At Greater Portland Health, we aim to address not only patients’ physical health, but their emotional health needs through a trauma-informed model of care. As a Patient Centered Medical Home, patients benefit from the full integration of our behavioral health program with our medical services. Greater Portland Health has a licensed clinical social worker as a member of every patient’s healthcare team to support patients’ holistic health and to provide quality patient care through the promotion of health equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Clinical social workers provide evidenced based interventions for patients with social/emotional concerns including stress, depressed and anxious moods, relationship concerns, psychological trauma, as well as substance use concerns. Information and referral to a more intensive treatment program and substance abuse services are provided as needed.
Our Evidence-Based Treatment Modalities Include:
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Harm Reduction
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Trauma Focused CBT (TF-CBT) for children and adults
- Substance Use Treatment
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Restructuring (EMDR)
- Grief and Loss Counseling
Treatment Philosophy
We believe that people strive to be healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually, though life often presents challenges that can make this difficult to achieve. These challenges include acute or chronic illness, stressful life events, substance use, psychological trauma, acculturation stress, limited economic resources, work pressures, as well as community, family, and relationship difficulties. We believe that people are always functioning to the best of their ability, within the context of their individual life experiences and life skills, and we strive to encourage and empower choice in treatment options that reflect patients’ resilience.
Mental Health Screenings
All patients participate in ongoing, brief screenings for depression, traumatic stress, substance use, and other behavioral health disorders as part of an initial and periodic medical history intake or update. Patients screening positive for depression, substance use and/or traumatic stress are offered counseling. Patients with mental illness may be treated by their primary care provider or internally referred to the mental health team for further evaluation and treatment, and are supported by their team social worker. Patients who screen positive for substance use disorder receive a brief intervention and if appropriate are referred into the Greater Pathways program for substance use treatment.
Pediatric patients are screened for exposure to violence at their initial visit and ongoing well-child visits. If a child screens positive, he/she will meet with the pediatric social worker for a full biopsychosocial assessment and ongoing treatment, including Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), as appropriate.
Referrals
Patients requiring a higher level of care due to complex psychiatric symptoms are referred to community partners such as Opportunity Alliance, Catholic Charities, Maine Behavioral Health, Maine Medical Center Outpatient Psychiatry and/or residential substance use or co-occurring treatment facilities. Patients requiring inpatient mental health or substance use inpatient treatment are referred to crisis service providers and/or Spring Harbor Hospital.
Tailored Mental Health Services for New Mainers
Greater Portland Health provides care to a linguistically and culturally diverse patient population and we strive to recognize the strength and resilience that the refugee and immigrant communities possess. We also recognize that many individuals and families who are seeking asylum or who have resettled as refugees have experienced complex war trauma, torture, loss and ongoing acculturation stress. These individuals need increased access to screening and culturally appropriate models of care that can effectively support them--especially those from cultures where mental health is stigmatized--from initial screenings to the successful completion of evidence-based therapies. Greater Portland Health’s providers are trained in several evidence-based therapies that are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of Portland's extremely diverse population and can provide counseling in patient’s first language. Needs of the community also led to the development of psychiatric nurse practitioner services to complement counseling. In 2017, these services expanded into our school-based health centers, which allow Greater Portland Health the opportunity to break down cultural stigmas and normalize symptoms for at-risk youth.
New Mainer Peer Support Groups
In collaboration with Maine Access Immigrant Network, Greater Portland Health offers New Mainer peer support groups focused on overcoming psychological hurdles faced by New Mainers. Topics are community-driven, originate from group members, and include: acculturation, stress management, impact of war trauma, child-rearing, employment, parenting and relationships in a new country, mindfulness, laws around domestic violence, what it means to belong, barriers, challenges, stigmas, and more.
Peer Support Group
Wednesdays 12 - 1 p.m.
Maine Access Immigrant Network
237 Oxford Street, #25A