Since 1960, Spurwink Services has connected people of all backgrounds, abilities, and ages with services that foster independence and encourage community engagement. Hannaford has supported this nonprofit organization through its Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Program.
Tell us about Spurwink Services.
The mission of Spurwink Services is to respond to community needs and provide behavioral health care and substance use disorder services and support services for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Our goal is to ensure people can live healthy, connected, and meaningful lives in their communities.
We started in 1960 with one house in Portland, Maine, serving eight boys. Today, Spurwink provides behavioral health and education services for children, adults, and families through an evidence-based therapeutic model and an entrepreneurial approach. We provide access to care in areas of great need in Maine, including mental health, trauma, autism, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. We like to say that we have everything from preschool to a nursing home and everything in between. Our programs are split into three main areas: Outpatient and Community Services, Children’s Education and Residential Programs, and Adult Services.
We are known for going the distance. For example, in our day treatment, we work with kids who have profound needs, whether they have autism spectrum disorders or have had severe trauma in their lives. We work with each student to reach their individual goals, ideally meeting them and helping students reintegrate into their homeschool setting.
We are a large Maine nonprofit that serves about 10,000 individuals across the state.
We are a large Maine nonprofit that serves about 10,000 individuals across the state. The organization is run very thoughtfully, both by our senior leadership and our board. We also are evidence-based, so we make sure our services have data and information to support why we’re providing the services in that way.
What services do you provide to the community?
Recently, our Crisis Living Room Center in Portland, which is open 24/7, has received a lot of publicity. The Living Room provides an interim option between mobile crisis, law enforcement intervention, and the emergency department in a warm and welcoming environment. The center is nonjudgmental, so it is a place where people can relax, take care of their immediate needs, feel welcomed, get set up with long-term support services, and detox if need be. Our Crisis Living Room Center has been open for about two years now. It provides a warm and welcoming environment compared to an emergency department or psychiatric hospital and can provide immediate care.
As an example of its impact, there was an individual who was well-known by the local law enforcement and emergency room staff for regular utilization of services. When someone in the emergency room had not seen them come in for several weeks, they called the police station to see if they had interactions with that individual and even thought the person had passed away. They were pleased to learn that the individual was receiving services at the Living Room Crisis Center. This individual, who hadn’t worked for 15 years, got connected to our services and has not been in the emergency room since.
It may be one person at a time, but these services can get an individual out of expensive emergency room visits or police custody. Through this program, we are providing trauma-informed care for individuals who struggle with mental health and substance use disorder. Our outpatient services are the largest way we serve the local community.
It may be one person at a time, but these services can get an individual out of expensive emergency room visits or police custody.
We also have outpatient services for youth. Since many school systems can’t have an on-site psychologist, we have caseworkers and school counselors who work with children. We also have a preschool in Saco and four schools in Chelsea, Portland, Lewiston, and Auburn.
Finally, we have programs for adults with intellectual disabilities, from group homes to day treatment services to a nursing home. We also offer shared living, which provides support to family members and individuals who live with an adult with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to be as independent as possible. This program is specifically for individuals who wouldn’t necessarily be able to live on their own but want to live in their community instead of a group home setting.
What sets Spurwink Services apart from other nonprofits in your community?
At Spurwink, we are known for going the distance. We take on some of the hardest situations and never give up. We find a way to work with each client to help them see their value.
At Spurwink, we are known for going the distance.
As an example, Spurwink Services was hit hard by the pandemic, like all nonprofit agencies. One of our caregivers was in the hospital with COVID, and he found out that one of his clients was also in the hospital. This client was nonverbal, and the hospital was having difficulty working with the individual. As soon as our staff member felt well enough, he became a communicator between the hospital staff and the individual. Because of his help, this individual was able to get better care, feel less stressed, and heal faster. Here is somebody who is in the hospital, yet their first thought is to continue helping our clients.
The year 2020 was a very serious, frightening time. The staff member had a life-threatening illness, yet they were still trying to serve. This story speaks to how our staff goes above and beyond to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and care.
Tell us a story that illustrates the good work of your organization.
We have this incredible kid named Maria in our program. When she was diagnosed with autism, her mother knew she wanted her child to come to Spurwink. Her brother, who also has autism, had participated in Spruwink’s preschool in Saco. Now, he’s in regular classes with support and has made friends in his regular school district. His mother believes that Spurwink made all the difference to allow this to happen. So, she wanted that opportunity for her daughter as well.
Many children with autism cannot sit still for long periods, struggle with sensory overload, and can even be destructive. When she came to Spurwink, Maria could not sit for more than three seconds. Now, she will be actively engaged at story time, singing and participating in activities for three or four minutes, which is a really long time for any preschooler. She will graduate from preschool next month and will go to her home school district next year.
It’s a great story to show how early intervention focusing on the capabilities of each individual and what they need to accomplish their goals can be life-changing. It’s stressful to be a parent of one child with autism, let alone two. The fact that Ashley, Maria’s mother, trusted Spurwink and has seen results twice really speaks to the work our caring staff does.
What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to your community?
At the end of the day, I’m most proud of the fact that we have almost a thousand employees who are at Spurwink because they care about the work we’re doing. They care about the individuals they work with and value their colleagues.
Nonprofit work is exhausting. It’s not easy. It’s underfunded. There’s a ton of burnout. Yet, our staff is passionate about what they do and is here every day. The work doesn’t happen without caring individuals. They do the hard work each and every day because of who they are. Our staff’s dedication shows in our results with the families we serve.
Our staff’s dedication shows in our results with the families we serve.
How will you use the funds you’ve received from the Hannaford Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs?
Getting people to give unrestricted money is difficult, but it has the biggest impact since we can use it where we need it most. Not every program breaks even, so these donations allow us to keep our programs going even if they don’t have funding. We have many programs with shortfalls, so unrestricted funding like this really keeps Spurwink afloat.
We are so grateful for this. To us, unrestricted giving is like a stamp of approval. It says Hannaford values what we’re doing and trusts us to use the funds where we need it most.
Spurwink is a longstanding organization that has been around for over 60 years. This longevity really shows that we are a good investment, but it still feels good when a business or individual recognizes that by offering unrestricted funding.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
We really appreciate all the support. We send notes to the store managers to thank them and share small stories about the impact of choosing us, but I want to make sure to thank all the Hannaford employees because we know they are the ones encouraging people to buy bags to support us. I would love them to know how much we appreciate their support of our efforts.
Interview with Emily Williams, Director of Development
Published on: December 17, 2024.