PRESS RELEASE FROM CITY OF PORTLAND, ME
PORTLAND, Maine – Today Spurwink and the City of Portland announced a new partnership between Spurwink’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) and the City’s Housing Opportunities for People in Encampments (HOPE) Program, creating a direct pathway to same-day behavioral health services and ongoing support for individuals experiencing homelessness as they transition into permanent housing. The partnership builds on the HOPE Program’s interagency housing navigation model and connects participants to the full continuum of CCBHC services, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
Through the partnership, individuals enrolled in the HOPE Program will have rapid access to Spurwink’s comprehensive behavioral health services, including mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, psychiatric services, care coordination, peer support, wellness services, crisis response, and community-based outreach. HOPE participants will also benefit from peer outreach and engagement services designed to build trust, reduce barriers to care, and support long-term recovery and stability.
“This partnership recognizes that housing and health are deeply interconnected,” said Ben Strick, Spurwink’s Vice President of Outpatient and Community Services. “Permanent housing is often a critical turning point, but maintaining housing requires ongoing support and access to healthcare, behavioral health treatment, and community connections. By linking HOPE participants directly to Spurwink’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic services, we can provide immediate access to care and continue supporting individuals long after they move into housing.”
With funding through Maine State Housing Authority, the HOPE Program was established to help individuals living in encampments move into and maintain permanent housing through housing navigation, landlord engagement, tenancy support, and housing stabilization services. City of Portland’s Social Services Division aligns housing navigators from CommonSpace, Milestone Recovery, and Preble Street to work together to house clients. This new collaboration strengthens those efforts by embedding a comprehensive behavioral healthcare pathway into the housing support model, ensuring participants have access to treatment, recovery supports, and care coordination throughout their housing journey.
A key feature of the partnership is the ability to provide “no wrong door” access to care. Individuals referred through the HOPE Program can connect quickly to behavioral health services without navigating complex eligibility requirements or worrying about insurance coverage. As a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, Spurwink is committed to serving individuals regardless of their ability to pay and offers services through a sliding fee scale and other financial assistance mechanisms consistent with federal and state requirements.
The partnership was made possible through Maine’s participation in the federal Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Demonstration Program. The demonstration has enabled behavioral health providers across the state to expand access to comprehensive, integrated care while ensuring that residents can receive services regardless of income, insurance status, or other barriers to treatment. By supporting innovative partnerships such as the collaboration between HOPE and Spurwink’s CCBHC, the demonstration is helping build a more accessible, coordinated, and equitable behavioral health system for Maine communities.
“Too often, people experiencing homelessness face significant barriers to accessing behavioral healthcare at the very time they need it most,” said Maggie McLoughlin, the City of Portland’s Director of Health and Human Services. “This partnership supports a seamless connection between housing and healthcare, helping individuals not only secure permanent housing but also build the supports necessary to remain housed and thrive.”
The collaboration reflects a shared commitment by Spurwink and the City of Portland to address homelessness through integrated, person-centered solutions. By combining housing navigation, peer support, care coordination, behavioral healthcare, and community partnerships, the initiative will help individuals achieve greater stability, improve health outcomes, and strengthen long-term recovery.
About Spurwink’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic
Spurwink’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) provides comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services to children, adults, and families throughout Maine. As part of Maine’s CCBHC Demonstration Program, Spurwink offers timely access to behavioral healthcare regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, integrating treatment, crisis services, care coordination, peer support, and community partnerships to promote health, recovery, and wellness.
About the HOPE Program
The City of Portland’s Housing Opportunities for People in Encampments (HOPE) Program helps individuals experiencing homelessness move into and maintain permanent housing through housing navigation, landlord engagement, tenancy support, and housing stabilization services. The program focuses on reducing barriers to housing and helping participants achieve long-term housing stability. Contact HOPE@portlandmaine.gov for more information.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Jessica Grondin, 207-756-8173
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