New UMaine program to address state mental health crisis among youth

Maine faces significant challenges in youth mental health care. In response, the University of Maine is working to expand the state’s behavioral health workforce with the help of grant funding from the John T. Gorman Foundation, a Portland-based nonprofit whose goal is for all Maine children to be resilient and ready to succeed. 

According to the 2023 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 32.7% of adolescents reported symptoms of depression and 21.8% considered suicide. Despite the urgent need to address youth mental health, access to treatment remains limited due to a shortage of trained providers, high turnover and systemic barriers such as lack of insurance and transportation.

Graduate students and clinicians at UMaine will be trained in Modular Approach to Therapy for Children (MATCH), which is mental health intervention for youth ages six to 17. MATCH treats anxiety, depression, PTSD and behavioral issues, and its approach has shown to improve outcomes and reduce provider burnout.

The project, titled “Expanding the Maine Youth Behavioral Health Workforce: Integrating Evidence-Based Practice into Graduate Training,” is a collaborative effort between Jennifer Blossom, assistant professor of psychology in clinical psychology; Elizabeth Armstrong, associate professor and director of the School of Social Work; and Liam Shaw, manager of Outpatient Pediatric Behavioral Health at MaineGeneral Medical Center.

“Using a flexible and scientifically-supported program like MATCH is key to addressing our state’s youth mental health crisis,” said Blossom. “By using MATCH, youth and families can get connected to care that actually works — meaning they will see improvements much faster and as a result spend less time in treatment and more time doing the things they want to do. Consequently, mental health providers will be able to provide care to more youth and families.”

This project will embed evidence based training into graduate social work curricula at UMaine. Up to 30 students will complete MATCH training and will each see four to six clients during the students’ field placements. Nearly 100 Maine youth will receive specialized treatment during the grant period. 

Read the full story from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences online. 

Contact: Allen Adams; allen.adams@maine.edu