Spurwink’s ability to provide behavioral health and education services for children, adults, and families in Maine is made possible through the generous support from our community. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from foundations, corporations, and the United Way from November-December, including the Key Bank Foundation, The UPS Foundation, and the United Way of Southern Maine. Read more to learn about the wide variety of programs they are supporting.
The Key Bank Foundation awarded Spurwink $25,000 to launch the Key Bank Workforce Fund to help address the workforce crisis. The Fund will provide matching tuition-reimbursement for staff continuing their education, and opportunities for professional development in the behavioral health and education fields, improving the expertise and wage potential of the Spurwink workforce. Ultimately, the Fund will improve Spurwink recruitment and retention, leading to more consistent care for children and adults with ID/DD and behavioral health challenges, and a more highly trained workforce that can more fully meet the diverse needs of our clients across Maine.
The UPS Foundation awarded Spurwink’s statewide A Family for ME foster care recruitment program $15,000 toward raising awareness about the urgent need for foster families in Maine. A Family for ME is a partnership between the Maine Department of Health & Human Services and Spurwink. Funds will provide outreach to help identify foster parents who can provide temporary care to infants who are in the process of reunification with their birth families, larger sibling groups to allow these siblings to remain connected in the same home, and for older youth with behaviors resulting from their exposure to traumatic events.
The United Way of Southern Maine awarded Spurwink $11,000 to support the Spurwink Therapeutic Preschool in Saco and $7,500 to support teen mental health in York County. Funding will provide staff at the Spurwink Preschool and other Biddeford-area providers with Social Thinking training designed to help children improve social competency, purchase Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration materials, and promote caregiver/child communication and emotional regulation at home. Funds will also provide access to mental health care for adolescents and help youth and their families meet basic needs during the pandemic so that they can stabilize and fully participate in treatment.