CALAIS, Maine — Having resources in place for communities across the state is vital for Mainers to get the help they need when it comes to their mental or behavioral health.
Aroostook Mental Health Services (AMHC) offers a 24/7 adult crisis stabilization unit (ACSU) in Calais for people who need support and intervention. The service is currently accepting new referrals.
"They're not just pushed back out into the community and said, 'Good luck,'" Bobbie Jo Shoaf, unit manager, said. "They can come to us and stay to reacclimate to their everyday living before they go back out."
As many as five adults can stay in private bedrooms for up to seven days as they get help and the resources they need to enter back into the community. The residential setting includes a kitchen and living room area, two bathrooms, as well as laundry and a shower.
The unit has crisis counselors available 24/7 who provide crisis management, safety planning, and support to those who need it.
"I don't think before we started the program we realized the need so much," AMHC Program Director, Shannon Gove, said.
Prior to the ACSU's opening in 2021, people in Washington County in need of these services would typically need to stay at the hospital or local emergency departments in order to find a stable environment. Meanwhile, some would need to drive more than an hour or so to reach a crisis stabilization unit in Bangor or Presque Isle, Gove said.
"We saw how essential it was to be here. You know, people in the community have challenges with transportation, not always great natural supports," Gove said.
The organization has other crisis services, as well as an adult crisis stabilization unit in Presque Isle and two children's crisis stabilization units located in Calais and Fort Fairfield.
In Calais, the adult crisis stabilization unit has five slots available, and its children's stabilization unit can house up to eight.
ASCU referrals can be made by calling the unit at 207-454-1910 or the AMHC Call Center at 1-800-244-6431. Click here if you're interested in learning more.