highlight our new Lewiston clinic, which will open next month. Watch below.
Sweetser’s President & CEO Jayne Van Bramer spoke about Sweetser’s new Hope and Healing Center in Lewiston and how this Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic will help the area with their mental health and recovery needs.
As we approach the holiday season, some individuals can struggle with their mental health during this time of the year. In fact, 64% of individuals living with a mental illness felt that their conditions worsened around the holidays. Sweetser’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement Justin Chenette, spoke to WMTW on their weekly Mental Health Moment TV segment about the topic.
Sweetser’s Senior Director of Community-Based Services for Cumberland County, Joey Rossignol, appeared on WMTW’s weekly Mental Health Moment segment to discuss the benefits of our Behavioral Health Home services for adults.